Page 29 of Assassin: Part 1

I know he’s baiting me, because I haven’t fucked up a job since I was eighteen, and even then, the only soul to know about it is him. How he managed to get that out of me still pisses me off.

That’s a story for another time.

I grab the gun under the table and point it at him, clicking off the safety. “Would you like today to be the day you die, Belov?”

He lowers himself into the chair across from me, folds his hands over his stomach, and gives me a cool stare. “You’ve been threatening that every day for the last year. At this point, it’s losing its⁠—”

Bang!

The bullet grazes his temple as he jerks away and draws his gun, firing back at me. I dodge it while never taking my gaze from him. Hazel eyes blaze with fury. “Fuck off, Lane,” he bites out, blood oozing down the side of his face. “You crazy bitch.”

He doesn’t wipe his face, watching me with a bit more respect than before.

Excellent. I wouldn’t want him to get complacent.

I don’t deny the crazy bitch part. I definitely am, and I love it. I own it.

I give him a cold smile and slowly lower my gun, and he does the same. We know between the two of us, I’ll be faster to take him down, but he wouldn’t be far behind. He’s been practicing. I’m under no illusion here-this man will take me out at any moment he deems appropriate.

What he will have to do is come up with an excuse for the graze and blood when he’s in front of the Butcher later tonight. He’ll come up with something, or he’ll get it covered up in time; either way, not my problem.

“Now that that’s settled, yes, I’ll look at the files.” I put the gun back, shoving the file in front of me to the side to grab the ones he tossed. None of them have much information, exactly as I like it. I don’t like to get bogged down by the details. Straight and to the point.

Mishka sits back in the chair, rubbing the side of his face with his hand. “I see no issues with either of them. Other than they’re both going to cause problems if they decide to betray you. Their networks are vast, but they go after the fuckers like you.”

“Of course they’re going to try and betray me. Do you really think that me picking them means I trust them? Though, I have a feeling they’ll gun for you first.”

“Me? What the fuck? I’m not going to be involved in this.”

I give him an are-you-an-idiot look, making him glare and scowl at me. “What part of you’re going to help me out with my plan wasn’t clear, Mishka? And don’t tell me the bullet rattled your brains, because we both know you’re as sharp as a tack.”

“My brain is fucking fine, and you’re the one who’s clearly lost theirs. The agreement is taking down Antonov and my father. Then I’m taking over the territory and fixing the shit the two of them have cooked up. There was nothing in there about this shit. You’re on your own.”

Men, so stupid. I don’t even bother to correct him.

Once you’re in, you’re in. He was stupid to do this for me in the first place, and the longer I stare at him, the more it sinks in.

“Fuck you,” he hisses, swiping at the fresh blood dripping down his face.

“Yes, you’ve said that, but for someone who tells me I repulse them, you certainly love to proposition me. Changing your tune?”

I love getting under his skin. He curses me again in Russian, but I tune him out. Let him get bent out of shape.

They say women are the emotional ones. They clearly haven’t met a pissed-off male assassin who’s just gotten outsmarted by a woman half his size.

Especially not one planning on making some very big moves in the very near future. You can’t build your own society overnight. And you certainly aren’t going to let those doing the grunt work of finding the right people just walk away when it’s done.

The first candidate’s file folder is minimal, but it’s enough.

AGE: 27

Specialty: Black Ops Reconnaissance. Sniper. Holds record for farthest range and most accurate shot by sniper in military history.

Highest Rank: Sergeant

Current Status: Medically discharged from Black Ops as official reason. Unofficial: Tracking and murder of multiple targets not sanctioned for rape of women and children. Sergeant refused to end personal mission and compromised some missions. Wildcard that cannot be trusted.

I read more of the reports, but it’s nothing I haven’t heard before. The whispers of a rogue military member taking out unsanctioned targets caught a lot of attention. Enough that even I took notice. They were clever and smart but still not skilled enough to avoid being caught.