Killing You Softly Read online

  “My apologies, Miss.” Kent stoops to pick up my clutch that fell from my clumsy hands.

  I smile bashfully, then using my Caribbean accent, I say, “No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He stands to his full height and hands me my clutch.

  “Apology accepted.” He slowly appraises me with his eyes.

  I chose to wear a burgundy, stylishly cut bob wig today. Hazel contacts, a black pant suit that molds to my body with perfection, and, of course, a sexy pair of heels to complete my disguise. I see lust fill his eyes and know this job will be really easy.

  “Thank you,” I reply and start to walk away. I feel his hand gently grip my elbow, halting my exit.

  “On second thought, I won’t be able to accept your apology unless you agree to have lunch with me today. Miss?”

  “Veronica.” I tell him my false name.

  “Kent Lewis,” he offers in introduction.

  “Kent, how do you know I’m not here meeting my date?” I arch my perfectly trimmed brow.

  “I guess you’ll have to give him a raincheck.” A confident one – I love that in a man. Too bad I’ve got to kill him.

  “You’re very sure of yourself.”

  “A successful man like myself must always act in confidence.” He steps closer, leaning into my ear. “And you don’t seem like the type of woman that would renege on her apology.” Again, it’s a darn shame I have to kill him.

  “I guess you’re right.” My lips curl up into a seductive smile. “I’ll have lunch with you. And to show how sorry I really am for accidently bumping into you, we can have room service in my room so it’s just the two of us.” I place my hand casually on his suit and tie covered chest.

  Men can be so easy at times, like dangling candy in front of a kid.

  “Then I don’t see why I won’t be able to accept your apology with that.”

  I nod, okaying Kent’s acceptance and signal to Cage that the prey took the bait. He’s sitting a few feet away, completely inconspicuous. I look up with bright eyes into Kent desire filled ones. Oh, he’s going to get lucky alright.

  For the past month, he’s been demanding Vic give him profits from his investments – but there are none to give. Vic can only fake good returns on investment for only so long before a client wants tangible proof. So, in order to keep a disgruntled client quiet and not create cause for concern for our other unsuspecting victims that have forked over millions, Kent has to go.

  I turn to walk out of the hotel’s restaurant. Kent is quickly right beside me, placing his hand at the small of my back. Cage gets up from his post to follow. Sometimes I wonder how a man as large as Cage, standing at six-five with nothing but muscles, could be so incognito when necessary. It made him the perfect shadow for me on my jobs. I can handle myself just fine in case things don’t go as seamlessly as I’d hope. I’ve been trained for years not only on how to use a knife but also a gun and my own body to defend myself, however it’s great knowing people are watching my back. Makes my work a whole lot easier. And despite my marital woes – I love what I do. I enjoy dressing up and getting into character. I feel like an Academy Award worthy actress.

  After getting comfortable in the living area of my suite, Kent and I are sitting at the dining table sipping on mojitos and enjoying our fish entrees.

  “What’s taking so damn long?” Cage says into the wireless earpiece that is inserted inside my ear so it’s not easily detected. “I’ve got a hot date tonight and I hope to get lucky. You need to wrap this up. Slit his throat and let Drake in to take care of the package.”

  I almost laugh out loud which would be rude since Kent is telling me how he wants to bend me over the dining table and feast on me instead of the grouper on his plate. Yeah – pretty blunt of him and he isn’t even drunk. I like when a person speaks their mind, it gives me less time to weed out the BS.

  “I’ve been with a few black women before. And the saying is true, the blacker the berry, sweeter the juice.”

  “You’re what, Italian, right?” I feign ignorance about his background.

  “Yes. And I want to be your Italian Stallion.” Okay, now he’s getting really corny. I fight an eye roll.

