“Why?”
“He didn’t get the message. Apparently.” Brando turned from me. “Lev came here with news. That little stunt you pulled at the club in Volterra has made you more popular than ever. Nemours has taken your contract off the table. He’s no longer interested in selling.”
“It seems Nemours is still all about the money,” Lev said. “John Taylor purchased your identity from him. There are strict instructions that your identity not be revealed, and if so, he will be killed. Nemours approached me with the task. If Taylor ever makes the mistake.”
“Are you mad atme?” I asked Brando.
“Mad.” He rolled his shoulders. “No. That’s not what I am.” Rolling his shoulders was a bad sign. “Did he ask you to fuck him?”
The blunt question surprised me, as causal as he had snuck it in.
“Yes,” I said, miffed. “Just like the Ice Princess wants you to sleep with her! I laughed at him and then I left! Which answered for me. A big, fat hell no!”
This sparked an argument of mass proportions right there in front of two deadly assassins, because I hadn’t told him. During the argument, I was still aware of their presence, though, and the fact that Galina had moved to the side and Lev took steps toward Brando.
Lev’s arm reached back and came forward in a swift movement, throwing something that I thought was going to hit Brando. I didn’t realize until the gun had gone off and fragments of sticky flesh exploded in my face that it was a papaya.
“It will still not work,” Galina said after the smoke cleared and I could hear again. “I know these things.”
“Brando,” I said, low-voiced. “Tell me what theeffis going on.”
He sighed. “Lev has come to us with a proposition. He wants us to become spies. Someone in his group has gone rogue. They can’t figure out who it is. You enchanted them, and I’m with you.”
“I would spin the web, and you would kill them,” I said, catching on. Somehow my grandmother’s game of survival had come full circle.
“Or you,” Lev said. “It does not matter who.”
“I’m a ballerina!”
“One that can hit a papaya in midair,” Brando said, a hint of pride in his voice. He stood from his seat, lowering the gun from my hand. I still had it raised.
“It was a lucky shot!” I yelled, becoming unhinged. “And if we decline your offer?”
“If you accept,” Lev said, smiling at me, “you are free of Nemours. I will deliver him to your husband’s table on a silver platter. I will assure no one will ever bother you again.”
“Lev assures me that even if we say no, we will not be harmed.” Brando put a hand on my shoulder.
“It is a proposition.” Lev shrugged. “One I hope you will consider. Beware of Taylor. He is smarter than he leads on,zolotse.”He nodded at Brando. “Shark Slayer.” He laughed.
Lev came closer, his eyes sincere, and apologized for what happened to me, claiming that Nemours would meet his hell for it. Galina sneered at me before she turned to Brando, giving him a look that made me flush with anger. Then the two assassins walked into the storm, disappearing amongst the black shadows.
“Tell me whatzolotsemeans,” Brando said, watching my face carefully.
“My gold.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brando
Nothing Scarlett did shocked me. She either impressed me or drove me mad.
She paced the floors in front of the bed, worrying her hands. I tried to stop her, but she said she needed to move to release some of the tension.
“Do it again for me,” I said, my eyes traveling with her.
She stopped. “What? Shoot the gun?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I want to see you do it again.” This woman would kill for me. She didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger when she thought I was in danger.
