"On your stomach!" I yell at the target and then focus on Brad. "Go back to the elevator."
Exiting her room and running down the hallway, Minka announces she called the police. All I need to do is keep the target disabled until they arrive. No one will die, and I won't be forced to answer too many questions from the authorities.
"Are you alright?" Brad asks, staring at where the target ripped my tights.
Brad's proximity sets off the target.
"Death to the demon!" he yells before lunging for me.
I nearly fall when he wraps his arms around my leg. Bearing his teeth, he's ready to bite into my calf when I pull the trigger. Fuck logic and the police. I'm Little Maven, and there's no way in hell that I'll allow a wild freak to bite me.
The heat of his blood and brain matter splashing against my legs returns me to a reality where I'm retired and on a legal job in America. The cops can make life very difficult because I screwed up.
"Are you alright?" Brad asks again.
"You should have waited in the elevator."
Brad looks at me as if I'm fucking insane. He can't understand why I don't want him playing the hero. He's the client while I'm the contractor, but he still wants to save the damsel and win my heart.
"Get away from me," I mutter and walk to the now closed elevator.
Minka checks the target for a pulse, but she knows the headshot immediately ended the idiot's life. Even on accident, I know how to kill someone nice and tidy.
The police arrive with a burst of energy. They take my gun and stand over me while I sit on a bench in the hallway. I answer every question with as little information as possible, but they just repeat the questions, wanting more detail. I finally hide my face in my hands and pretend to be upset about taking a man's life. This lie makes them back off. After all, I am a petite woman, so I'll likely cry a lot soon.
The lie isn't completely untrue, though. I'm rattled and can't settle down. Why do I care if I killed a threat? How many lives have I snatched away? I don't even know how many. What is one more?
I still find myself shaking.
Am I afraid of the cops? Or having my Visa revoked? Doubtful since I'm perfectly willing to go on the run, change identities, and return with false papers. The law means nothing to me. I've made my own laws for most of my life.
I can't stop shaking.
Nearby, Brad leans against the wall and stares at me. His lack of subtly is both frightening and invigorating. He seemed so sweet when I first arrived at his house. Now he's a man starving for my attention. What have I unleashed?
In contrast to my edginess, Minka bounces around happily in the hallway. She allows Brad to answer a few questions before shoving him into his room. Once he's out of sight, she returns to entertaining the cops with her babble.
"Bites can be deadly," Minka announces to one of the officers. "She could have caught hepatitis, HIV, rabies, Ebola, or even the T-virus. All of them are lethal."
The cop looks up when she mentions the T-virus reference. "Funny."
"Now if it was me," Minka says, stretching so her breasts jut towards the cop's face, "I'd have karate chopped him until he stayed down. Of course, I'm taller and stronger than my Leprechaun friend."
"Are you Irish?" he asks me.
"No," I mutter, narrowing my eyes at him.
"She's Ukrainian," Minka says.
The cop frowns. "Every Ukrainian I've ever met was scary."
"While they're not as bad as Russians, I wouldn't turn my back on her. I've heard she's a biter. Ironic, isn't it?"
The cops laugh at my expense, but I appreciate Minka and her ridiculous banter. She keeps them focused on her while I struggle to get my shaking under control. This fear and uncertainty aren't me. Brad not only infected me with lust. He's made me weak, and I don't know how to turn the feeling off.
20
Brad
Taking What I Want
All night, my skin crawls with need. Every hour, the desire owns me more. I even find my fists clenched as if ready for a fight. Except violence isn't what I crave. I only want Saskia, and I know she wants me. What in the hell are we waiting for?
Hours after the asshole's body is removed and the police leave, I ditch my hotel room and walk two doors down to Saskia's. Two knocks later, she opens the door, ready to give me shit for walking around alone.
"I never gave you any satisfaction. Get on the bed," I demand.
"Go away," she says in her rough little voice.
When she tries to shove the door closed, I step in the way and force my way inside.
"On the bed."
"No."
"I'm not leaving."
Saskia looks me over, and I wait for her decision. "Well, you do owe me."
When she doesn't move towards the bed, I study her robe. She's naked underneath. All her pale flesh waits for me. I know without a doubt that she was in this room thinking of me.
"Take it off," I order once I shut the door.