Chapter 10 #2
Wes’s answering, loud sigh makes me cackle. Oh yeah, he’s definitely not a fan of this inability to know what I’m up to.
Her smile grows as she side-eyes Wes. She answers me in flawless Spanish, “No, he’s being a very attentive host. I appreciate the company.”
My heart squeezes as warmth spreads through me.
I want to lean in and… Well, I’m not quite sure.
Bask in her presence? Press my mouth to hers?
Or maybe to ask if she’ll say something filthy in my ear in Spanish?
Just the thought of that last idea has bumps rising on my arm and I’m suddenly suppressing the urge to shudder.
“Stop it,” Wes warns even as he shoots the two of us a dry look. “I know you’re talking about me.”
“Fine,” I huff in English. To Blair I say, “You’re pretty fluent. It’s impressive. Even your accent is on point.”
“My dad was adamant about me being multi-lingual. If I didn’t sound native, he would force me to only speak that language until it came easily.”
Her voice is naturally soft and deep which forces me to really listen as she speaks. Normally, it’s really hard for me to concentrate. My attention bounces from one thing to the next like a pinball in a machine. But for Blair, she’s captured my full attention.
“Oh yeah?” I lean my weight on one leg, jutting out my hip, and cross my arms over my chest. “What other languages do you know?”
Blair hums thoughtfully, her eyes shifting to just past me as she considers the question. “Hm, other than English and Spanish, I know Arabic and German. Throw me into a Russian village and I could probably get by, but it would be tough.”
I gape for a second, surprised by her response. I’m not too shocked, however, to notice Wes’s shoulders go rigid for about half a second before forcing himself to lower them away from his ears. He looks over at her with a curious glance.
“End up in Russian villages often?” he asks her, his tone light but curiosity flashes in his eyes.
Blair chuckles and shakes her head. “No, thank goodness.”
“Now why would she be in Russia, Wes?” I ask, rolling my eyes. “What a ridiculous—”
My words cut off when Blair abruptly looks down at the same time Wes shoots her a quick warning sideways glance.
“No, not-ah!” I shake my head quickly and point between the two of them. They look back at me, their expression the epitome of innocence. I don’t buy it, not for one second. “What was that? Why did you both suddenly get weird?”
Wes reaches down to turn on the grill’s propane tank. I have a sinking suspicion he’s using this moment to buy himself some time.
“It’s nothing, Santi,” Wes answers after a moment. “We were just telepathically making sure that we both knew my question was light teasing and that yes, it’s clear you're obtuse.”
Blair’s dark eyes don’t quite touch my face as she steps away from us. “It’s okay, Wes. Honestly, he probably deserves to know the truth since the reason I’m here is a bit unconventional.”
Wes straightens, his eyes going wide. I study the two of them as they exchange another look.
“I don’t know about this, Blair…” he starts. Worry pinches his brows together as he frowns.
“Don’t know about what?” I press, eager to get to the bottom of this.
Blair sighs. “Ledger says he trusts these two just as much as he does you. If he trusts them, so do I. Except…” She grimaces. “I’ve never uttered the words out loud. Ever. So, would you tell them so I don’t have to?”
Before Wes can reply, Blair walks away.
I watch, baffled by the abrupt exit. No one speaks until the back door shuts behind Blair. Rhett’s at my side in an instant. He pokes Wes in the chest.
“What the fuck was that about?” He demands. “Tell us what? What do you know about her?”
Wes lifts the grill top slowly, then turns on the burners. When they’re set just how he likes them, he turns to face us. I lean in, eager to understand the tension in his jaw and the way his body has gone rigid.
“I shouldn’t have asked about Russia,” he starts, then clears his throat.
“It was a slip of my tongue and I regretted it the minute it came out.” He reaches up to run a hand down his face.
When it drops away, he continues. “Blair’s father was—is—a hitman.
Given how often hitmen travel and her comment about being dropped in a Russian village…
I kind of assumed something like that had happened before. ”
Silence follows Wes’s declaration. Well, for about thirty seconds—about the same time it takes to wrap my head around the news that our new member is the daughter of a hitman—before I throw back my head and laugh.
“What? Shut up!” I gasp out when I can get a breath in. “In what fucking alternate universe have I been dropped into?”
“Shut up, Santi!” Rhett hisses. His scowl is so deep his brows almost pinch together. “This isn’t funny!”
I gape. “Please tell me you’re joking?! This is wild, right?!”
Rhett gives me one more glare before turning it on Wes. “Ok, her dad’s a hitman. That doesn’t mean she is, right? Unless…” He scowls, deep in thought. “Unless Blair’s here because a job went wrong?”
“As far as I’m aware, Blair isn’t a gun for hire,” Wes answers, his voice lowering into little more than a whisper. “But I’ve seen what she’s capable of. If she’s not a hitwoman, then she could definitely get a career in that field if she chose it later on in life.”
I gasp with delight.
Blair is a stone-cold killer just like me and Rhett. Holy shit! What were the chances of that?
The ideas roll in, too fast to process clearly.
Just pieces of the ideas stick, forming an even better one.
