Page 14 of Orlando
ORLANDO WANTED ANSWERS, and he was going to get them.He didn’t care who he had to talk to or threaten.A council assassin had almost killed his mate, and hewouldfind out why.
He couldn’t believe that he’d almost lost his mate before even meeting him.He couldn’t think about that.What would have happened if he hadn’t been at the community garden this morning?If he hadn’t come on Saturday after finding the flyer?He would’ve lost Liam, and he never would’ve known that his mate was dead.
He wasn’t angry at Cynthia.She was doing her job, and she’d always been good at it.It was a small miracle that she’d agreed to take a step back and give Orlando time to dig into what was happening.He hadn’t expected that from her, but he was grateful.Still, he didn’t have a lot of time, and he wasn’t part of the assassins’ program anymore.That meant he didn’t have access to the facility.
But he did have access to people who still worked there.
Normally, he would never have contacted Kennedy, and he especially wouldn’t have knocked on the man’s door early in the morning.Kennedy was a trainer, so Orlando knew his habits and what time he got to the facility.He should still be at home.
The home he shared with Lewis, his mate.
Orlando was never going to live down the fact that he’d had a crush on Kennedy, but right now, he didn’t care about anything but finding out why his mate was being hunted by a council assassin.After making sure that Liam was headed straight home, Orlando ran out of the garden’s parking lot.
Luckily, the town where they lived wasn’t big because he didn’t have a car.He ran all the way to Kennedy and Lewis’s place, hoping that Liam was safe.Orlando trusted Cynthia as much as the other trainees he’d worked with, and he didn’t think she would do anything to Liam until Orlando had the opportunity to look into it.She had to know that if she did, Orlando would hunt her down—her and whoever had given the order to kill his mate.
He was panting slightly by the time he reached the front door.He pounded on it, eager to get inside.He didn’t have time to waste.Five minutes could make or break Liam’s life.
The door swung open, revealing a grumpy-looking Lewis.His blond hair was messy, and his lips were red.Orlando didn’t have to ask to know what he’d interrupted.The fact that Lewis had his t-shirt on the wrong way around didn’t leave doubts.
Lewis frowned.“Orlando?”
“I’m really sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to Kennedy.”
Lewis stepped aside instantly.“Of course.Has something happened?”
“Seymour’s fine,” Orlando reassured Lewis.He was Seymour’s twin, and Orlando was Seymour’s friend, so of course Lewis thought this had something to do with his brother.Orlando almost wished it did.At least Seymour would know how to protect himself.Liam might be a big guy, but something told Orlando that he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“Kitchen is this way,” Lewis said, leading the way.
Orlando had to work hard not to run ahead.Not only would it be rude, but he didn’t know where the kitchen was.He’d never been inside Lewis’s place.
Orlando wasn’t surprised to see that Kennedy was bare-chested, leaning against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee.He might’ve been embarrassed before, but right now, he didn’t give a shit.Kennedy could’ve been naked, spread out on the table waiting for Lewis, and Orlando would have thrown him his underwear and told him they needed to talk.
“Orlando?”Kennedy asked, frowning.
“I’m really sorry to bother you, but one of the council assassins has been sent to kill my mate, and I need to know what’s going on.Why is the council trying to kill him?He hasn’t done anything to warrant that.”
Kennedy looked confused.“I think you should sit down.”
“I don’t want to sit down.I told Liam to go home, but I don’t know if I can trust the council not to send someone else after him, even if Cynthia doesn’t inform them of what happened.She said she would give me a few days, and I think she’ll keep that promise, but what about the others?”Orlando hadn’t been close to all the trainees.Hell, he hadn’t been close to Cynthia, but they’d been nice to each other—friendly.
Lewis put a hand on Orlando’s shoulder and gently guided him toward one of the chairs.Orlando realized he wouldn’t have a choice, so he flopped into it and continued staring at Kennedy, needing him to open his mouth and give him answers.
“Okay, first thing, you met your mate?”Kennedy asked as he sat in front of Orlando.
“I did.His name is Liam, and I only met him this morning.Well, I saw him in the community garden on Saturday, but I never got close enough to him to smell him, which is why I didn’t realize he was my mate.I did today when Cynthia pushed me into his arms.”
“They sent Cynthia?”Kennedy asked.
“Does that have any significance?”After Orlando had left the program, he hadn’t been informed of anything that happened inside the facility.He didn’t know how the people who’d signed on to be assassins worked.He knew what they’d been trained to do, but he was sure there were things that only they’d been told.It wouldn’t make sense to fully train everyone when the council knew that not all the trainees would take the job.
“She’s one of the best,” Kennedy said as he drummed his fingertips onto the table.“If notthebest.If they sent her after your mate, it means he’s a big target.”
“There’s no way he can be.He works in construction and loves plants.He’s as confused as I am, and he’s freaking out.I had to tell him and Cynthia that he was my mate at the same time, and we haven’t had the opportunity to talk about it yet.”Orlando hoped that Liam wouldn’t hate him for all of this.He had to be confused, but they would have to talk eventually, and Orlando would have to tell him that he’d once trained to be like Cynthia.
What would Liam think of that?Something told Orlando he wouldn’t be happy, but would he reject his mate?Would it be enough for him not to want anything to do with Orlando?
Orlando couldn’t catastrophize.Whatever happened, he needed to deal with this first.Even if Liam ended up rejecting him, at least Orlando would know that he was safe.That was his main priority.
