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“Did you think I was broke?” There was humor in his voice.
Returning the phone to him, I shook my head. “No, I knew you had money. Or at least, I figured you did. After all, you gave me a whole building in the financial district, but still, wow!”
“What’s mine is yours. You’re a multimillionaire, too, baby.”
“I am…I gotta think of something I wanna buy. Hmmm, maybe a jet?”
He shrugged. “If that’s what you want, you can have it.”
I smiled. “So…are you going back to work?”
His eyes met mine. “Will it bother you if I do?”
“I don’t know. Is it dangerous? I’d imagine it is, but…”
“It can be. I’m always as safe as I can be. I research my targets thoroughly, to the point of obsession, really. I know if they have weapons, their security in home and out of the home. I flat out refuse to deal with apocalyptic preppers. Nothing is certain, though.”
I nodded, turning my head to look out the patio doors at the backyard. It looked so peaceful unlike the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind.
“You’re worried about me?” he asked.
“I’m…I’m afraid to lose you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re my shield, my protector. I need you.”
“I need you, too. Do you want me to quit? Say it, and I will.”
I offered him a weak smile. “You want me to tell you to stop?”
He didn’t return my smile, his gaze on me serious and intense. “Yes.”
“Do you want to stop, Ray?”
That’s when he dropped his regard to the table. “My handler contacted me.”
“Handler? You never mentioned a handler.”
“I know. I have one, though. I know him as 76K1. He’s just a voice on a phone, but he’s an important part of The Agency. All handlers are. Anyway, he has a job for me.”
“I thought you said you received the-the victim’s information via the dark web or something.”
“I do…unless it’s a high-risk target like the leader of a country or a politician, a celebrity, or a religious leader.”
“You’ve killed religious leaders?!” I screeched.
“Nah, I don’t need that karma. I always refuse those. Anyway, the handler calls you in those instances to relay pertinent info and to be sure you understand it all. This target is a big Hollywood executive known for doing some really shady shit. My take would be ten million. When you see numbers like that, it’s hard to say no.”
“But you want to say no?”
He nodded, looking up at me again. The look on his face was so foreign to what he usually portrayed. He appeared torn and deeply repentant. Controlling, cunning Ray had left the chat.
“Then say no. We definitely don’t need the money.”
“Yeah,” he softly said. “Yeah.”
“Can I talk to my sister alone? Damn! What you think I’m gonna do? Steal her from you?” Memphis asked Ray as we all three made our way to what was to be the baby’s nursery.
“Actually, yes,” Ray replied.
“And you think I’d let her?” I directed to him.