  I stand, then step around to where Kent is sitting. He watches me with hunger in his chocolate brown eyes. I slide my hand along his shoulder and go to stand directly behind him. “Mmmm, that sounds very tempting.” I whisper into his ear. I lick it, which causes a shiver to go up his spine. “But I have to kill you now.” I jab the titanium steel blade nail add-ons that I’d discreetly slipped on my hands under the table when he was rambling, into his neck, ripping his larynx. His muscular arm reaches backward to try and pry me away, I only dig my nails in deeper. Blood warms my hand, gushing from his throat. Seconds later, Kent falls forward, face down into his grouper lunch.

  “Mission accomplished,” I say into my hidden microphone. “Can’t have you late for your date, can we, Cage?”

  “Good! I was about to come in there and snap his neck myself,” Cage says.

  I laugh while wiping my bloody hand on the back of Kent’s jacket before heading to the bathroom to wash the rest of his blood away. I hear the hotel room door open. No need to look, I know it’s Drake. His timing is impeccable. He’ll have this room looking better than the maid left it in no time.

  After walking out of the bathroom, Drake says, “Good. You didn’t leave a huge mess to clean-up.” He takes his supplies out of his bag. He too wears a disguise for every job. Today his natural blonde hair is covered in a realistic short, black, curly wig. And his gray eyes are hidden under blue contacts.

  I walk over to the living area to pick up my clutch. “Vic made it very clear that I need to keep things clean.”

  “I know you like to get creative but my neck is on the line with these jobs too.”

  “I thought you liked a challenge, keep you fresh on your toes,” I tease. Honestly, sometimes I forget that what we do for a living is illegal. Like we’re immune to getting caught and rotting in jail. I don’t let that thought stay in my mind too long.

  “I also like my freedom.” He walks over to Kent’s corpse to check his pulse. A formality, because he clearly is dead. “I’m great at what I do. Vic doesn’t pay me so well to screw up. And I look forward to going home peacefully at the end of these gigs. I told you get a hobby for that cutting crap. Tattooing or something.”

  He’s mentioned that before. I guess I do need a hobby. I pretty much twiddle my thumbs until the next job, which is sometimes months – years in between. “Yeah. I’ll look into that.” I start for the door. “Text me when everything’s done. See ya at the next one.”

  “I’ll be out of here in an hour. Body will be ashes in another three.”

  I leave Drake to his task, exiting the suite.

  I meet Cage at the car moments later. We make it a point not to be seen together when on duty. I may indulge in over doing it with cutting the victims but I take care to make sure that no one pins Drake, Cage, or myself together.

  “What time’s your date?” I ask him after slipping into the backseat of the sedan. He already had the engine running, waiting on me. He pulls off right after I shut the door.

  “I’ve got three hours.”

  “Taking her anywhere special?” Cage has been my bodyguard for eight years. Not only are we colleagues, I also consider him and Drake friends. Come to think of it, I’ve been surrounded by men for years. I have no female friends. At all. I mean there are women I associate with from the gym I frequent regularly. But… geesh I’m pathetic. I need to get a life beyond what I do for Vic. Drake is right, I need a hobby.

  “Dinner and a movie. Maybe I’ll be able to convince her to come to my place to watch Netflix instead of going to the theatre.”

  “Wow. You might as well just tell her: ‘I’m taking you out for dinner then I expect to have you butt naked and spread eagle, pronto.’ You know Netflix is code for ‘let’s have sex.’ Is this the first date?”

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sp; Cage nods as he laughs, speeding down the highway. “Netflix is that obvious?”

  “Yes. Pretty much. A total turnoff, especially for a first date. And, if she’s a respectable woman she won’t be agreeing to that.”

  “Well, lucky for me, she isn’t.”

  I groan. “When are you going to settle down?”

  Cage momentarily takes his eyes off the road and looks at me through the rearview mirror. “When are you going to divorce Vic?” The seriousness in his eyes lets me know he’s not kidding with me.

  His question comes so far from left field it knocks the wind out of me. I swallow the frog in my throat. “You’re joking, right?”

  “Not at this moment, no.”

  Shit!

