1
NINA
I have accidentally accepted a job as an assassin.
Half a million will buy freedom and safety, I remind myself. It’s worth it.
Right?
This is way out of hand. A message pops up on my phone, and I pace my bedroom as I read it.
Blake
Ready?
No. Not ready.
I should run. Emigrate to Australia. At very least, I should not do what the mafia boss says.
Blake
One voice conversation about the project. That was the deal, Bunny.
BunnytheKiller
Yeah, I know.
That screen name is my worst ever attempt at humour. I have joke regrets, and no idea how to kill someone. I don’twantto killanyone. I have not, in fact, committed to murdering, which is a good thing, because I’m hopelessly unqualified to do it.
But I did say I’d have a conversation and discuss this “project”, so Blake Thorne, the kingpin of Norwood, doesn’t figure out that I’m the shy, curvy sister of one of his men, and not an assassin. I have to ensure he understands that although Icould, I don’t want to take the job. For reasons I haven’t figured out yet.
Something-something ethics?
I really should have thought this through. Not sure it would have helped.
I sink into sitting on my bed and wonder about my life choices.
Blake
Time I got what I paid for, Bunny.
Oh. God.
An alert buzzes. A voice call from the super-secure app my brother insisted I use.
It’s Blake. I take several deep breaths, trying to calm my rioting pulse.
This is fine. Everything is fine. I can do this. The app is anonymous. The mafia boss cannot find me. He will never know that my brother accidentally invited me to the Norwood mafia group chat because I used a silly name.
This is just… Well, I’m not sure what it is. I hit the green button.
“Hi,” I croak.
“Hello Bunny.” Blake’s voice is like chocolate-covered sin.
My brain helpfully springs to the image of him I saw. Okay, the many images I’ve looked at over the last week, as I’veexplored every piece of information the internet has to offer about the mafia boss who’s been texting me.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’d been flirting.
