Page 46 of Agent vs. Assassin

Good ol’ Jack, I think. He’s irritatingas fuck, but efficient. At the moment, his savvy feels worth the torture, but then again, I’m not enduring said torture right now. “Find out where they stayed when they were here or favorite spots. Maybe places Mark frequented. Elsa’s not going to go to Mark’s house, not unless she’s stupid, and she’s not. She’ll go someplace that feels safe.Ifit’s Elsa. We still don’t really know for sure. I’m going to shower. I sincerely hope you are too, Lucas, considering you were disgusting last night. Call me or text me.” I disconnect.

Kane walks into the room, shirtless, in pajama bottoms, with two steaming cups in his hands. I throw my legs over the edge of the bed, and he sits down next to me. “Morning, bella.”

“Morning,” I say, sipping the warm brew. “Delicious. You made my favorite hazelnut coffee.”

“Seemed like you needed it. What woke you up so abruptly?”

“My mind attacked me with randomness. You know, I assumed that the reason Elsa and Mark’s phones are both in Maryland means they wanted an alibi for the murders.”

“It would have worked if Mark hadn’t ended up dead.”

My brows dip, and I’m not sure why my mind is pushing back. “Yes. True.”

“What are you thinking?”

“You told me I was assuming, and that’s unlike me. Am I wrong to assume Elsa is the assassin? No,” I say before he can answer. “Ghost is after Elsa. It’s Elsa.”

“Ghost is a self-serving narcissist. That frames everything he does. He’s either the killer after a payday or a killer after a payday. That’s all he knows. Either Elsa is on the hit list, or she is the hit list. There’s no other reason Ghost would be here.”

Me, I think.

He might have come for Mark, or Elsa, or both, but is he lingering for me? I’m not saying that to Kane. I don’t say it, but it’s on my mind. It’s still on my mind after I’ve showered and Kane has headed off to his meeting.

Dressed in my serious FBI gray pantsuit with a black silk blouse underneath and high heels I could slice a throat with, I stand in Purgatory and just think. And think some more.

I’m missing something, and I’m going back to Mark’s place to figure out what.

Chapter Thirty-One

I’m trying to be good. I really am.

Kit and I order egg white omelets and avocado toast from a local favorite breakfast joint, sitting at the kitchen island to enjoy a healthy start. I mean truthfully if I’m going to die a bloody death sooner than later, I’m not sure why I care if it’s with clogged arteries. However, I do want to be physically capable of making sure whoever kills me dies with me. And of late, I haven’t been training or eating right, a detail Kane pointed out before he left for work.A blade takes skill and strength to kill with, Lilah. You must be ready for anything that comes your way. What if I don’t get here in time the next time you’re attacked? And there will be a next time.

He’s right. It’s been two weeks since I sparred with him, and just as long since I hit the weights. No sleep, shitty eating, and zero training, makes for a live girl finding herself dead. I do not like weakness, certainly not in myself. And I swore I’d never allow myself to be as easily held down as I was on that beach that night.

The only blood in the water will be the asshole’s who tries to attack me. “We need to talk about Jay,” I comment after a bite of my omelet.

“I thought it was Enrique you have a problem with.”

I ignore him and stay focused. “He’s too good for all of us.”

“Enrique? What the fuck?”

“Do not act slow,” I say pointing my fork at him, “you know I’m talking about Jay.”

“When Enrique defied you and called Kane, Jay would not have. He would have been right there with you, risking the wrath of Kane. Kane would have been pissed but ultimately okay with it because that would mean you had someone that loyal to you. But for the record, Enrique has seen some shit with Kane’s father that no human should ever experience. He was afraid for him and you.”

“I know he’s loyal and that’s why I don’t want him to end up dead.”

“Careful,” he says, “someone might think you have a heart.”

“I also have a gun.”

“And yet you always find a knife.”

“That’s me showing restraint. I need to get Jay trained and hardened up. I want whoever it is to try to scare him off or toughened up.”

“I know a guy but he’d need Jay with him for a good month.”

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