The Accidental Assassin
Page 90
“Er, yes.” He rubbed his cheek.” I thought the matter had been settled or I would have never let Tessa invite you to London.”
“Did she know what you were when you got married? Have you hurt her?”
“Yes and no. She caught me trying to steal something. That’s how we met and she’s safe, though likely going to try and kill me when I see her next. I locked her up.”
Owen grunted and I realized he was thinking Danny had the right idea.
“Enough. Let me see the painting.” Maria held her hands out and Vitz passed the package to her.
She tore through the paper like a child at Christmas. With a look of awe she held up a small canvas. “You really did it.”
“Of course.” Danny cleared his throat. “I thought we were even when I returned your money.”
“It was never about the money. It was about this,” Maria explained. She cradled the canvas with gentle hands. “It’s a Van Gogh. The only artist I hadn’t managed to collect.”
“Well, then, we’re even. You have your money, and the painting, and we’ll get out of your hair. Shall we?” Danny reached for the door but Vitz stepped to block the way.
“Why did you back out of the deal?” Maria set the painting down carefully. “What made you squirrel?”
“I saw one of your employees with a drugged woman when I came to deliver. He was talking about stables and orders.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m a thief, but I don’t deal with people in the sex slave trade. I spooked and sent your money back. I thought that would be the end of it.”
“No. It was certainly not the end of it.” Maria shrugged. “But everything is fine now. I’ll call off my people looking for your wife.”
“And the rest of us?” Danny rocked back on his heels.
“Loose ends.” Maria handed the painting to one of the guards. “Take care of that.”
He nodded his head before leaving the room.
“I see.” Danny frowned.
“Ava hasn’t done anything wrong. Let her go.” Owen raised his voice. “You don’t need to kill her.”
“As I said, she’s free to go.”
Owen nodded thoughtfully before he spoke. “I would ask a favor, if you don’t mind. A courtesy before I’m executed.” Maria motioned for him to go on and my stomach dropped. How could he talk about his death so easily? “Have someone remove Ava. Put her outside and let her go.”
“You’d have me go against her wishes?” Maria looked over at me, her cold eyes calculating. “What if she fights?”
“Owen.” I took a deep breath.
“Restrain her. Just get her out of here unharmed.” He didn’t look at me and my entire body began to shake. “None of this is her fault.”
“Vitz.” Maria looked at the scarred guard behind me. “I’ll honor his request. Take the bag as well. She earned it.”
“No! You said we’d all leave together.” I fought as Vitz wrapped a giant arm around my waist. “Owen! Don’t do this.”
He didn’t look in my direction as Vitz pulled me through the door.
“You promised, Owen. You promised and you lied!” I grabbed at the door frame, but it was like fighting a bull. Vitz was headed away and there was nothing I could do to stop him. “Please, Owen.”
I saw him look in my direction with sad eyes just before I couldn’t see them anymore.
“Put me down, you damn ogre!” I kicked and pulled, trying to get away.
Maria walked out of the makeshift office, her heels clicking on the cement. Her assistant seemed to appear from the shadows, falling into step with the taller woman.
“Stop fighting, girl.” Vitz looked down at me, his bored expression fueling my fury. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Try to keep her quiet.” Maria shook her head as she passed us. “I don’t want to upset our clients upstairs.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Vitz tightened his hold on me and I bit down on the thick corded muscle. He cursed in a language I didn’t know and switched arms, moving the bag of money to his bleeding arm and me to the uninjured. He gave me a little shake. “Behave. I’m trying to get you out of this alive, got it?”
Why the hell would he care if I got out of this alive? One of my shoes fell off when we reached a grated walkway. He reached down to pick it up and threw it in a trash can.
I didn’t care. He could throw away my shoes. He could throw me away.
He might as well. With Owen dead I had nothing else in life. I was alone. Like when my parents had died. Just me and a giant hole in my chest. I wouldn’t even have Tessa to help me through it this time. I had no idea where she was.
I looked where we were headed. Maria and her assistant were talking quietly, the assistant carrying the painting in a special case.
All of this for a painting.
Everyone I loved gone, because a horrible woman wanted a special painting.
No. I fought against Vitz, trying my hardest to get free. I stepped on his foot with my remaining high heel, but he didn’t even flinch. Tears of frustration ran down my face. I balled up my fist and swung it backward at his groin, but he merely shifted my weight. Making me look at the women in front of us.
They dealt in the sex slave trade.
They killed to keep money.