All the excitement of what could be is making it hard to stand still.
I bounce from one foot to another. The gory future before me looks amazing.
I open my mouth to speak but Rhett starts talking before I can get a word out.
“Okay, so why tell us about her father?” Rhett asks. He shakes his head, confused by the information Wes is leaving out. “What does that have to do with anything about why Blair’s here?”
Wes grimaces. “Her father’s work spilled over and now his enemies are after her. She’s simply caught in some crosshairs. That’s why she’s lying low here.”
Rhett recoils as if Wes had just tried to stab him. His nostrils flare and his eyes widen in fury.
“You said you didn’t know the details of why she was coming!” he snarls, pointing an accusing finger at him.
“At the time, I didn’t,” Wes replies, grimly. “I only found out right before Ledger and I went to go pick her up.”
“The bodies the police found in town,” Rhett speculates out loud. “Those were her doing, weren’t they?”
At Wes’s nod, Rhett’s face goes red. Given how pissed he looks, I half expect smoke to come billowing out of his ears.
“What you’re saying, Wes, is that Blair’s dangerous to us,” he hisses.
Wes snorts. “No, that’s not what I said.”
“That’s what I heard,” Rhett counters. “Her trouble or her dad’s trouble—doesn’t matter.
She’s trouble, Wes. If whoever is after her finds her here, we don’t stand a fucking chance in hell against a trained gunman!
We’re going to get trapped in the crosshairs of a problem we’re not even involved in. She can’t stay here.”
Wes’s discomfort vanishes. The lack of it loosens his stiff stance and smooths out his pained expression.
“Blair is going to stay as long as she needs. It’s not up for debate,” he declares.
“You asked me to help you watch her, Wes,” Rhett snarls furiously. “I thought that meant from a boyfriend or some shit. I didn’t think I was agreeing to be a part of her protection detail!”
Wes snorts. “You’re doing no such thing. She’ll be safe here. No one is going to find her if she just keeps her head down.”
Rhett opens his mouth to object but I grab his arm and shake it, too anxious to keep quiet any longer. He rolls his neck until he looks in my direction.
“What, Santi?”
“Rhett, imagine a hitwoman with us while we play The Hunt! She could be an added element of fun!”
“No,” Rhett snaps, his answer immediate.
I gape at him, stunned that he can’t see what a great thing this is, having a badass on hand. “I beg your pardon? Why not?”
“Because,” Wes answers for Rhett with a dark glare at me. “Dragging Blair into your chaotic game is out of the damn question. Leave the poor woman alone.”
Rhett’s body trembles, his anger getting the best of him. He ignores Wes as he glares daggers at me. “Blair’s not family. She’s not one of us. Blair is an omen, plain and simple. One that says we’re probably screwed because something bad is coming.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” I tell him.
I want to say more on the subject but Wes is beginning to look well and truly pissed as his whole body begins to tense.
It takes a lot to get under Wes’s skin. To see him getting mad now tells me that I’ll have to go at this in a different way.
Which is fine by me, but I have questions.
The best way to get them is to go straight to the source.
Without another word, I turn and head for the cabin.
“Where are you going?” Rhett demands.
I don’t answer. I simply take the steps two at a time and head inside. There, I find Blair already prepping whatever dish she’s about to make. She freezes as I enter, her expression twisting up in discomfort.
“Why’d you run?” I ask her.
She blinks, surprised by the question. “I didn’t run.”
“Okay, let me rephrase—” I roll my eyes, knowing damn well she understood what I’m really asking. “Why didn’t you want to tell us you’re a blue blooded badass?”
Blair’s eyes search mine as her brows furrow. “Badass…? Wait, does this mean you’re not bothered that I’ve…” She pauses before deciding to go in a different direction. “That my dad does illegal contract work?”
“I don’t really care about your dad,” I assure her. “I’m more curious about you. Are you a killer?”
Blair lets out a soft scoff as she looks away from me.
She grabs her elbow with her opposite hand and bites her bottom lip.
Her throat bobs as she swallows. It’s the first time today that I’ve seen her look her size and so vulnerable.
After a few thoughtful moments of quiet she finally looks back at me, looking guilty.
“Ah, yeah. I guess so. I’ve never taken a contract though,” she admits. “And I would never go after you or anyone else here, I promise. I’ve only killed people trying to kill me. I swear I’m not a bad guy, it’s only been for–”
My laughter cuts her off. I close the distance between us and give her a light kiss on the cheek.
The motion surprises Blair, and if I’m being honest, it surprises me too.
I can’t help it though, she’s a beacon of perfection and every time she opens her mouth, or whenever I learn something new about her, she only intrigues me further.
“Relax, I’m thrilled,” I tell her with a grin as I step back, giving her space.
Blair stares at me in bewilderment. “Ah, thrilled, Santi?”
“Yeah.” I give her a wink and take another step back, toward the back door. “It’s nice to have another killer under the roof. Morally gray assholes are the best type of people to have around.”
With that, I turn and leave Blair, laughing as I go.
Rhett might not see it now, but I think having Blair around is going to be a whole hell of a lot of fun.