Page 44 of The Cleaner

"Thanks for the ride, Mav," she says softly.

I reach out and gently grasp her chin, turning her face toward me. "I meant what I said. Tomorrow night, you're mine." I need her to know that I'm serious, that I'm not stepping back and letting her go.

Her breath catches and she nods. I lean in and kiss her, soft at first but then deepening it, tasting the coffee on her tongue. When I pull back, her eyes are glazed and her lips are swollen.

"Go on," I tell her, my voice gruff. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Lisa nods, still looking a bit dazed from our kiss. She opens the door and steps out, turning back to give me one last smile before shutting it. I watch her walk to her building, making sure she gets inside safely before driving off.

As I head home, my mind is racing. There's so much I still don't know about Lisa, about her past. The foster care, her dead mother, her absent father—they’re all pieces of a puzzle I'm determined to solve. But I know I need to be patient. Push too hard and I might scare her off. For now, I need to focus on tonight's job. I've got a human trafficker to deal with, and I can't afford any distractions.

Chapter

Eighteen

LISA

I'm sittingat my dresser, the one I had custom built for me after I moved back into my ma’s home when I turned eighteen. It was hard at first, especially with what happened here, but my ma is someone I loved with my entire heart and soul. I’ve missed her so much, and being home feels right. I’ve updated the house as it was abandoned for years while I was living with Orna. It’s no longer the same house, but I can still feel my ma’s presence, and I’m happy here. I’m currently scrolling through my phone, reading up on the man I've got for tonight's target. I lied to Maverick about meeting with Orna and Devin today. I have a job with The Agency that needs to be done today. As in right fucking now. From what Travis has told me, Leon Manthin is one of Europe's leading traffickers, and he specializes in little boys. Motherfucker has managed to escape for years without anyone getting their hands on him. He was supposed to be taken out last month while he was in Spain, but whoever had the job fucked up and the bastard's still walking the streets. So tonight is my turn. I'm the one who’s been tasked with taking him out.

It's been five years since my first kill and I've lost count of how many I've done now. They don’t all happen here in Ireland.I do travel, especially now that I'm over eighteen. I've learned the best technique for what I do, and while I'm still not as powerful as Ciarán would like, I'm damned good at what I do. I've earned the moniker the Hanging Reaper for my methods. Only two people know my true identity, and I know I can trust them both with my secret. Hell, those two are the ones who helped mould me into who I am. Without them, I doubt I'd have the skill sets that I possess now.

I usually wait until the dead of the night to do this, and usually on a bridge, but that's not happening today. Fuck no. The man's too powerful, too well known for me to be able to get him out of his hotel room, where he has multiple online meetings, and get him hanged from a bridge. No, today calls for something a little different. Leon usually is in town to get boys and sell them, but thanks to Ciarán's information, we know that he's in town for girls. He's selling them to the Bratva to keep in their whorehouses. So today, I'm going to be 'auditioning' to become one of those women. Thankfully, I have a good disguise that'll keep my real identity from being shown. I have less than an hour to get to the shitty hotel he's staying at close to the airport. The fucker didn't want to go any further into town. Everyone who knows of him wants to kill him, and with Ireland having so many different criminal organizations, it's safe to say that he wouldn't make it out alive.

He won't. I'll make sure of that.

I stand up from my dresser, my heart rate steady despite what I'm about to do. This isn't my first rodeo, after all. I move to my closet, pulling out the carefully selected outfit for tonight's "audition." A tight black dress that leaves little to the imagination, paired with sky-high heels that I can run in if needed. I've learned that lesson the hard way.

As I apply my makeup, I transform myself into someone unrecognizable. I slip on the blonde wig, adjusting it carefully inthe mirror. It screams "desperate and naive." Perfect for luring in a predator like Leon. The blue contact lenses complete the transformation. I barely recognize myself, which is exactly the point.

I grab my small purse, double-checking that I have everything I need. The rope is coiled neatly inside, alongside a few other tools of my trade. I take a deep breath, centring myself. This is just another job. Just another monster to remove from the world.

Travis put me in touch with a guy named Jason who boosts cars for a living. It’s easy; you contact him with a time and a place, pay him the money, and he’ll deliver. Never once showing his face. It’s the perfect way to do business.

It doesn’t take me long to get to the arranged place, and the car’s already waiting for me. I slide in, and the engine purrs to life as I turn the key in the ignition. I love the feeling of the engine revving. It centres me. Taking a deep breath, I pull out onto the street, my mind focused on what lies ahead.

The drive to the hotel is uneventful, giving me time to run through the plan one last time. I've memorized every detail of Leon's schedule, every weakness in his security—there’s very little, just his best friend and business partner who will be sampling the local brothel right about now. I know exactly how it’s going to go down. Not to mention the tracks that have already been laid by Travis’ daughter, Melissa. The woman is amazing at what she does and has managed to make it look as though Leon is a wanted man by the very people he employs. We have the perfect plan. He’s a desperate man, one who has no other option. His time is up, and he takes the only way out that he knows how. Ending his own life.

I park the car a two-minute walk away from the hotel, making sure to choose a spot without security cameras. As I walk toward the building, I feel the familiar rush of adrenalinecoursing through my veins. My heels click against the pavement, a steady rhythm matching my heartbeat. Since the first kill, I've never felt the panic grow as I do this. I'm always calm and centred. It terrifies me that I'm this way, but there's nothing I can do to change it. While it's terrifying that I'm so at ease, I know I'd actually hate it to be any other way.

I enter the hotel lobby, my eyes scanning the area discreetly. Melissa has also worked her magic on this and the cameras have been out for the past forty-eight hours. The receptionist barely glances up as I walk past, heading straight for the elevators. Leon's room is on the fourth floor, room 412. As the elevator doors close, I take one last deep breath, slipping fully into character.

The hallway is deserted when I step out. Good. I approach room 412, my hand steady as I knock on the door. There's a pause, then the sound of heavy footsteps. The door opens, and I'm face to face with Leon Manthin. He's older than his pictures, with lines etched deep into his face. His eyes are cold and calculating as they rake over my body. I force myself to smile, playing the part of the eager, naive girl.

"Mr Manthin?" I ask, my voice pitched higher than usual. "I'm here for the... audition,” I say, making my voice sound uneasy and a little frightened.

Leon's eyes narrow slightly, a mix of suspicion and interest flickering across his face. "Ah, yes," he says, his accent thick and guttural. "Come in, come in."

He steps aside, allowing me to enter the dimly lit hotel room. The air is thick with the stench of stale cigarette smoke and cheap aftershave. I suppress a shudder as I feel his eyes on me, undressing me with his gaze. He’s a sleazy man who uses people in the worst ways possible. He deserves everything that’s coming to him.

"You're early," he remarks, closing the door behind us. The lock clicks into place, a sound that would make most girls in my position tremble with fear.

But not me. This is what I wanted.

"I hope that's not a problem," I say, turning to face him with a coy smile. "I just couldn't wait to meet you."

Leon chuckles; a harsh sound that grates against my ears. "Eager. I like that." He moves closer, his bulk looming over me. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Lily," I lie smoothly, batting my eyelashes at him. "I've heard so much about you, Mr. Manthin. They say you can make a girl's dreams come true." I’m laying it on thick and he’s eating it up.

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