  Cage’s legal name is Cordell Brown. He’s thirty-four and African American, like me.. He’s ex-military from Maryland with his own business providing security and bodyguard services for the rich and famous. Cage came on as my bodyguard eight years ago when my previous guard, Steel, moved back to Germany, where he’s from. Now that I know about the others, I wonder if Steel is now guarding Vic’s German wife. The thought makes me cringe.

  Cage and I hit it off from the start. We have an easy-going banter that helps me feel comfortable and confident that he’s got my back when I’m doing a job. Never in the eight years we’ve worked together have I felt him looking at me in anything but a friendly way. I mean yes, he would give me compliments on my appearance, but I’ve never felt it was said in a sexual type of way. Cage is like the gorgeous popular kid in school that everyone wants to hang out it, and I’m privileged to be his friend. I’ve personally never looked at Cage in a lustful way… I mean, yeah, I can see with my own two eyes that the man is scrumptious. But Vic’s been the only man holding my undivided attention for eleven years…

  After a couple minutes of intense silence and me trying to wrap my mind around what Cage is implying, he speaks. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. But…after years of holding it in, it’s hard biting my tongue on how I really feel about you, Cass. I want you!”

  Oh gawd! My heart is slamming relentlessly against my chest. And it’s like a veil is snatched from my eyes. Cage’s eyes roam up to look at me from the rearview mirror again. Our eyes connect, then butterflies go loose in my stomach. I’ve never felt this before in my life. And it’s scaring me.

  “Cage…you know Vic will kill you if he finds out how you feel.” Is the only thing I can bring my mouth to say.

  “Vic pays me to work. He doesn’t run my life. I’m not afraid of him or his punk of a bodyguard. I didn’t tell you how I feel to pressure you. I just want you to know. I’m tired of keeping it in.”

  I close my eyes. “I…I don’t…” I don’t know how I feel about all of this. And I don’t even want to begin to analyze why my heart was beating feverously or the butterflies that suddenly took residence in my stomach. I wish Cage hadn’t said anything to have my heart and head in turmoil.

  “I just wanted you to know, Cass; that’s all.”

  The rest of the ride is quiet, except for the low hum of Tory Lanez singing ”Luv” flowing through the car speakers. Just the two of us lost in our own thoughts…

  “…And I know from the first time, the first time

  I seen your love, you got me baby

  Even though girl I know that I will fall for you

  You got to know that everyone falls

  Oops I done fell so deep baby

  Oops I want you for me baby

  Oops I want you for me baby

  Oops I done fell so deep cause...”

  “Cass?” Cage says, pulling me back to reality. “You’re home.” He’s standing at the open car door waiting for me to get out.

  I look out the door and sure enough we are in front of my ten thousand square foot stone front Atlanta home.

  “Things don’t have to be weird between us,” Cage says, taking the hand I offered him to help me out of the car.

  “Good.” I really want things to stay the same between us. I don’t want to be thinking about me and Cage when I’m married to Vic. Yeah, our marriage isn’t legal. But I said vows that meant something, even if the “I love you” isn’t there.

  Catching me off guard, Cage presses into me then kisses me on my cheek. The sensation sends a jolt through me that has the butterflies swarming my stomach again. I clench my thighs to suppress the desire warming throughout my body. “Cage,” I practically moan his name. Then I berate myself for feeling such a thing for this man – my friend.

  “See you at the next job.” He steps back.

  “You can’t do things like that and expect things not to be weird between us.” I lick my dry lips. His eyes follow the movement. And God, why do I wish for him to just kiss me right now?

  “I haven’t done anything I haven’t done before.” He smirks then walks away to re-enter the car.

  He’s right. He always kisses me on the cheek and bids me goodbye until the next time. Only this time, it feels like so much more.

  Chapter 3

  CASS

  I step into the house and close the door behind me. I immediately pull off the burgundy wig and run my fingers through my now free natural coarse hair. Vic and I live a lavish lifestyle but we don’t have around the clock wait staff. Which I prefer. Besides the guards that are posted at the gate and around the perimeter of the house, we have a housekeeper that comes three times a week to clean and do laundry and a chef that’s on-call. With our frequent travel, it doesn’t make sense to have staff around all the time. I like my privacy and with Neil being around constantly, it only leaves him that I have to tolerate.

