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He held on for longer than I thought he would, and when I watched him breathe his last breath, I got up. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Guild’s phone, snapping a picture of him and his body before walking out. The picture was unnecessary; the Guild liked evidence in your early days, but I was far past those days now.
Still, when I went into the Guild’s headquarters, I liked to show the Lioness the picture anyway, before I deleted it. It was my way of wiping myself clean after jobs.
I didn’t have to wash any blood off me, so as soon as night fell, I was out of the house and on my way back. The job was only a few hours away, so by the time I got to HQ, it was past midnight. There were still quite a few people coming and going from headquarters; it was open all hours of the day and night.
The Guild’s headquarters were located in one of the tallest buildings downtown. Security was as tight as it could be, the glass walls of the place bulletproof. When you first passed the sliding glass doors after getting off the elevator, you were greeted by a projection of a globe, slowly twirling above a round table. To the outside world, the Guild was a high-profile security firm.
As I walked in, someone else was in the process of walking out. He nearly walked right into me, too lost in his own thoughts to pay attention. I recognized his face immediately. Blond hair, near my age, except unlike me, he came from a big family—a family who each worked for the Guild, in various capacities.
“Red Dragon,” I spoke his codename. “Something wrong?” I’d met his brothers a few times, though I’d never met their sister. The Dragons were plentiful, each one just as wild as the other, even if their personalities varied.
He realized it was me and shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I just had to give the Lioness some bad news so… good luck.” He patted my shoulder once before leaving.
Great. When the Lioness was in a bad mood, well, let’s just say everyone suffered.
I headed to her office. With black tinted glass, the Lioness’s office was as private as you could get in the Guild’s headquarters. She was busy frowning at a tablet in front of her, but when I walked in, she looked up and let out a sigh.
“Ah, Black Wolf. Please tell me it’s done. I don’t think I can take another round of disappointment tonight.” She gave me a tight-lipped smile, gesturing for me to sit in the chair on the other side of her desk.
I was slow to do so, pulling out the Guild’s phone and sliding it over to her.
She picked it up and looked at the picture of the target. The Lioness nodded once and then pushed the phone back to me. “Thank fucking God someone can do their job right, at least. I’ll have the rest of the money wired into your account tomorrow. Good work.”
I took the phone back, deleting the picture before sliding it into my pocket. I got up, not saying a single word to her as I went to leave. Whatever was going on with the Dragons was of no concern to me. I knew better than to ask questions about something that wasn’t any of my business.
But the Lioness had more to say, for she spoke to me, “I heard your sister came asking about you and your job at the Owl. Jeff kept her company for a little while.”
I stopped, slow to turn to face her. I did my best to keep a neutral look, but inside I wanted to pound the nearest wall. What the hell was Taylor thinking, going to talk to Jeff? Going anywhere near there… I didn’t trust the world with her.
“How long is she going to be with you? I understand she’s family, but… well, they were only a cover, weren’t they? Her and her father. Your mother knew that life wasn’t for her. It’s not for you, either. You were made to carry out the Guild’s work. We do things that would keep civilians up at night and haunt their dreams. We’re not the same.”
“I know.”
“Don’t let her make you soft,” the Lioness warned. “You’re far too young to retire just yet.”
My jaw ground. “I know.”
The Lioness must’ve sensed I didn’t want to talk anymore, for she simply lifted a hand and shooed me away, and I didn’t stick around. I left the Guild headquarters and drove back to my place. I pulled into the parking garage and took the elevator up.
Taylor went to the Hooting Owl and spoke to Jeff. She and I would have to have a little chat about that. There were places in this city that were not safe for her. She was safe enough with Jeff, but anywhere the Guild called home, she should to avoid all the same. The Hooting Owl had been a safe meeting place for us that first night, but now…
Now I didn’t trust anyone else with her. I didn’t trust any other guildmates to keep their filthy hands off her—and I didn’t trust myself not to retaliate if I heard they’d tried something with her. Including Jeff.
And if I killed a guildmate or someone who worked for a Guild-associated business, the repercussions would be unavoidable. Taylor would be in danger. So, obviously, for all our sakes, we needed to avoid pushing me off the deep end.
I was back in my apartment within minutes. No lights were on, and not a sound echoed throughout the space. It was late; Taylor had to be asleep. That was probably a good thing, as right now, after hearing about her little excursion to the Hooting Owl, I was a little annoyed.
We’d talk about it tomorrow.
I kicked off my shoes and shuffled to my room, pausing when I was about to pass her room. I hesitated, and then I lifted a hand to the knob on her door, slowly turning it and pushing it open. When I peered inside through the darkness, I saw Taylor’s figure laying under the covers, fast asleep.
She’d been good this week, besides her adventure to the Hooting Owl. I told the guards to alert me if she tried to bring anyone else up here, and I hadn’t gotten any alerts—meaning no more boys. Thank fuck for that, at least.
I went to shut her door, and once it was shut, I heaved out a sigh and finished the short trek to my room. I went into the bathroom, tore off my clothes, and hopped in the shower. As the hot water pelted my skin, I tried to imagine how Taylor and my conversation would go tomorrow, but my mind wasn’t working well. All I wanted to do was sleep.
So that’s what I did once I got out. I went to bed. I went to bed without putting anything on, too tired. That’s what going on a job entailed; you had to be constantly alert, even when you weren’t on your target’s trail, just in case someone had taken notice of you. You had to blend in, do the opposite of stick out. Becoming one with your surroundings, acting inconspicuous; it all took effort.
Usually, on a normal day, I didn’t need to use any alarms to get up. But, after getting home so late and being so exhausted, I didn’t wake up as early as I typically did.
