“Okay, so is bitchy blonde whore extraordinaire top dog or bottom feeder?”
He made a small little laugh-like sound, but I doubted he’d ever own up to it. “One is the lowest ranking of our elite agents.”
“The Killing Corps.”
He ignored my nickname. “Nine is highest.”
That explained a lot. Nine had an arrogance that could be from knowing he was the deadliest.
My stomach rumbled, and I rolled around on the bed and let out a groan. “He’s been gone so long.”
Five was the official food runner. Six didn’t trust him enough to leave me alone with him. I couldn’t leave because we were in a more populated area where my face could be recognized, especially being in the same state as the motel where he killed two people.
The beep of the electronic key went off and I sat up, my stomach’s call answered.
“They’re coming,” Five said as he stepped in, throwing a few bags onto the table.
“Are you sure?” Six asked as he shut the screen and put away the gun he’d been cleaning. In my opinion, he had an unhealthy relationship with his firearms.
Five tossed me a bottle of water, then handed me a bag. “No onion, right?” He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like I’m going to be kissing you. Why are you denying me vital nutrients?” Inside the bag was a sandwich, along with two new books. I smiled up at him. “Thanks.”
He grinned. “You looked bored.”
“Back to the subject,” Six called out, directing our attention back to him. “Nine and One are coming here?”
Five popped a fry into his mouth, chewing as he nodded. “They’ll be here today. Jason talked to them after you got here and they headed out.”
“Great.”
Two killers turning their attention to me was never going to be a comfortable feeling, less so when Five’s lip twitched.
He tossed another fry into his mouth and stepped back to the bed. “Which is it—you can’t stand Nine or you want to scratch One’s eyes out?”
“Why is it one or the other?” Did it make a difference?
“Just answer.”
I let out a huff. “I want to scratch One’s eyes out.”
“Because he fucked her?” he asked.
I gave a reluctant nod as the unwanted jealousy flared inside me. “She rubs me wrong.”
“We’ve all fucked her,” Five said in that tone like it was no big deal.
I blinked at him. “W-What?”
“Sex is sex, Lacey. One’s just as fucked up as we are.”
My jaw dropped open. “Oh, God, she’s probably some disease ridden skank. Ew!”
Five’s head tilted back as he let out a loud laugh.
“There is nothing funny about that! You shitheads could have given something to me. That’s gross.”
Five wagged his eyebrows. “Condoms and constant testing, darling.”
“Condoms? That’s it?” I looked to Six, my jaw jutted forward. “Would you have still fucked me that night if I didn’t have any?”
Five’s eyes widened, and he turned to Six. “No you did not try to play that card.”
“You,” he pointed to Five, “shut up.” His attention then turned to me. “And since I didn’t have any on me, yes. I would have been taking more risk fucking you raw than you would have on me.”
Risk?
Six didn’t take risks. Not like that.
“Not prepared and you picked her up, huh?” One of Five’s eyebrows twitched up as he looked at Six, whose gaze narrowed.
What Five said, or rather didn’t say, had me reading between the lines. Their exchange implied things that indicated maybe that night didn’t go down exactly how I believed.
A knock at the door a few hours later made me freeze and two hitmen grab their guns. It was a few ticks in before they relaxed. Whatever pattern sounded seemed to be a signal.
“Be normal,” Six said, looking to me as he headed to the door.
“Oh, I’m super normal. If I had my phone, I’d hashtag the hell out of that shit.”
“What does a hashtag have to do with anything?” Five asked, chuckling at me.
I shook my head. “All you killers need to pop into the real world once in a while.”
With the door open and no words exchanged, a familiar blonde stepped in carrying a large case and a bag followed by Nine with a few more bags.
As soon as they were in, they dropped their gear and One turned to Six with a smile.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said, setting the long case on the table.
Six’s eyes widened, and he placed a reverent hand on the case. “Oh, baby, I’ve missed you.”
My brow scrunched, watching as he flipped the latches and lifted the lid. Inside was a gun, one I recognized to be a rifle. It wasn’t like most found at the local sporting goods store—it was military grade.
A sniper rifle.
“Told you I’d take care of her,” One said.
All of their attention was on the weapon, staring intently as Six picked it up and shouldered it.
Nine shook his head. “I can’t believe you still have that.”
Six set it back in the case. “You’re still mad I outshot you.”