Page 13 of Claimed By the Hitman: Codename Cupid

"Yes: under my supervision."

How is it that even here, in the bowels of whatever Olympia is, with the voice of Zeus vibrating my spine, the last thing on my mind is protocol?

I want to see Cupid again.

I have to.

Zeus seems to ponder this from behind the wall or in his office on the other side of the planet or high up in the clouds on Mount Olympus. When he finally speaks again, he startles me,Amplifying information?

"None," I say quickly. "As I said, the target was eliminated and it was a clean—"

The speaker makes a sound like a thunderbolt being hurled. It crackles and whines so loudly that my teeth hurt. When all that cacophony finally settles, Zeus speaks as softly as the speaker allows,We know what you did. We know everything, Hera. Enjoyed yourself, did you?

I close my eyes and slump back in the chair. Of course, they know. How stupid am I? They probably own the hotel. The whole place must've been bugged.

I wait for a bullet to blow out my skull.

Zeus doesn't give me a chance to admit anything.It's unlike you, Hera. You breathe protocol. It’s no exaggeration to state that you’re our finest handler. You'd throw this all away for a good fuck?

The way he saysfuckis tinged with contempt. Does Zeus, whoever they are, get laid? They wouldn’t be worthy of the name if they didn’t…

I bite a smirk down, but it bleeds into my tone. "If you were listening, you know just how good it was." God, Cupid is a bad influence on me.

Quiet,Zeus roars.The only reason you're still alive is because you're a valuable asset, but we will not tolerate insolence. Don’t test us.

Zeus is right. If they've known all along, they could have me killed that very night. If I'm still alive, it’s because they have use for me. Cupid is surely still alive. He's far more valuable than I am and infinitely harder to kill.

Chances are, I'll never see him again. But he lives, and that fills my heart with a defiant joy.

Silence consumes the white room. Without a point of reference, I'm not sure how much time passes. I count my heartbeats until I grow bored. My mouth goes dry. I have to relieve myself, but I don't say a word.

Finally, Zeus speaks,You are reassigned.Relief smacks a breath from my lips.Immediately. A new field asset, and a new target. Lake Tahoe, California. Codename: Ares. Stand by for details. Request repetition when necessary. And, Hera...

I hold my breath.

I close my eyes, wait for the door to open, and a bullet to enter my brain. How spectacular the stain of my blood would look in the all-white room; perhaps then, I’d be able to make out the defining lines of the floor and walls.

This is your only warning.

I'm dropped off right where I was snatched up. Olympia is efficient like that.

I don't turn around until the van’s squealing tires fades. No one is there. No one is watching.

I manage to get my luggage in the trunk, get in the car, and start the engine before I weep.

I almost lost everything. My position within Olympia. My life. Everything I've worked for. And, still, I can't stop myself from yearning for Cupid's touch. That night lives in me like a piece of shrapnel that I never want extracted.

Olympia is letting me keep it. They are letting me live even after I broke their most sacred rule.

Assassins and handlers are not friends. My field assets are not my buddies, or flings, and certainly not my lovers. They are tools, and I let myself forget that.

My next assignment is one they call Ares. The God of War. I won't forget this time.

If they had sent me back to Cupid, I know I would have failed again.

I would've been happy to die in his arms.

CHAPTER 4

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