The Accidental Assassin (35 page)

“Is that why you decided to work with Miss Thomasino?” The prick sat down on the arm of her chair like they were long lost friends. “She offered to show you the world?”

“I basically dangled it in front of her like a carrot,” Mavis laughed. “I couldn’t let someone like Ava slip through my fingers. She’s so efficient. Isn’t she, dear?” She looked over at me with a gentle smile and I tried not to sigh.

Looked like I’d landed the role of arm candy for this trip.

“Mmhmm.” I leaned the chair back and closed my eyes. “She’s got an eye for numbers.”

“How did you two meet?” I heard him shift but I didn’t dare open my eyes. Pretending indifference was the best I could offer at this point. It was that or the blade strapped to my left leg.

“I’m friends with the owners of Heartland Entertainment. I went with Penelope to see her plane and Ava assisted us with a few things.” I could hear the smile in Mavis’s voice. “I snapped her up. You can only be as profitable as your employees are diligent.”

“Well I’d be happy to show you both and your friend around. Not sure the boy is old enough to go everywhere and get the full experience, though.”

“That’s fine. Kenneth is my newest investment. Brilliant with numbers, horrible with people. He’ll be much happier staying in.”

I assumed the pilot had turned to look at Kenny. I could hear the boy’s fingers dancing across the keys of one of his newest toys.

“Right then, it’s settled.”

“Thank you, Patrick. I’m so excited. I used to dream about visiting Paris. Even took French classes in high school.” The wistfulness in her voice made me grimace. I could just imagine her big eyes shimmering like something out of an anime film.

I needed a stiff drink.

“What drew you to Paris? Why not Italy or Greece?” Mavis asked.

I cracked open an eye and watched as Ava shook her head and sighed.

“It just seems so romantic. I watched Les Misérables and became obsessed.”

“Well, it’s my pleasure to show you around.” Captain Dick-Head stood up. “And if you need a refresher on your French, let me know.”

I snapped my eye shut and imagined strangling him. Slowly.

Was I being reasonable? Hell no.

“Would you care for anything to drink, sir?” The flight attendant leaned down to ask in a quiet voice.

“Scotch.” I opened my eyes. “Thank you.”

Silence rang through the cabin by the time the plane had leveled out. Ava had taken a book out of her bag and was thoroughly engrossed in the contents. I bit my cheek to keep from laughing at the kilt-wearing hero on the cover. As if she could sense my amusement she looked up at me and wiggled her eyebrows before diving back into the story.

I flipped through the New York Times, The Telegraph, and a few Parisian papers. Eventually I pulled out an old deck of cards to busy my hands.

I let my mind wander as I shuffled and flipped cards. While it was important to stay loose and roll with whatever happened, it never hurt to have back up plans and open options. I’d make contact with some of the people I could trust. And by trust, I meant ‘not need to kill on sight.’

The door to the cockpit opened and Captain Dick-Head strolled out. He stopped at the coffee pot and refilled his mug. Leaning against the bulkhead he took a sip from his cup and watched us with a smug smile.

Ava looked over her shoulder, her eyes going round. “Shouldn’t you be flying the plane?”

“Auto-pilot. I’m mainly here for take-offs, landings, and emergencies.” He lifted his mug in salute. “Need to be able to use the bathroom from time to time.”

“And refill your caffeine tank.” She smiled at his cup.

“Would you like some?” He pulled another cup from the cabinet.

“That would be great.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned forward.

“So, you’re a card man.” He looked at me over the rim of his cup.

“I’ve been known to play a hand or two.” I looked over at him and forced a smile. “You want like cards?”

“Indeed. It’s a hobby of mine.” He took another sip.

“Care to play?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t steal the poor pilot’s money.” Mavis looked over at me with a sly smile. “I’m sure you can find someone to challenge in Paris.”

I shrugged. “Let the man decide.”

Captain Bellend looked irritated, but hid it behind a cool expression. “Now, I’m not exactly a novice. I’ve held my own before and walked out with more money than I had going in.”

“You know a table that would let me in?” I flipped the cards overs quickly before folding them back into the stack. “I’ve got the paper.”

“I might know a place.” His eyes studied me over the coffee cup. “I can make some calls.”

“Ugh. I don’t want to sit around in a dingy place filled with smoke while you take everyone’s money again.” Mavis leaned back and closed her eyes. “I’ll just stay in tonight and work. Ava, we’ll make calls to the Americans. We should get ahead while we can, I suppose.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ava closed the book in her lap and did a horribly perfect job of hiding her disappointment. “Excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room.”

“Ah, of course.” The pilot stood up and motioned toward the head.

“Thanks.” She skirted past him, keeping her face down, but letting her body brush his.

It was surprisingly well executed. A damsel in distress. Which was hilarious when you considered how she had cussed and hollered at me when she really was running for her life.

“I feel bad, going back on my promise to show you Paris.” The captain sat down in Ava’s seat.

“I’m well used to Owen’s need to gamble.” Mavis waved a hand. “We’re here for business anyway. I’ll give my assistant tickets for the holidays.”

“Still, I might know a good place to visit that would appeal to all of you.” His smile was back in place. “It’s a real big deal in town, but I have to warn you, it’s not exactly government sanctioned.”

“That sounds like it’s exactly up our alley,” I said.

LEANING AGAINST THE railing of the Juliet balcony, I sighed. The Eiffel Tower glowed in the dimming light and I couldn’t stop looking around in awe. I was finally in Paris. I hadn’t been lying on the plane. I’d dreamed of visiting France from the time I was twelve.

