“You are a bad influence; never would she have dared to talk to me in this tone before you,” he says with a growl.
I laugh derogatorily.
“At least I make her come and not cry,” I say. “You do with your life whatever you want, but let me be very clear: if you so much as talk to her like that again, I will make sure it's the last thing you do.” I lean in closer to whisper in his ear. “You may not know who I am, but many others do, and my voice was the last thing they heard. Do you understand me?”
I tell him, because I know he will be dead by morning. No one calls my girl names without being punished for it.
He stares at me.
“I asked you a question,” I say.
He turns without a word, storms out, and gets into his red Ferrari.
I follow him because I have work to do.
A hand on my shoulder.
It’s Hannigan.
“You make her happy,” he says as he gets into a car.
We don’t need many words after two years of working together on the list generated by Zeus. I won’t forget that he brought me the untouchable Prime Minister, so I could get my revenge. And I’ll never forget what he is doing right now. Never.
As far as men go, he’s alright, one of the good ones. I knew before, and now even more.
I go back inside, trying to leave my killer self outside, knowing the headline tomorrow will read ‘Drunk! Business mogul died in car accident’, and it quietens my anger.
Lilian stares at me with all those emotions in her eyes. She tells herself she is cold and calculating, but with me, she is emotional, sensitive, and an open book after all this time together.
“Later,” I tell her, and she does what I do, slipping on a mask, because no one can know what happens behind this beautiful illusion of a life we have built.
We have some drinks out of courtesy for the guests, and just as Hannigan returns, we say goodbye to everyone.
He subtly nods at me when he returns.
Hannigan drives us to somewhere I don’t recognize.
“Where are we?” I ask Lilian as we pull up to a wooden housethat looks a bit like a Japanese house, but we’re somewhere in Topanga.
“It’s a surprise,” she says.
We park and get inside, and I am amazed by the stunning view of nature through a huge glass front—the night between indistinct trees, showing off all the stars. We’re so close to L.A., and yet, we’re in the middle of pure nature.
“You have to live up to a promise,” she says behind me.
When I turn, she leans against the door frame. Naked. With that body from heaven and hell. Biting her bottom lip. Enchanting me with her eyes. In one hand, ropes, and a knife. A strap-on in the other.
I walk up to her and take the supply from her hands as I kiss her.
“Hands up,” I tell her, and knot her wrists tight. I glance up at the ceiling. Hooks everywhere.
I shake my head because she has plannend this thoroughly.
“Go kneel in front of that couch,” I tell her, and she does as told.
I undress, slip off the tight black female suit, and loosen the tie.
Lilian watches me undress with desire pouring from her eyes. I unbutton the shirt very, very slowly and fold it carefully. My watch, my rings, and my belt follow, all carefully stacked and put away to her satisfaction.
