Page 7 of The Stallion
“No, you’ve already done more than enough for me.” I smiled warmly, giving her a gentle peck on the cheek before stepping past her and out the sliding glass door.
My mother had the kindest heart of anyone I had ever met. My father lucked the fuck out with her, and I’d only hoped to one day find someone like her.
“Dallas.”
“Dad,” I nodded in respect before sitting on the opposite end of the outdoor lounge. I fanned my arms out along the back of the couch and closed my eyes, letting the rays from the early afternoon sun warm my face. “I need to talk to you about my upcoming tests.”
“Oh? Did something happen?” His tone was unreadable.
I sure as shit wouldn't be sitting here right now if I fucked up my first test. Alec would've already put a bullet through my skull and signed my death certificate on the same night.
“No. Everything went as planned, although it’s been a week, and I haven’t heard from Alec regarding my next test.”
Setting his paper down, my father crossed a leg over his knee and relaxed back against the cushion, focusing all his attention on me. When he wanted to be, he could be difficult to read.
“That’s normal. The MUR doesn’t just kill people daily, Dallas. Dustin must vet everyone who crosses his radar before making a final move. Not to mention, four of you are undergoing initiation this time around, which will also affect the timeline of your assignments. Sometimes it can take several weeks to receive your next test even under normal circumstances.”
“So, I didn’t fuck up when I just shot the guy in the back of the head?”
He just shook his head and laughed as if I’d been joking.
“Absolutely not. We aren’t here for torture and mutilation, if that’s what you initially thought. While there are times that the target’s crime calls for that as retribution, generally, all jobs are taken care of in a quick and dirty manner. You go in, you make the kill, you leave. Simple as that.”
Simple. He was right about that.
He sighed, contemplating my extended silence as I replayed the events of my first test in my mind; what I'd done right, and what I could've done better.
Although it might've made a statement that I didn't need a reason to pull the trigger, all I needed was the gun.
“Look, as I’ve said before, the first kill is always the hardest, but once you get the next two under your belt, there’s nothing to it.”
As I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t feeling any of that whatso-fucking-ever, my phone went off with a new notification.Perfect timing.
Leaning forward, I pulled it from my back pocket and saw a text from Alec on the lock screen.
“Speaking of Alec…” My voice faded into a mumble as I opened and read over his message, which included information about my next test and its location.
“I assume he has your next test then?”
“Seems so. We’re meeting at Stardust on The Strip tonight at nine. I guess the target is staying at the hotel—or at least close by?” I sighed, chewing on the inside of my lip. “His text is vague. I’m assumingthat’s normal?”
“It is. Most of the time, we only get a name, time, and location. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, they give you a description of the target, but that’s not always guaranteed. For initiation tasks, Alec will do the legwork for you to gather that information, but in the future, once you’re on your own, that will become your responsibility.”
The Men Under Revue played an essential role in keeping the peace in this city.
We held power over the scale, maintaining balance and ensuring our city never tipped too far in one direction over the other.
Well, it wouldn't be a job without some effort.
WhenIpulledintothe Stardust parking garage, I found Alec lazily waiting beside the elevator. His arms were crossed over his chest, with one leg bent and his foot propped up on the wall he had been resting against.
I narrowed my eyes as I parked in the closest available space, wondering why he was down here instead of in his office or the theater.
“How long have you been waiting for me?” I called over to him as I rounded the back of my old Jeep Patriot.
Once this was over, the first item on my list was getting a new car—one that fit mypersonality.
“Not long, maybe five minutes or so.” Alec shrugged, unfazed, checking the Rolex on his left wrist as I strode over to where he stood, my hands tucked into the front pockets of my jeans.
