When executed correctly, vengeance can be freeing. But when the path of revenge leads you astray, it’s important to get back on track and make amends with those who were hurt along the way.
As Daimon and I drive down Hope Street, the place where it all began, I can’t help but feel nervous about this next stop. There are some wrongs that can never be made right. I hope it’s not too late to instill a bit of hope on Hope Street.
The car pulls into the gas station and Daimon squeezes my hand. I sigh as I let go and exit the car. When I enter the snack shack, there’s a customer at the counter. I watch as Aasif runs his card. The familiar sound of the credit card machine spitting out a receipt makes my stomach tangle with a strange longing I didn’t expect to feel.
The customer leaves, but Aasif is still operating on autopilot when I step up to the counter. “May I help you?”
“Aasif, it’s me.” He squints at me, then he opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up my hand to stop him. “Don’t say it. No one can know I’m here.”
He glances into the parking lot at the black Mercedes idling outside. “What happened to you?” he whispers, taking in my black hair. “Are you on the run?”
“No, I’m not on the run. I’m… I’m just not supposed to be here. But I—”
A customer enters and I pretend to be engrossed in the selection of chewing gum. The man grabs a bottle of water and an energy drink. I quickly move out of his way and motion for him to go ahead of me.
His eyes linger on my chest for a moment. “Thanks.” He glances in my direction a couple of times as he pays for his beverages, then he leaves and I sigh with relief.
“I’m here because I feel bad about the way I left without any notice. I just wanted to stop by and give you my official letter of resignation.”
I reach into my purse and pull out a plain, crisp envelope. Placing the envelope on the counter, I smile at the look of utter confusion on his face as I exit the snack shack; the place where I got my first taste of freedom. I slide into the backseat of the Mercedes and Daimon smiles when he sees the huge grin on my face. I sit back and I imagine Aasif opening the envelope.
Dear Aasif,
I’m sorry that your family was threatened shortly before I left, but I can tell you now with 100% certainty, both you and your family are in no danger. The person who solicited those threats has been brought to justice.
I hope this cashier’s check in the amount of one million dollars will ease some of the stress you’ve endured the past month and a half.
Thank you for giving me a job and for never treating me like a freak. You’ll never know how much that meant to me.
A
Daimon wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close so he can kiss my forehead. “Mission accomplished?”
Leaning my head on his shoulder, I think of the anonymous donations we made to various charities supporting abused and neglected children. After Julien and his men took their cut of the fifty million, and we made the donations to Aasif and the charities, Daimon and I kept two million dollars for ourselves. I think two million is sufficient funds for us to get our new business up and running and settle into our new life together.
I turn my face into his neck and inhale the intoxicating woodsy scent of his skin. “Mission accomplished.”
I kiss his neck and he lets out a low, primal growl.
“Good,” he murmurs. “Now I can have you all to myself for at least one week before we start working on the next one.”
I pull back in surprise as his hand slides under the skirt of my dress. “The next one? Already?”
“The assassination business is booming, chérie,” he replies, his mouth landing on my neck. “And after Monte Carlo, we are in very high demand.”
I smile as his hand slides under my panties. “Well, then, I guess we’d better enjoy our time off.”
His mouth lands on mine, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. Once he’s satisfied that he’s made me come, he slides his hand out from between my legs and looks me in the eye.
“I plan to enjoy you every day for the rest of our lives.”
“Lesson number one?” I ask playfully.
He plants a soft kiss on my forehead then smiles down at me. “Lesson number two: Tell her you love her. Every day.”
Epilogue - 4 years later Daimon
The modern cabin in Laguna Madre, Mexico is far too warm for my taste, but it’s the perfect temperature for Alex to do hot yoga, which I love to watch. I place my rifle case on the steel kitchen island and watch as she stretches out facedown on top of a mat on the living room floor. She places her hands flat on the mat on either side of her chest, then she pushes up slightly into a cobra pose. Her eyes are closed, so I allow my gaze to travel down the slope of her back and to her perfect ass.
“Are you looking at my butt?” she says. Her eyes are still closed, but she’s smiling.
“What else would I be doing?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe getting the weapons ready or taking a shower. Yes, you should take a shower. That was a long run you took this morning.”
I take the Sako TRG-42 out of the case and begin cleaning and checking each piece and accessory in preparation of tonight’s mission. We were contacted thirteen months ago by an official from the Mexican government. He claimed to have intelligence of a possible assassination attempt on the governor of Tamaulipas, a state in Mexico. The governor’s refusal to cooperate with the drug cartels had made him a target. Our job was to take out the head of the Cártel de Golfo—the Gulf Cartel—before they take out the governor.
The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest crime syndicates in Mexico. This has been our most difficult and dangerous mission to date, which is why it’s taken us thirteen months to get to payday. But it’s finally here and I have the perfect location to take out the mark. This will be our most satisfying kill to date considering that, over the past seven years, Rudolfo Cardenas and the Gulf Cartel are responsible for an estimated 472 deaths in this region.
I tuck the rifle back into the case and, as usual, I see the image of the little boy I killed seven years ago in that flat in London. His name was Gabriel, like his father. I close my eyes for a moment and send out a prayer that I will one day be forgiven or, if it is God’s will, punished for Gabriel’s death.
I open my eyes and take a deep breath as I think of the gift I got for Alex while I went for a run this morning. I stopped at a little tourist shop near the beach and found a fluffy white feather on the floor of the shop. It had come off a hat on the display. I picked it up and gave it to the woman behind the sales counter, but she just shook her head and began reaching for the waste bin to throw it away. I stopped her and asked if I could keep it and she gave it to me gladly, though I could see she was a bit curious as to why I would want the feather.
Closing the latches on the gun case, I head for the bedroom. I take a quick shower and when I come out, I can’t find my handgun. It’s supposed to be on top of the dresser where I left it last night.
I come out of the bedroom wearing a towel around my waist and find Alex bending over with her ass in the air in a downward dog position. I smile as I come behind her and grab her hips.
“Excuse me, chérie, but have you seen my M9? It was on the dresser.”
She laughs as I pull her hips back so her ass is pressed against me. “It’s in the den. I was cleaning it while you went for a run.”
“What did I tell you about moving my gun?” I say, reaching forward until my hand is cupped over her pussy.