Page 46 of Lady and the Hitman
His fingers brushed mine as he handed over a slim black band. A bracelet.
“You wear this. It tracks you. You can tap it once if you’re in real danger. Twice if you want out completely. But if you tap, it’s over.”
“And if I don’t?”
His eyes darkened. “Then I’ll find you. And when I do ...”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t have to.
I slid the earpiece in. Fastened the bracelet around my wrist. The SUV door opened.
Warm air. Damp. Heavy. Alive.
I stepped into it, heart pounding.
Inside the gated entrance, a woman in black waited with a tablet. She looked professional. Beautiful. Like the concierge of a luxury hotel. She didn’t introduce herself. Didn’t explain anything.
“Miss Hughes,” she said. “Please follow me.”
My real name. Hearing it here felt like a punch. A reminder that I still existed outside of this. That I could walk away.
But I didn’t.
She led me to a locker room, handed me a slim black satchel, and gestured to a row of changing stalls.
“Clothes are provided. Change. Leave everything else.”
Inside the bag was a black bodysuit—sleek and breathable, somewhere between tactical gear and lingerie. High-cut legs. Sleeveless. Zips in the front. A pair of tight black shorts. Fingerless gloves. Soft-soled shoes. Every item whisperingrun, while clinging likecome find me.
I stripped down and changed.
No phone. No ID. No keys. Just my body and the slow burn of adrenaline taking root in my chest.
When I stepped out, the woman handed me a water bottle and a tiny flashlight.
Then: “You’ll begin at the aviary. Your time starts when the gates close.”
She didn’t say what time that was.
I found out thirty seconds later.
A quiet chime. The thunk of a steel door locking behind me.
And then?—
Nothing.
Silence.
Just the sound of my own breath.
The aviary was empty. Massive and shadowed, with low lighting and glass walls. Trees stretched toward the high ceiling, their branches heavy with leaves. Somewhere above, something rustled.
I moved.
Slow at first. Then faster.
