Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
“You whore!” he yells.
“Kyson, please don’t. He didn’t mean it.” Lilly is now beside me, her hand on my arm in an attempt to placate me.
“Don’t you dare beg him. It’s him who should be worried,” her husband snaps.
I step away from Lilly and catch his hand mid-throw. With a quick movement, I turn him around, moving him like a ragdoll until his arm is behind his back, and so am I, then apply pressure, wanting to break his arm. “You…ever…lay a hand on Kalilah again… I. Will. End. You. I promise you that. Let your wife fill you in on my promises. Now, control your wife, and leave Kalilah out of it.”
Before I let him go, I glance up at Kalilah, who’s bent over in pain. “Fuck it.” I reach for his pinkie finger and snap it. He screams loud. The music in the place seems to die at that moment, and I let him fall so he can cradle his now broken pinkie.
“Kyson, I don’t want to cause a scene, but…” the owner of the event says. “I saw what happened. And I apologize for letting him in.”
Lilly’s husband screams at her words. She was one of our first clients and is extremely wealthy. She wanted us to kill her cheating husband, who was blowing all her money on drugs and women. It was easily done. So she lets us—me—come to these events to mingle, and I’ve never caused a scene. People here have more money than sense, and I guess Lilly is now in that category since she married that tool. I don’t even remember his fucking name, that’s how much I don’t care about him.
“He should be out, not me,” he yells as people escort the idiot out.
The music starts again and people turn away. Lady McBeth, who runs this place, steps over and helps Kalilah stand. She gets up with a wince.
“I’m so sorry, dear. Please let me make it up to you. What can I do?” Kalilah looks at me, unsure of what to say. “Anything. You name what you need, and I am here to help.” She stands there with her manicured hands clasped in front of her. Not a single hair is out of place, even though I know she must be slightly rattled by what just went down while she waits patiently for Kalilah to answer her.
I nod to Kalilah to let her know she can ask her anything.
What will she ask for?
Money? She’s clearly broke.
A place to stay that isn’t mine?
I wait to see what she says, and what comes out of her mouth shocks me.
“I’d like a job if you know of anyone hiring,” she replies, and I can tell she’s in pain, but she covers it well. The mark on her face from where I dropped her is almost healed and looks like a scar that was already there.
Lady McBeth smiles happily. “That’s easily done.” She hands her a business card which seems to appear from thin air. “Here is my number. You call tomorrow, and Edward will set you up.”
“Thank you,” Kalilah says, looking down at the card.
Lady McBeth touches my shoulder briefly as she passes me to go back to her guests, who I know will ask what happened, but she will brush it off like it was nothing. She is good at business, that one, and knows precisely how to act and what to say when an incident regarding disruption of her guests occurs.
Ten
Kalilah
“Now you decide to be quiet?” he questions as we walk out to the curb where his car is waiting. The valet holds the door open for me as I get in.
“I’m getting a job,” I say in surprise. How long have I been trying to find one, and all it took was one too many tequilas, getting knocked around, and a killer for hire.
I’m getting a job.
I don’t even care what it is.
And I just can’t stop smiling.
“How’s your back?” Kyson asks. I turn in my seat to face him. It hurts, but only a little. Happiness overshadows the pain.
“I’ll survive.”
“That seems to be your motto,” he grumbles.
“Thanks for defending my honor.” I smile, knowing full well it wasn’t for me but because he’s probably jealous.
“Shut up.”
“Oh yeah, that’s how all the ladies want to be spoken to,” I say with an eye roll.
“You ain’t no lady.”
I flip my hair over my shoulder. “I totally am.”
“You keep telling yourself that,” he mumbles.
I don’t bother arguing with him. What’s the point? I have a feeling Kyson usually wins. That or he isn’t used to people arguing with him. And to be honest, my back really does hurt, especially now that the alcohol is wearing off.
When we arrive back at Kyson’s house, I gasp in pain as I get out of the car, but I don’t tell him that. He doesn’t bother waiting for me as he walks ahead and into the house, but he does leave the door open. When I get to the stairs, I sit down on them.