Killing Me Softly - Teenage Assassin - aka Young Love Murder

KILLING ME SOFTLY - Teenage Assassin - Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27:

ANNABELLE’S  POV:

I giggle as I jump out of the shower.  Gabriel makes a move to grab me, but I’m too quick.  Assassin reflexes and all.  Shrugging on a robe that I find hanging on the back of the bathroom door, I leave the bathroom and leave Gabriel to finish his shower. 

Before I have the chance to get some clothes on, there are two fast knocks on the hotel room door.  Grabbing my pistol off the nightstand, I grip it in my hand and tuck it into the pocket of the oversized terry cloth robe. 

I lean against the door to look out the peephole and see someone totally unexpected.  Someone totally unwanted.  I glance over my shoulder at the master bedroom door where I can hear that the shower is still running. 

I so don’t need the bullshit that is about to go down right now. 

Resigned to my fate, I open the door and ask my unwelcome visitor, “What the hell are you doing in Sydney?”

Not even looking at my face, but instead up and down my robe-shrouded body, Brent asks, “Annabelle, is that any way to greet an old flame?  By the way, please tell you that you aren‘t wearing anything under that robe.”

Yep, so don’t need this right now.  “The only flame between me and you, Brent, is the one that I’m going to set you on fire with.”

With a chuckle, he walks past me and into the hotel room.  It’s then that I notice the manila envelope that he has in his right hand.  Okay, something is going on.  I hope he isn’t going to ask for another favor.  They are usually just ruses to force me into spending time with him. 

Brushing off my insult, he says, “Annabelle, my love, don’t you know that you set my blood on fire every time you’re near?”

I hold back a smile, because that would only encourage him, “Really, just your blood?  I must be losing my touch.  The last guy that I set on fire didn’t survive to bother me again.”

He laughs, “Funny thing is, knowing you, I totally believe you.  Must mean that my love isn’t unrequited, the fact that I’m still alive, that is.”

I roll my eyes and point to the folder in his hand, “I’m too busy right now to do you any favors, Brent.”

He waves the folder in the air, “Annabelle, love of my life, this time, it’s me that will be doing the favor for you.”

“No thanks, I’ll pass,” I say rudely.

“Anna-” Brent begins, stops, gets an intense look on his face, then asks, “Why is your shower running?  Is Jackson here with you?”

Oh my god.  I can feel the blush spreading over my face.  “No.”

Brent has an amazed look on his face, “You’re blushing.”  Then he narrows his eyes at me, “Why are you blushing, Annabelle?”

I hear the shower turn off and am at a loss as what to do in this situation.  I know that I have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.  But, jeez.  A fellow assassin that has had the hots for me for the past two years walks into my hotel room where my boyfriend is in the shower after doing lots of intimate things with me.  Okay, just a tad embarrassing.  But still, no reason to feel ashamed. 

“Well . . .” I begin, then Gabriel steps out of the bedroom, holding a white towel in front of his crotch. 

Grinning and not yet noticing Brent, he asks, “Why’d you run out of the shower so fast, Anna?  I wasn’t done with you yet.”

“Um,” I say dumbly. 

Brent clears his throat with a sour look on his face. 

Gabriel’s head jerks in Brent’s direction, “What the fuck?”  Wrapping the towel around his waist, Gabriel shoots Brent a dirty look, “Who the hell are you?”

Brent smiles wickedly, “An old flame of Annabelle’s”

“Dammit Brent!  One date doesn’t count as an old flame!” I yell at him to cover up how uncomfortable I am.

Still grinning, Brent replies, “It does if you do the date right.”

Gabriel is clenching his fists, “When exactly was this date?”

“A long time ago,” I rush to say, “Over a year ago.”

Gabriel takes a deep breath and lets it out, looking at Brent, “Couldn’t have been that great of a date, if you didn’t even have sex with her.”

“Gabriel!” I just know that I’m blushing all over again. 

Brent loses the smile and glares at Gabriel, “How would you know whether or not we had sex?”

This situation is getting out of hand, “For-”

I’m cut off by Gabriel, who has a satisfied smile on his face, “Because up until eight months ago, Anna was still a virgin.”

So out of hand now.  Way out of hand.  “Would-”

Brent cuts in before I can finish, “I take it you had the honors?”

Gabriel shrugs, “Not to brag, but-”

“Shut the f*ck up, both of you!” I yell at the top of my lungs. 

They both swivel in my direction and I am trying to decide which one I want to knock out more.  Keeping a reign on my temper, I take a few steps to Brent and snatch the envelope out of his hand, then walk to the table to open the envelope and spread it’s contents out. 

“What is this?” I glance up at Brent, who is sitting at the table across from me.

“The favor,” he replies with both eyebrows raised. 

