Pain was my good morning call,and in this business,it usually came with a price tag.
******
The car rolled to a slow stop.
"Wake up." A deep male voice barked, followed by a sharp kick to Blonde's stomach.
She groaned, curling into a tight ball. A rough hand yanked her up, forcing her to stand.
Harsh light leaked through the fabric of the bag over her head. A faint ding echoed, and she realised they were in an elevator, rising.
When the doors slid open, she was dragged down a hallway. A door creaked open. The grip on her arm tightened, and she was shoved inside, hitting the floor hard.
"The product worth millions is finally here," a familiar voice said with a smug drawl. "Feels good to finally meet the highest lot and the most sought-after assassin."
Her chest tightened. Zeus.
Was this part of the plan? Did La Notte sell me to Zeus instead of Enrico? When I get out of here, I'll cut off his head myself.
A hand forced her into a kneeling position. The bag was moved away.
Light stabbed her eyes, making her hiss and blink until shapes sharpened.
"Great to see you again, Blonde. How've you been?"
She stared at him, silent, her mind racing.
"I know you're surprised I'm the one buying you," he went on. "It's just a show. You're worth a lot, so I can't buy you. This is all part of the plan to get to Enrico."
"You're one big mess, Zeus," she said, her voice low. "You just did business with one of the worst men alive. La Notte never keeps his word."
Zeus strode toward her, grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her to her feet. "You don't get to tell me who I do business with. I should chop off your head and feed it to the birds for what you did to my family."
Blonde laughed in a sharp, wicked sound. "You can't touch me, even if you wanted to. The mafia world would hunt you down. I'm the biggest asset you'll ever meet. Don't flatter yourself. Stick to the plan."
His jaw tightened. He let her go without a word, snatched a gun from the table, and levelled it at her.
"Let me kill you," he said coldly. "We'll see if you're a big asset or not."
She stepped forward until the barrel pressed to her forehead. "This is between us, man. Shoot me now. Let's finish it."
His face flushed crimson. "You destroyed my family, Blonde. My wife. My two kids. My uncle. You killed them all."
"I followed orders, Zeus," she said flatly. "I spared you that day out of mercy and I was punished for it."
"You should have killed me with them!" he roared, cocking the gun.
"Kill you? You're one of my greatest assets."
He jerked the gun away from her head. She leaned closer, her voice a whisper against his ear. "I'm coming for all of you. Nobody escapes. Not even you. Enjoy what's left of your life."
"How dare you?" His finger tightened, and the shot cracked through the air. Pain exploded in her knee, and she collapsed with a groan, clutching the wound.
"This is my goodbye gift," he said coldly. "Go rot in Enrico Rosette's world."
"Fuck you, Zeus." She spat in his face.
His eyes blazed. He slammed the gun's handle across her cheek. The sting lit up her skin, leaving it red and swollen.
He wiped her spit away with a clean wipe, tossed the gun and the wipes back to a guard, and stepped away.
"Take her to the car. The buyers will be here soon."
A short boy with weird glasses rushed in, breathless. "They're here, boss!"
Zeus gave a signal. A rough hand yanked a bag over Blonde's head, the scratchy fabric brushing her cheeks, cutting off her sight. Her heart thudded. She could hear Zeus's voice as they walked down a narrow pathway.
"You must be on guard. He's a weirdo. Don't hesitate to shoot if they make the wrong move."
"Yes, boss," they chorused.
They crossed what felt like a doorway. The air changed, cooler, heavier. Then she was shoved hard to the ground. The dusty floor scratched her palms.
"I see you're already here. Here's your gift lying there," Zeus said.
Boots thudded closer. Even through the bag, she sensed someone tall standing over her. The bag was ripped off. Bright light hit her eyes, and when her vision cleared, she froze.
It was Enrico. They stared at each other in silence.
"Do you like what you see?" Zeus broke the stillness.
Enrico rose slowly, tattoos peeking from under his black shirt. His voice was calm, but sharp. "Who the hell gave her those marks?"
Zeus's face twitched. "I... did. She was stubborn. I needed to teach her a good lesson."
Enrico's gaze hardened. "I don't buy dirty things. I buy clean things. I'm not interested anymore." He flicked his hair back from his ear and turned to leave.
Zeus shot up from his seat. "No! You can't do this. We had an agreement."
Enrico chuckled. "We had an agreement, man. But you broke it first." He nodded to Xavier, who handed Zeus a folded paper.
Zeus scanned it quickly. His stomach dropped when he read:
NO INJURY SHOULD BE FOUND ON HER BODY. Failure to adhere transaction ends.
"Send my money back. You have twenty-four hours. You broke the deal first." Enrico walked toward the door with Xavier, leaving Zeus speechless.
As Enrico was about to pass her, Blonde reached out and gripped his leg. He stopped, looking down at her with a cold stare.
"Don't leave me, Enrico." Her voice was steady, her eyes locked on his.
He bent, tucking her messy hair behind her ear. His fingers were warm against her skin. "You still have your nice hair, love. Why should I take you?"
She leaned closer, her breath brushing his cheek. "I've changed a lot, man. If you're going to become my executioner, I need to become yours first."
Enrico bit his lip, smiling faintly. "You have changed. Let's see how. Kneel and beg me to take you."
Blonde laughed, standing tall. She stepped so close their faces nearly touched. "In the world of Enrico Rosette, you don't beg. The moment you beg, you're at their mercy, and you give them a reason to see your weakness."
Xavier muttered, loud enough for all to hear, "That's smart, girl."
Blonde winked at him, smiling.
Enrico clapped slowly, standing. "Someone is proving herself to me."
"I don't need to prove myself to you. You own me now. Let's just say we have a lot to catch up on."
"Get the papers, Zeus. I'm buying her." Enrico's smirk was slow and dangerous.
Zeus shoved the papers at him with trembling hands. Enrico signed without breaking his stare from Blonde. Then, in one smooth motion, he drew his gun.The crack of the shot exploded through the room.
Zeus dropped to the floor, clutching his left leg. The metallic scent of blood hit the air as his groans filled the silence. His men jerked their weapons up.
Enrico didn't even blink. "Next time you touch my property, you won't live long enough to regret it. Lower your guns before I paint this room with your boss's brains."
"Lower your guns!" Zeus's voice was raw with pain.
The men hesitated, then obeyed.
Enrico tossed the gun so it clattered near Zeus's hand. Then he turned to Blonde, his expression shifting into something almost amused. Without warning, he scooped her into his arms.
"You've gotten heavier," he murmured, his palm sliding along her hip. "And curvier."
She smirked, fingers tracing his jaw. "Don't flirt with me, gangster. I'm a better flirt now."
His grin was slow, dangerous. He carried her toward the doorway, his boots thudding against the floor.
"Welcome back to my world, love."