  I start for the massive stairwell to head to our bedroom but loud shouting from left of the main entryway draws me back. “I need more time dammit!” I hear Vic spit loudly through his closed office door. “Come near her before I give permission and I will kill you!” The landline phone slams down in its cradle.

  Normally, I leave Vic alone when he’s handling business, unless he requests my presence or opinion. That call though has me curious. My feet lead me to the closed office door. I knock first, instead of barging in. Neil yanks the door open with that scowl that never leaves his face. The man must eat sour limes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I haven’t quite figured out if he hates me or if that facial expression is all part of his bodyguard persona. I’d asked Vic about it in the past, and he said it was nothing personal, just part of Neil’s personality. Neil doesn’t say anything, just stands there staring at me like a freaking brick wall.

  I walk around him instead of giving in to the temptation of pulling out my dagger and shoving it into his chest.

  “You’re back early, dear,” Vic says after I step around Neil. “Good. I assume that means everything went smoothly?”

  “It did.” I rest my wig and clutch on his large mahogany desk. “I heard you screaming on the phone. Is everything alright?”

  Vic’s green eyes flash with unease for a fraction of a second, then are masked with his natural coolness. If I wasn’t looking directly into his eyes I may have missed it. I didn’t, and it has me concerned. Are we in danger? Is our time of scheming and killing up? Will we be spending the rest of our lives in prison? Is someone threatening to kill me – him? It may be naïve of me, but Vic’s been protecting me for so long and I’ve been so deeply conditioned into this lifestyle, that I unconsciously see us as invincible.

  But ignorance is bliss.

  Vic is like a god in my eyes. He saved me. So why wouldn’t he keep me safe in this life he brought me into? I probably would be dead from a drug overdose by now, or pretty close to it, if it wasn’t for him. He’s my savior. So, to have seen that look of unease in his eyes, a man that represents power and certainty – my bubble burst. I cannot escape the evils of this world.

  Or am I overthinking all of this?

  Vic gets up from his desk chair. I take in his white dress shirt and tie. I notice his jacket laying across the arm of one of the guest chairs. He�
��s almost always dressed in business attire even when he’s working from home. ‘It sets the atmosphere for business and making money.’ He’s told me a time or two. “Everything is fine, no need for you to be concerned.”

  “What was the phone call about?” Clearly, I’m not satisfied with his answer.

  I hear Neil clearing his throat, as if to say I’m crossing the line by questioning my own husband – well, illegal husband. I can’t stand his ass!

  “Business, Cass. A client in New York keeps coming short on what she owes. She’s at one hundred grand, when she only borrowed thirty a year ago.”

  Vic also runs a lucrative loan shark and illegal gambling business, with bookies all over the country. The explanation comes out so smoothly that I just accept it. It does make sense. I’ve heard him dealing with situations like that many times.

  I nod my acceptance.

  Vic rounds the desk, giving me a fuller view of his business attire. He’s the epitome of sex appeal. And seeing him dressed in his designer duds has a way of making me want to jump him every chance I get. He signals for Neil to leave the office. I hear the distinct click of the door closing shut behind him. My husband stalks towards me like I’m prey. And I’d be lying if I say my heart isn’t hammering in my chest with excitement and that I’m already soaking with desire.

  “You know, seeing you dressed in your disguises always excites me.” His green eyes darken a shade of passion right before my eyes. I bite down on my bottom lip. He’d snatched my burgundy wig off his desk and holds it out for me to accept.

  I love our role play too. I take it from his hand and quickly put it back in place over my hair, neatly tucking my strands under the wig. His eyes sparkle with excitement seeing the quick transformation.

  “Is dat right, Mr. Hamilton?” I question in a Caribbean accent.