Page 65 of Deadly Sights

“He’s usually on top of things,” he says.

“Are you sure I can’t take him from you?” I study Alastair, wondering what method will work to bribe him away from Julian.

“Not a chance, but he might be open to sharing.”

“Rather than discussing me as if I were a piece of property and not a person able to decide his fate for himself, shouldn’t you be getting on the road? Your assignment will be difficult as is if we get half the expected snow they’re reporting.”

Julian leads the way. I collect Leaper. If what Alastair said about the weather is true, we might have to spend the night. Leaper hasn’t spent a day away from me since I got her. Julian drives while my cat watches the scenery from the dashboard, and I read the dossier from Gary.

“Who are we after today?” Julian asks.

“The head of the Douglas mafia family, Sansone De Luca. There’s a list of properties he frequents. Hmm, from this profile, he’s been pretty active recently, spending a lot of time in his downtown condo.”

“Is that where we’ll stage the hit?”

“Not sure. Let’s visit some of the other places on the list first. I want to get a feel for his security. A man with his reputation is likely to have an army around him.” My stomach growls, reminding me of the untouched breakfast Julian made for me.

I peek at him, but he remains silent. The only indication he heard my body’s demand is when he pulls off the highway in search of a gas station. After the brief detour and a bag full of food, we hit the road.

“Hopefully, the weather holds out until we finish the job. I don’t like the look of those clouds.”

I glance up from my file to see the sky darkening, although it’s still early in the day. We get off the main highway and are on a state road traveling west. This stretch runs through the mountains and can be treacherous during heavy storms, but we’re making good time.

Regardless of the weather, I’ll complete the job. Although I redeemed myself with the last assignment, the blemish from my record still irks me. Despite forgiving Julien for ruining my perfect kill, I can’t help remembering it when I take on new assignments. And the memory makes me more determined to execute a flawless contract going forward.

When we enter the city limits of Douglas, the Christmas decorations are more lively than in Denver. The cheerful Santas, elves, and reindeer, the colorful explosion of garlands and wreaths, and the music playing from the stores remind me of my parents.

Ever since the night I dreamed about my abduction, small pieces of my life with my family pop up at random times. With the holiday season in full swing, memories of shopping and baking fill me with nostalgia and feed my anger toward the people who keep sending killers after me.

As we drive through the busy streets, a group of black SUVs catch my eye. “Double back,” I tell Julian. “I’ve just found ourquarry.” I refer to the dossier. “Looks like I saw him entering one of his homes. Let’s see if we can find a neighboring building that can get me visibility into his place. If I can avoid his security, I’d prefer it.”

“Same here. If we had more time to plan, that would be another story.”

Julian rounds the building and points out possible buildings we could infiltrate. Lucky for us, there’s a hotel across the street as tall as Sansone’s. While Julian parks, I reserve a room.

We set up in a room overlooking Sansone’s apartment, and we wait. Julian stretches out on the bed and Leaper pounces, curling up on his stomach and purring her contentment. Activity from across the street, causes me to rush to the scope on my rifle.

“Finally, he makes an appearance.” As I adjust the scope, my phone rings.

“It’s Gary.” Julian hands me the device.

“This better be good because you’re about to mess up my shot.”

“Then I’m in time. The hit’s been called off.” At my silence, Gary says, “I need you to confirm you’re standing down.”

“Yeah, I’ll pack it in. I still expect my commission for my troubles,” I grumble.

“Already relayed to the customer they won’t get a refund.”

I hang up the phone and start packing my sniper away, muttering about Gary and the insufferable client ruining my murderventure with Julian.

“The trip doesn’t have to be a total waste.” Julian hugs me from behind. “We have a hotel room and a warm bed.”

I turn within his arms and cup his cheek, my frustration melting away under the warmth of his gaze. “As much as I appreciate the thought, I’d much rather go home and spend our first Christmas snuggled up before the fireplace than in a hotel.”

“I can’t argue with that.” He kisses my palm and we check out of the hotel.

While packing the car, Julian pushes me aside and lands on me with a jolt.

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