Page 34 of Hunter's Trial

Whatever I thought was going to happen, it wasn’t this.

It feels utterly surreal to be sharing a breakfast table with two highly trained killers. Not to mention the fact that my daughter appears to be wholly and utterly at ease with the whole thing. She’s already dug into the sweet rolls. Cinnamon and sticky frosting clings to her face and fingers while she animatedly continues telling the men about something that happened in some cartoon that she’s obsessed with lately. I should remember the name of it -- but I can’t stop staring at Nikolai.

He looks entranced by her story.

Even Horus looks away occasionally to eat something. Nikolai is clinging to her every word and gesture as if it’s the most fascinating thing that he’s ever heard in his life. I know that he doesn’t have any personal experience with children outside of meeting Liz last night. Yet, he’s taking to it all so naturally. At least it seems that way.

I didn’t think that I could find something so simple so damned attractive.

When Liz is finished eating, she pushes away from the table and starts to lick the sugar off of her fingers, her hair unkempt. “Can I go play now?”

To my surprise, she looks from me to Nikolai like she’s also asking him for permission. My eyes widen in surprise.

“Go wash your hands and face please.” I tell her.

“And put your plate in the sink.” Nikolai finishes.

I am frozen for a moment as I watch Liz get up and do exactly as he asks. She rinses her plate in the sink and then her face and hands. She takes her time drying her face with a clean kitchen towel before skipping off to the adjoining living room where the small TV set had been silently playing her cartoons. Only a moment later the high-pitched sound of animals wafts our direction.

Does it bother me that Nikolai just told my daughter what to do?

Or does it bother me that I’m not fazed by it at all.

I can’t seem to tear my gaze from Nikolai but all he does is wink at me.

Cocky bastard.

Horus breaks the silence and nods his head toward the envelope that I’d forgotten. It’s closed and half tucked under Nikolai’s elbow. It’s enough to break me out of my trance. I hadn’t even noticed it. Where did it come from? Did he bring it with him? No. I would have seen it last night when he arrived.

Nikolai doesn’t answer out loud, he simply pushes the folder toward me to examine. I open it and peer at the contents. A contract, that much is obvious at first glance.

“What is this?” I ask. Clearly he’s already read the contents.

Horus glances at them, but doesn’t ask to read them, which surprises me. I would have assumed that he would have been texting the contents to his boss the moment that he saw them. For all he knows, it could be a conflict of interest.

Nikolai pushes his empty plate forward and shrugs one shoulder. It’s almost like he’s trying too hard to appear casual. “Do you know anyone by the name of Di Gennaro?”

The name feels somewhat familiar, but I can’t place the face to the name. So I shake my head.

He doesn’t say anything else which feels terribly ominous. I start to leaf through the contract and Horus moves to read over my shoulder. It’s an impressive offer. More than impressive, actually. I thought that the money that Alek gave me was impressive -- but this? This is early retirement money. This is set Liz up for life money.

But something about the look on Nikolai’s face makes me hesitate.

“Congratulations,” Horus says softly behind me. “It appears that word does indeed spread quickly. I would not be surprised if you start getting many more offers because of your success.”

It’s a compliment. I know that it is. “Thank you,” I mutter as I read through the terms and conditions. Funny that it doesn’t even list the charges that the client is already being held on. Means that it’s something bad. I know that.

Why do I have this itching need to ask Nikolai’s opinion?

Everything about his current reaction makes me think that this is bad news and something that I shouldn’t do. I close the folder and push it aside. I rise to stand from the table, and Nikolai stands at the same time as me.

“I have to get Liz ready for school.” I explain and head to her bedroom to start picking out her outfit so that she can spend a few more minutes on her show. Alek’s men will likely be here at any minute to escort her to her school.

“She can't.” Nikolai says firmly.

Firm enough that I stop in the middle of the hallway and turn around. My brows furrow as I instantly get defensive. “What?”

“She can’t go to school. In fact, she shouldn’t even leave the house.”

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