Jasmine wrapped around the wrought iron railing and I took a deep breath. Tonight was a trip into the lion’s den, but I’d be damned if I could help enjoying this brief moment.

“Gold straps or pearl heels?” Mavis walked into the room from the spacious adjoining bathroom. She held up two pairs of shoes.

I pursed my lips. “Gold straps.”

“They’re definitely more eye catching.” She tossed them on the bed and put the other shoes back in the closet. “And on the plus side, blood washes off these with no problem.”

“I guess that’s something to consider.” I hoped my face didn’t show how I really felt about that tidbit of information. Instead I held up the slinky dress Mavis had suggested for tonight. “Are you sure this is the right one?”

“Trust me. You could be packing a bazooka in that thing and Captain Horny would never notice. He’ll be too busy checking out your ass and cleavage.” Mavis finished strapping on her last shoe. “He’s really not that bad. I’ve had to deal with much worse. One guy stuck his tongue in my ear while his wife watched. I would have killed him for free.”

She squirmed and rubbed at her ears while I tried to not laugh. “So you’d already been contracted to kill him?”

“Yes. The bastard had cheated on and beat his wife. After years of trying to have a baby, she got pregnant. She finally saw the light and tried to leave him, but he wasn’t having any of it. He pushed her down the stairs and she lost the baby. It was ugly and she almost died. He forgave her.” Mavis snorted before standing up and brushing the wrinkles out of the gold cocktail dress she was wearing. “Someone gave her my contact information. I accepted.”

“What a fuck-head.” I shook my head.

“Yeah, so at least Captain Randy hasn’t done anything so heinous.”

“No, he’s just busy chasing skirts and running from venereal diseases.” I frowned. “He’s like a used car salesman trying to park something dirty in my garage.”

Mavis’s deep laugh filled the room before she managed to get a grip. It was followed by a snort. She wiped her fingers under her eyes, careful to not smudge her makeup once she finished laughing.

“I thought Owen was going to encourage him to go sky diving without a chute,” I mused. He hadn’t said much to me since we’d arrived at Mavis’s place. The original plan had been to lay low at his place, but it made more sense to look like big wigs. He’d left pretty quickly with some explanation of trying to find backup.

“Don’t worry, dear. He’s not used to feeling jealous. It got to him.” She stood in front of the mirror and refreshed her makeup. “You’ve got to think about the world he lives in. He does what he thinks appropriate, even when that means killing someone. Watching someone grope the person you love isn’t easy. It would hit him harder than most people. Honestly I was coming up with a plan on how I’d explain the blood stain on the interior when you hugged Captain Horny. I thought for sure he was going to break the pilot’s neck.”

“I know.” I’d have been chewing on one of the plastic and wood tables to keep from killing a woman that rubbed all over Owen. The fire glowing in Owen’s eyes had been intense.

“You’ve got just over an hour before your used car salesman shows up,” Mavis said. “Go get changed and primp. You’re a bit ruffled.”

“Why thank you, Mother. You know exactly how to warm my heart.” I fluttered my eyelashes at her before picking up the dress I was supposed to wear. The shoes were something I wouldn’t wear for a runway job, much less somewhere I might need to fight.

There was a smaller room next to Mavis’s that I had procured for my stay. I slipped out of the outfit I’d worn on the plane and changed into my new dress.

I pulled my hair up in a sophisticated ponytail, leaving my bangs to shield my eyes, and amped up my look for a night time date. Normally I didn’t wear this much makeup. It made me feel fake and I’d swear I could feel my pores getting clogged, but this was a special occasion. I needed Captain Horny to think he stood a chance. Wanted him to think I’d dressed up for him, not so I could sneak in a pistol tucked into a band around my waist nor the knives I’d strapped to my inner thighs and between my shoulder blades. I might not be able to do much with the deadly blades or new pistol, but I could at least act like a pack horse for Mavis and Owen.

Kenny had gone with Owen, which had made my heart bump a little harder. Despite his initial disregard for the teenager, he seemed to have really taken him under his wing. It was sweet. He was teaching him how to break bones, shake someone down for information, and stay out of sight. Yep, very assassin-sweet.

“How do I look?” I turned to look at Mavis. The dress felt more like lingerie than attire appropriate to walk the streets. Scratch that. It was appropriate when combined with street walking.

She turned to look at me, her critical eyes running over the ensemble. She twirled her finger in the air and I performed on cue. The shoes were much more comfortable after breaking them in over the last two days. I’d even gotten used to the extra height.

“Perfect.” Mavis nodded her head. “Seriously sexy with a touch of innocence. Which seems to be the captain’s weakness.”

The sound of someone moving downstairs announced the arrival of Owen and Kenny. I could hear the two different sound of footsteps as they moved around. Suddenly the reality of what we were attempting that night hit me like a ton a bricks. We were going to sneak into an underground casino in an attempt to catch a woman that had put a hit out on my best friend, but had mistakenly targeted me instead.

My gut clenched and I knew we weren’t going to make it out unscathed. We might die. If Mavis died tonight, she would be leaving behind a nephew that needed her. If Owen died tonight…I couldn’t even think of it.

Tears filled my eyes and I turned my attention to the ceiling. How fitting would it be that I finally came to Paris just to die?

“We’re going to be okay.” Mavis touched my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked down into her concerned face. “You have to focus on one step at a time. Don’t try to anticipate the outcome. Just know we’ll all be fine and we’re going to get what we needed.”