My boots clunk down the stone floor of the mansion hallway. I have my head down, sorting through the papers. My intel does a good job. I have a picture, an address, everything except the target’s baby book. Hell, I could probably get that too, if I asked.
But I have all the information I need. The trickiest part will be getting him alone. I could try to find an in with the guy and lure him off somewhere. Click of the trigger and problem solved. Or, I could use brute force and break into his house. Unfortunately, that increases the chances of the first shot fired being at me. Not a big fan of that idea.
See, most people won’t shoot to kill. They’ll take out a knee or something. Personally, I would rather die than what happens if I don’t fulfill a wish.
Failure isn’t an option. Not for as long as I’m still breathing.
A familiar voice says my name.
I look up from the papers in my hand and stop short.
Silvia is standing at the hall doorway, twirling her crimped black locks and eying me up and down. She does that a lot. It’s unnerving.
“Daddy sending you on another mission?”
“Yeah. Wanna take this one?” I offer the papers and envelope as I head toward her.
She laughs, but it’s also unnerving. Everything about her is unsettling, ever since we were kids.
She pops her gum. “Afraid not.”
I push past her into the foyer, passing underneath one of the two massive white staircases, and head toward a set of exit doors.
“Dimitri?”
I glance back. She has her head tilted, still running her eyes up and down like she’s grooming me in her head. She probably is.
She smiles. “Don’t waste my inheritance, okay?”
I scoff to hide the shudder, then let myself out. I expect Silvia to follow, but she remains inside where she belongs.
A white Honda Civic is waiting in the carport, engine idling. Low key. That’s how I roll.
I slide in, drop the file into the passenger seat, and pull out to head toward Phoenix.
Her inheritance. That’s what Silvia calls me.
If Karl thinks of me as his guard dog, then Silvia considers me her puppy.
And she’s just itching to get her hands on me.