Page 15 of Orlando
“You think that Cynthia made a mistake?”Lewis asked.
Orlando hesitated.He wanted to say yes, but would that be the truth?“I don’t think she did, especially because she gave us the right name.She was told to kill Liam Portman.”
“And that’s your mate’s name?”Kennedy asked.
“It is, but Portman is a common name.”
Kennedy nodded.“You’re thinking mistaken identity.”
“I don’t see any other explanation.I don’t know Liam, obviously, but he wouldn’t be my mate if he was the kind of person the council sends their assassins after.Please, Kennedy.I need to find out what’s going on and keep him safe.”
“As you know, I’m a trainer, which means I’m not told about the assassins’ targets.I’ll need to make a few phone calls.”
Orlando nodded and leaned back in his chair.He watched Kennedy as he got up and picked up his phone from the kitchen counter.Kennedy didn’t leave the room, but he was quiet enough as he made his calls that Orlando couldn’t hear him well.Besides, Lewis distracted him by placing a cup of coffee in front of him on the table.
“Kennedy will find out what’s happening,” he promised.
“I know.It’s why I came to him.”
There was a twinkle in Lewis’s eyes when he answered.“Really?It’s not because you have a crush on Kennedy?”
Orlando groaned.“I donothave a crush on your mate, I promise.”
“I know.I was just teasing.”
Orlando was grateful because it had distracted him, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long.He started bouncing his knee as he stared at Kennedy hard enough to set him on fire with his gaze.Kennedy didn’t seem to notice, which was a good thing because it meant he was focused on the phone call he was making.
Kennedy didn’t have to say anything when he hung up.His expression made it obvious.
“There’s a hit on my mate,” Orlando said.
“That’s all I was able to confirm at the moment, but yes.The council wants Liam Portman dead.”
Orlando had already known that, but hearing it made him want to scream.“What do we do?”
* * * *
LIAM HAD BEEN PACINGthe living room since he’d walked through the door.It was weird to be home at this time of day on a Monday, and Parsley was confused.He was staring at Liam from the couch, clearly wondering what the fuck Liam was doing at home.
Liam wished he was there for a nice reason, like the one he’d given Michael.He had a mate.He had someone who was supposed to like him for who he was.He had someone who he didn’t have to date because he knew he would be with him forever.
He also had someone trying to kill him, unfortunately.
He slipped his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen, but Orlando hadn’t answered his text.He’d sent it almost as soon as he’d walked in through the door, eager to find out that all of this had been a mistake and that Cynthia wouldn’t be coming back.
Orlando hadn’t answered yet.It made Liam nervous because it was a sign that something was wrong, which he didn’t want to believe.There was no way he’d ended up in this kind of situation.His life wasn’t a movie, for fuck’s sake.He was a construction worker.He worked with plants on his time off.Who would think he was dangerous?Who would want him dead?
There had to be a mistake, but knowing that didn’t help much.Telling Cynthia that hadn’t stopped her.She’d given Orlando some time to clear things up, but would it be enough?And how was Orlando supposed to clear things up?
There was only one logical explanation for Orlando’s involvement, but Liam didn’t want to consider it.Cynthia was an assassin.She worked for the council.Orlando clearly had known all of that, and he hadn’t appeared horrified.The way he’d fought with her pointed at him being as well-trained as she was.
Was Liam’s mate an assassin, too?
Liam didn’t know what to think about that.He didn’t want Orlando to be an assassin.He didn’t wantanyoneto be an assassin.He didn’t like the thought of the council deciding who should live and who should die.They might have their reasons, but did that make it right?Mistakes could be made, like the one that had been made this time.
Liam’s phone vibrated in his hand.He yelped and dropped it, then scrambled to pick it up.He was both relieved and anxious when he saw Orlando’s name on the screen.Orlando wasn’t texting back.He was calling.
“Hello?”
