He turned, lips pressed into a thin line when he noticed her staring. The rain that had started as a trickle had increased to a downpour, darkening his blonde hair and sculpting his t-shirt against his chest. Why the fuck did her thighs clench at the sight?
“Here you go.”
Rae jumped at the new voice, blinking up at the waitress who’d appeared from nowhere, placing two croissants onto the table. Her stomach growled at the sight, reminding her she hadn’t eaten in close to twenty-four hours.
“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress asked, repeating each word slowly. “Maybe some more coffee? A chocolate muffin?”
“No, everything’s fine,” Rae said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Thank you.”
Worry creased the waitress’s brows. “Just call if you need me.”
Jesus, how bad do I look?It wasn’t like she wasn’t clean. Her skirt was fresh, as was her top. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she didn’t think she looked that bad without makeup. She couldn’t even complain about lack of sleep, because between Titus’s place, and hers she’d slept at least six hours. She’d survived on a lot less than that, her body trained over the years to catch as much sleep as possible in short bursts because she grew up never knowing if she was safe.
Picking at the croissant, she peeked at Titus once more, his pacing no longer as rough, his tense conversation coming to an end. Returning her attention to her plate, she bit into the croissant, the chocolate spread she added to hers heaven on her tongue.
The little bakery surrounded in fake greenery was just off the corner of Covent Garden, hidden in one of the slim pathways just off the hectic centre. It was mid-week, so not as busy with tourists than it would have been at the weekend, but it was enough. They’d both agreed to surround themselves with a crowd whenever possible, hoping it would force any contractors to hesitate. At least until they’d found somewhere else secure, because she still had to decide what the fuck she was going to do, and the time was running out. But until then, she couldn’t risk someone else taking her assignment. Which meant she was sticking to Titus like glue.
Rae glanced back at the phone, quickly unwrapping the device, and shoving the sim inside. Her finger hovered on the power button.
“Come on,” Titus said, appearing by her side. “We’ve got to go.”
Rae looked up. “You look like a drowned rat.”
Titus brushed his hand through his hair, fingers coming away wet.
“I haven’t even finished my food,” she continued, “And we need to figure out our next step.”
Titus gestured to the waitress, grabbing Rae’s coffee and taking a mouthful. “We can do that on the move, now get up.”
Rae purposely took another bite of her food, chewing leisurely.
“Are you honestly going to fight me every step of the way?” he said, his tone a deep timbre. “Because I’ll just leave you here to be taken out by another assassin.”
“Contractor.” Rae jerked her chin up, meeting his eyes. “And I’m not the one being hunted.” She set the rest of her croissant down just as Titus slipped into the seat opposite. “I think we need to make a deal.”
“A deal?” He rested his arm along the spare chair to his right, raising a single brow. “You called truce last time, and yet still tried to kill me.”
“This’ll be different.” She stole her coffee back. “It’ll benefit us both.”
Titus cocked his head, jaw clenched with impatience.
“I won't try to kill you,” she said, dropping her voice. “As long as you help me break out of my contract.” Titus had been able to read locked files on Vivian’s computer within minutes, If anybody could help her, he could.
“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”`
Rae sat forward, emphasising her words. “Because I want to be free, more than I want to kill you.”
“Should I be flattered?”
She couldn’t read his expression, his impassive mask in full place. “Do we have a deal?” She held her breath, his answer the difference between being free, able to do what she wanted with no repercussions, or be forced to murder people. She knew she could continue to take side jobs, slowly earning enough money to pay herself out of her contract. But that could take almost as long as fulfilling her one-hundred kills. Three years she’d been under Crimson Hollow, and not including Titus, she’d only managed thirteen.
“Deal.” He stood, placing some cash on the table. “Now get up. We’re going.”
Relief, so strong she swore her hands trembled. “Stop ordering me around.”
His voice was as smooth as chocolate when he lowered his head. “You know what happens when you disobey me, Rae.”
Heat rushed through her blood at the reminder.
