Page 65 of Assassin's Mark
Chapter Thirty-One
Levi kept glancing at me as he drove. I caught glimpses from the corner of my eye but ignored them. My mind was racing too fast, too full, for anything else.
“I’m going to stop at Eli and Remi’s,” he finally said. “We need some supplies.”
I made a sound that barely passed for approval—not that he needed any. But informing me of plans was, to me, an affirmation of thetrust, still so fragile and new, between us. Things were changing; we were changing. But right now I didn’t think I could deal with any more change.
We spent almost an hour driving. My confused mind couldn’t keep all the turns and backtracking straight, but I figured Levi was making sure we weren’t followed. Imagine my surprise when we turned into a nice, middle-class, older neighborhood withwide-spaced houses on gently rolling hills, with plenty of trees. Nothing like the areas Levi had kept me in, but maybe that was the point. Break the pattern and throw your enemies off the scent.
Levi retrieved a standard garage door opener from his jacket pocket and clicked the button as we neared the last house on a dead-end street. A typical ’80s ranch. I guess it was true what they said aboutnever knowing what your neighbors were up to. Surprisingly I felt a grin tug at my lips at the thought of the people who lived here—probably nice, quiet, even staid people—discovering they had an assassin for a neighbor. Levi didn’t seem to notice as he pulled into the garage and lowered the door, for which I was grateful. Who wanted to explain how funny they found the fact that their lover wasa hit man? Eli might laugh, but Levi?
I shrugged mentally, waiting in the growing gloom as the garage door trundled down and Levi gestured for me to get out.
“I’m going to shower and pack up some of my clothes. Do you need anything, little bird?”
“You got any clothes that would fit me better here?” I desperately missed the bag that had been lost back at the warehouse.
“Afraid not.” Levi lookeda bit chagrined.
“Then I’m afraid what I need, you can’t provide.” I gave him a lopsided grin.
One eyebrow cocked in my direction. “We both know that’s not the case.”
A blush burned my cheeks. Put that way, I guess he wasn’t wrong.
He must’ve seen the answer on my face because he winked. Levi winked. I was still sitting in my seat, openmouthed, staring at the driver’s seat, when he openedmy door.
Eli met us at the entrance. “How did it go?”
Levi threw a glance at me over his shoulder, his lips tight.
“Go ahead,” I told him. Better him than me. If I had to explain what my father had done—and what I suspected he had done—I might completely lose it. Completely.
“Right.” He turned to Eli. “Get her a drink.”
Eli’s raised eyebrows saidthat bad?but he went to the kitchen withoutcommenting. I sat on the couch and ignored Levi giving Remi a hard time about being out of bed until Eli reappeared.
“What is it?” I asked him, eyeing the tall glass he handed me.
“Coke.”
I took a large swallow, choked, and whimpered against the burning in my throat. “And rum?”
“Whiskey,” Eli said.
“Right.” I downed half the glass.
Remi made a sound in his throat, half laugh, half groanof pain. Levi threw him a concerned look.
“What happened?” Eli asked.
“We met one of Caroline’s neighbors,” Levi began.
I drained my glass, then stood. “I’ll be right back.
In the bathroom I splashed ice-cold water on my face for a full minute, the numbness taking over my cheeks and nose and lips sharp enough to stave off the tears that felt like they would drown me if I didn’t somehow forcethem away. All day the plan had been for no one to see me on the street; now, having these three men see me was too much.
Maybe they sensed that. When I came back to the living area, all talking ceased. No one would meet my eyes. I thought about asking Eli for another drink but figured one was bad enough. I needed to think straight, not drown my sorrows. As much as I wanted to stick my head inthe sand, let Levi take me back to our little urban hideaway and convince him to take me to bed, I couldn’t ignore what I had learned today. I had to do something about it, and right now, while Levi was occupied, might be my only opportunity.
