Page 31 of Praying Mantis

Iwalk out of the closet to see the four suitcases open with my clothes in them. I know how to disappear, and I have the means to erase my identity completely. Louisa Marshall will cease to exist in at least seventy-two hours. I’m not paying attention to the sounds in my apartment, as I’m fully focused on my escape plan.

“Leaving so soon?” I jump and scream at the fresh voice in my apartment.

“Sean, what the fuck are you doing here? How are you in my apartment?” He holds his keychain up, revealing his house key. I forgot we exchanged keys a while back. “Is the FBI outside in the hallway and you promised them you’d bring me out peacefully?” I snap at him. His eyes widen at the surprise tone I’m taking with him. I don’t think he expected me to be so combative with him right now.

“I didn’t turn you in, so the only FBI agent is me. I’m not here as an agent, but as your boyfriend.” He steps into the room. My head whips up as I was staring at my suitcases, afraid to make eye contact with him. I remember the way his rage filled eyes stared at me and I can’t let those be the visions of him to get me through the lonely nights being on the run from the FBI, especially Sean.

“What do you need then if not to turn me in?” I’m not sure what to say or do right now because I didn’t expect him to show up as my boyfriend. I’m folding my clothes, trying my best to ignore him. I feel the heat of his body behind me before his arms envelope my upper body, pulling me close to him. I feel myself leaning into his touch and smelling his cologne, which reminds me of being safe with him.

“I spoke with Máthair.” He sighs. “I’m an idiot for letting you walk out the door without telling you how much I love you. I never want you to ever doubt my love for you.”

“And?” is my only response. He kisses my shoulder.

“She reminded me that every successful king has an even powerful queen by his side. When I found you, I knew you were to be my queen and I’ll never let you go. I don’t give a fuck about the FBI because you’re more important.” I break from his embrace to face him. I stare up at him.

“What does this mean?” I’m afraid to hope he’ll forgive me for being a hit woman.

“It means I’m going to take over my dad’s legacy on one condition.” He tells me.

“What condition?”

“You’ll rule by my side. I will do everything in my power to protect you. No one will know you’re the Praying Mantis.” Looking up at him and the hard lines on his face show me he’s aged in the few hours we’ve been a part.

“So, while you’re protecting me, who is going to protect you?” I question him with a smile on my face.

“My queen, of course.” I stand up on my tiptoes and kiss him. He leans down, picking me up to reinforce to me everything he vowed. The realization hits me though, we have a hit to worry about. Once we break apart, he sets me down on the corner of the bed. He takes the suitcase off the bed so he can sit next to me. “I have many questions, but the most important one right now, who put the hit out on me?”

“Colin,” I whisper. “I tried to get out of it. I called my mom who is my handler to get out of it. If I don’t, then someone else will take the contract.” Now that I can openly talk to him about this, I feel a sense of relief. There are no more secrets between us, so the weight of the world is off for my shoulders.

“What do we do?” he asks with concern in his voice.

“We can’t fake your death, as I need to remove your head.” I sigh. “I can do what I do best and kill Colin instead.”

“You would do that for me?” He tilts his head.

“Baby, I would set the world on fire for you. It will be my honor to end the life of the man wanting to rid the world of someone so good.” I smile at him. “I will kill Colin and it will be my last kill as the Praying Mantis.” I stare at him, wondering if he truly forgives me or if we need to deal with Colin before the shoe drops on me.

“I can see the wheels turning. I will not turn you in for killing Colin. I want you. I love you. I need you. I can’t live a life without you in it and by my side. Where do we go from here?” He takes my hands and kisses my knuckles.

“We go back to my mom’s house and work out a plan of taking over my dad’s legacy while disposing of the rat bastard trying to kill me to take over what is rightfully mine.” He tells me to gather up what I want to take with me because we’ll be moving into the house eventually so we might as well start now. Sean sits on the bed talking to me about the conversation he had with his mother which makes me laugh at how she’s on my side and how she told him he’s an idiot for letting me go.

“Well you were an idiot, not going to argue that one,” I tease him, making him laugh. He takes the suitcases that are done off the bed telling me he’s putting them in his SUV. As he walks out of the room, I can’t help but admire his ass.

“Did you get a good enough look, or do you want me to walk backwards?” I throw a pillow at him telling him I’ve seen better but he yells back yeah right. We may be on different sides of the law but he makes me believe love can truly conquer all. I walk back into my closet to access the Praying Mantis kill bag to bring with me since I’m going to be taking care of Colin. I hope it doesn’t take long for us to make the plan. I can’t have my mother screwing things up by canceling our contract. It hits me, once I’m retired, I’m finally going to get my wish. My mother is going to be no more as she will die at my hands or she’ll never let me leave. As I walk out of my bedroom with the kill bag, I see my laptop on the counter knowing I need to let my mom know I’ll take the hit because it will block anyone else from doing it. I open the laptop and Sean comes to stand next to me.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“I need to email my mom—or rather, my handler, who finds me my jobs to let her know I’m taking the hit. This way it gets off the dark web and no one else will take it. I can’t be dodging hitmen while trying to take out Colin.”

“Wait, your mom is your handler? What the fuck kind of relationship do you have with her?”

“A fucked up one.” I laugh. I type the reply and tell her she was right, men are all dogs. I need her to believe me the hit will go on as planned. Sean reads over my shoulder and brings his lips to my ear.

“It’s why doggy style is so much fun.” I push his head away. This man. I shut down the laptop and place it in my kill bag then we leave to head back to the house to devise the plan with Cara as well. She’ll know more about Colin’s schedule and whereabouts. I lock up the door turning to face Sean. “I love you, you know that right?”

“I do but I will not lie to you. I’m scared about you turning me in once everything is said and done.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my life earning the trust I destroyed earlier today. I will protect you.” He kisses me before grabbing my hand and walking to the elevator to leave my apartment building.

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