For a moment I can’t respond. I stare dumbstruck into a pair of piercing grey eyes.
‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
I nod rapidly.
‘It’s Hank. Hank Junior. Remember?’ he says dryly.
I continue nodding. An icy fear roots me to the spot as I feel beads of sweat break out on my lip.
‘Hi,’ I squeak. My heart is hammering against my chest. ‘We’ve been… erm, looking for you.’
He tilts his head, far from overjoyed. ‘Funny. Because I’ve been looking all over for you.’
I gulp. ‘You have?’
He screws his eyes. ‘You seem nervous, ma’am.’
I shake my head, biting my lips together.
‘You still on for the job?’ He slides his gaze around as though recording activity and movement in the near vicinity. His jaw is set as he rubs his stubble.
‘What job would that be?’The one where you kill my innocent unrequited lover?
Hank Junior gives me a hard look before a rumble of laughter escapes from his mouth. I notice it doesn’t reach his eyes. ‘What job? Very funny.’ He takes a few steps away from me. ‘And tell that friend of yours, I don’t appreciate being stood up. I’m not the sort of man to play games. I’m a person of my word. Even if she ain’t.’
He sounds very cross.
I’d hate for him to ‘take care’ of her too. ‘She fainted,’ I explain. ‘Liberty fainted. She wanted to meet you but we had to take her back to the room. That’s why she stood you up.’
His face softens for a split second before resuming a scowl. ‘She fainted?’
‘Uh-huh.’
He shakes his head. ‘Sounds unlikely. She doesn’t strike me as the fainting type.’
‘It was unusual circumstances.’
He eyes me warily. ‘Really?’
‘Yup, siree. They sure as heck were.’Oh, God, where is this coming from? He’ll think I’m taking the piss.‘We want to cancel the job,’ I blurt.
He stops in his tracks. Now he looks downright thunderous.
‘Excuse me?’
It’s then I notice he has two burly security guards hovering around. I notice the earpieces first, the dark suits and the way their eyes are continually darting around the room.
‘We want to… we need to cancel the “job”,’ I say slowly. ‘The erm, “package” has already been taken care of.’ I do air quotes.
Hank does not respond. He is not a happy chappy.
I swallow a lump in my throat. ‘Please? Can we cancel the job?’
Hank Junior is fuming. ‘We had a deal. The payment has been made.’
‘Did we? Has it?’ My voice is so high-pitched I’m surprised I haven’t attracted every dog from miles around.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
