“Going by the questions and utter judgement that dripped off his face, I think he assumes you and I are into sex work.”
A cackle bursts from my throat. “Really?”
She nods, a wry smile edging her lips. “So I played the nosey old bastard like a fiddle. Told him to go educate himself and stop being whoreaphobic. I might have also added that you were paid handsomely for your services.”
We do most of our work when the rest of the world is sleeping. It’s textbookassassinof course.
The deepest part of the internet provides us with that lucrative information.
It’s not like we head out in the dead of the night in ski masks and armed to the teeth; we put them on in the car.
Plus from October to March, Kingstone gets dark earlier, which is when we usually take down our marks.
We live in a civilised neighbourhood; most of the homes around us are families.
Billy’s the exception.
“Oh great, can’t wait for him to spear the inners out of me on that one.” I laugh. I couldn’t care if he judges me for it; it’s better than him calling the cops for the truth.
Once my limbs are no longer tingling with numbness, Regina and I head to the gym for our daily session. We spend two hours sparring and drilling down our techniques.
My dad began teaching me different martial arts at the age of six; it was mostly the basics and pre-arts due to my age. Then when I was around fourteen, he upped the training. I’d often drag Regina and Jenna along to the sessions in the backyard.
And when we were twenty-two, full of grief and a rage we couldn’t find an outlet to, we began taking professional classes to get more serious.
And it helped, to an extent.
Some things just live with you forever.
“Youknow,thismuchactivity in one day isn’t good for someone who spends at least eight hours a day at a desk, never mind you making me fucking run yesterday,” Regina whines, stretching herself on the mat during our cooldown.
“Actually, it’s probably the best thing for you. You’re gonna end up with a fucked-up spine.”
Even when we’re not working, Regina is scheming in her room.
Her setup would make the government nervous. I’ve never seen so many flashing lights and screens in one place my entire life.
“Speak for yourself,The Bride. My spine is perfectly straight thanks to those employee modules on health and safety.” She beams before leaning forward to touch her toes.
I mirror her movement. “Right, the online package that costs twenty thousand dollars, and all our staff work from home, probably sitting on the sofa all day.”
The downside to running a company that doesn’t really do what you want it to?
The legal side.
Regina laughs as we help each other off the floor, making our way towards the changing rooms. “I’m sure I could obtain something cheaper…” Her voice trails off, and I turn to see her a couple steps behind me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my gaze following her line of sight.
I scan the long row of cross trainers, up towards the ceiling holding a collection of suspended TVs across the gym.
A news reporter is on the screen, the subtitles scattering across the bottom as it brings in breaking news.
“Clarke White, CEO of White’s Psychiatry Research Development, the world-leading branch on revolutionarypsychology methods, has been reported dead this afternoon. It’s stated that he was found by his wife in the early hours of this morning. Mr White passed away peacefully at his home after a short illness, a battle he had supposedly been dealing with privately.”
The news reporter’s voice drones out, and I stare at Regina as the silence churns between us.
My pulse roars in my ears, static replacing the surrounding chatter.