They blackmailed influential people every day.
They were going to kill my best friend’s husband.
“Did she know what you were when you got married? Have you hurt her?”
“Yes and no. She caught me trying to steal something. That’s how we met and she’s safe, though likely going to try and kill me when I see her next. I locked her up.”
Owen grunted and I realized he was thinking Danny had the right idea.
“Enough. Let me see the painting.” Maria held her hands out and Vitz passed the package to her.
She tore through the paper like a child at Christmas. With a look of awe she held up a small canvas. “You really did it.”
“Of course.” Danny cleared his throat. “I thought we were even when I returned your money.”
“It was never about the money. It was about this,” Maria explained. She cradled the canvas with gentle hands. “It’s a Van Gogh. The only artist I hadn’t managed to collect.”
“Well, then, we’re even. You have your money, and the painting, and we’ll get out of your hair. Shall we?” Danny reached for the door but Vitz stepped to block the way.
“Why did you back out of the deal?” Maria set the painting down carefully. “What made you squirrel?”
“I saw one of your employees with a drugged woman when I came to deliver. He was talking about stables and orders.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m a thief, but I don’t deal with people in the sex slave trade. I spooked and sent your money back. I thought that would be the end of it.”
“No. It was certainly not the end of it.” Maria shrugged. “But everything is fine now. I’ll call off my people looking for your wife.”
“And the rest of us?” Danny rocked back on his heels.
“Loose ends.” Maria handed the painting to one of the guards. “Take care of that.”
He nodded his head before leaving the room.
“I see.” Danny frowned.
“Ava hasn’t done anything wrong. Let her go.” Owen raised his voice. “You don’t need to kill her.”
“As I said, she’s free to go.”
Owen nodded thoughtfully before he spoke. “I would ask a favor, if you don’t mind. A courtesy before I’m executed.” Maria motioned for him to go on and my stomach dropped. How could he talk about his death so easily? “Have someone remove Ava. Put her outside and let her go.”
“You’d have me go against her wishes?” Maria looked over at me, her cold eyes calculating. “What if she fights?”
“Owen.” I took a deep breath.
“Restrain her. Just get her out of here unharmed.” He didn’t look at me and my entire body began to shake. “None of this is her fault.”
“Vitz.” Maria looked at the scarred guard behind me. “I’ll honor his request. Take the bag as well. She earned it.”
“No! You said we’d all leave together.” I fought as Vitz wrapped a giant arm around my waist. “Owen! Don’t do this.”
He didn’t look in my direction as Vitz pulled me through the door.
“You promised, Owen. You promised and you lied!” I grabbed at the door frame, but it was like fighting a bull. Vitz was headed away and there was nothing I could do to stop him. “Please, Owen.”
I saw him look in my direction with sad eyes just before I couldn’t see them anymore.
“Put me down, you damn ogre!” I kicked and pulled, trying to get away.
Maria walked out of the makeshift office, her heels clicking on the cement. Her assistant seemed to appear from the shadows, falling into step with the taller woman.
“Stop fighting, girl.” Vitz looked down at me, his bored expression fueling my fury. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Try to keep her quiet.” Maria shook her head as she passed us. “I don’t want to upset our clients upstairs.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Vitz tightened his hold on me and I bit down on the thick corded muscle. He cursed in a language I didn’t know and switched arms, moving the bag of money to his bleeding arm and me to the uninjured. He gave me a little shake. “Behave. I’m trying to get you out of this alive, got it?”
Why the hell would he care if I got out of this alive? One of my shoes fell off when we reached a grated walkway. He reached down to pick it up and threw it in a trash can.
I didn’t care. He could throw away my shoes. He could throw me away.
He might as well. With Owen dead I had nothing else in life. I was alone. Like when my parents had died. Just me and a giant hole in my chest. I wouldn’t even have Tessa to help me through it this time. I had no idea where she was.
I looked where we were headed. Maria and her assistant were talking quietly, the assistant carrying the painting in a special case.
All of this for a painting.
Everyone I loved gone, because a horrible woman wanted a special painting.
No. I fought against Vitz, trying my hardest to get free. I stepped on his foot with my remaining high heel, but he didn’t even flinch. Tears of frustration ran down my face. I balled up my fist and swung it backward at his groin, but he merely shifted my weight. Making me look at the women in front of us.
They dealt in the sex slave trade.
They killed to keep money.
They blackmailed influential people every day.
They were going to kill my best friend’s husband.