Gabriel comes up behind me and whispers in my ear, “Who is this guy, Anna?”

You know what?  I could handle this situation a little better fully clothed.  I eye Brent and command, “Stay.”  Then I grab Gabriel’s hand and guide pull him behind me to the bedroom. 

As soon as the door is shut behind us, he asks, “Do we need to kill him?”

I almost laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing, “Maybe later.  Let’s get dressed.”

Two minutes later and less naked, my hand on the doorknob, Gabriel stops me.  Wrapping me up in his arms, he kisses me, “Do you love me, Anna?”

“You know it,” I lean my cheek against his chest. 

“Tell me about him,” Gabriel prods.  I already saw this coming. 

“Well,” I begin slowly, “He is sort of a co-worker.”

“Ex-boyfriend?”

“Definitely not.  One date doesn’t equal a boyfriend.”

“Do you still have feelings for him?”

“I never had feelings for him to begin with.”

“Is he going to try to kill us?”

“It’s unlikely.”

“What is he doing here?”

“We’re about to find out.”

With that, I turn the knob, ready to deal with Brent. 

Brent scowls at us as we near the table, “Does Jackson know about him?”  He nods his head toward Gabriel.

“Jackson?” Gabriel asks slowly.  They I see the comprehension on his face. “The other kid in the picture, Jackson Blanc.” 

“Yeah, her brother,” Brent explains.  At the surprise on Gabriel’s face, Brent smiles, “You didn’t know she has a brother?  After knowing her for over eight months?  She must not be too serious about you.”  Then Brent’s gaze falls on me, “Did you know that he’s in Sydney, Annabelle?”

“Holy shit!” Gabriel shouts.  “The fake Russian is your brother!”  I can tell that Gabriel is struggling to hide his hurt when he asks me, “Why didn’t you tell me he was your brother?”

I’m feeling the rare guilt, “Because he doesn’t trust you, Gabriel.  Because it wasn’t my place to tell you who he is.”

“Are you two breaking up?” Brent asks hopefully. 

“Not a chance,” Gabriel growls out. 

“When you need a shoulder to cry on, Annabelle love, you know who to call.”

“Enough!” I point down at the papers and pictures strewn across the table.  “What is this all about.”

“You’re next assignment,” Brent says calmly. 

“Why are you delivering the information to me, Brent?  Have you been demoted to messenger boy?” I ask insultingly. 

“Nope, I’d like to think of it as more of a promotion.  You and I are partners on this one, love.”  Brent leans back in his chair, with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. 

GABRIEL’S  POV:

I’m thinking that it’s a very good thing that I’m with Anna on this assignment.

This Brent guy wants my girlfriend.  Has for a long time.  He was probably planning on using this assignment to work in his favor.  Probably thought had all sorts of situations planned out that ended in intimate encounters between him and my girlfriend.  MY.  GIRLFRIEND.

Yes, it’s definitely a very good thing that I’m here. 

An hour later, I’m rubbing my eyes from both exhaustion and horror.  The instinct to grab Anna and load her onto a plane out of Australia is strong.  The thought of her going anywhere near these targets is frightening. 

“So anyways,” Brent continues with his spiel.  “I think that it would be best if your boyfriend were to fly back to wherever he came from.  We don’t need an amateur tagging along.”

“I stay,” I say menacingly. 

Now that the assignment has been thoroughly discussed, douche-wad Brent seems to want to revert back to pissing me off.  He furthers the annoyance, “What are you doing with this kid, Annabelle love?”

“I’m the same age as Anna,” I reply.  “How old are you anyways?”

Brent gives me his best I’m a deadly assassin look.  I really don’t give a flying f*ck. “If I told you, kid, then I’d have to kill you.”

“He’s twenty-three,” Anna says nonchalantly. 

I look him over again.  He’s about my size, light brown hair, blue eyes.  His clothes are expensive, but made to copy an inexpensive style.  I don’t like the way he looks at Anna.  It’s a good thing that I have a gun of my own.  I may need to use it on him. 

“Well,” Anna sighs, “May as well invite Jackson to the party.  Since you let the brother out of the bag, Brent.”

Brent gives me an evil grin, “Sounds like a good idea to me.  An accomplice to help me bury your boyfriend’s body.”

Anna groans. 

I glare at Brent, “I have a gun.”

Brent has the nerve to pat me on the back and say condescendingly, “Good for you.  You’re a big boy now.”  Then he whips out a cell phone, “I’ll call Jackson.”

That is it.  That is f*cking it.  I stand up, grab Anna by the waist and while dragging her to the bedroom, I say over my shoulder to Brent,  “If you can answer the door when her brother gets here, we’d appreciate it.  Don’t bother us for the next hour.  You may want to turn on the television to drown out the noise.” 

I push a laughing Anna into the room and slam the door behind us.