Page 38 of Targeted By Vengeance

“No, actually,” I admitted. “Before, I was so wrapped up in my career that I wasn’t even really thinking about getting married. I was starting to come to terms with the fact I might be single for the rest of my life.”

“Then Mateo came in and messed all that up, didn’t he?”

It was my turn to shrug. “The thought hasn’t been lost if we’re being honest.” I avoided her gaze as she tilted her head. “Things have been a little rocky.”

“What did he do? I’ll break his face.”

I started to laugh, but the dark glint flickering in her eye let me know she wasn’t kidding. “We had a fight, and it was my fault we had it in the first place, but he said some things that really bothered me and we…we haven’t really talked since.”

“What did he say?”

“Basically that he told me so about venturing onto the other side of the law. He gave me a chance to prove myself, and I blew it. Apparently, he knew I was going to fail all along; he just needed me to realize it too.”

“First of all: fuck him. Second of all: it’s alright to mess up. One mistake doesn’t make you a failure. It forces you to learn, so you can be better next time. Do you know what you would do differently if you had another shot?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, that’s all that matters. He doesn’t get to write you off after one incident. You’re still learning how to transfer your skills; that takes time. And going from one side of the law to the other is a huge adjustment. You need to give yourself grace, too. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

“Easier said than done,” I murmured.

She frowned. “I know.” She reached over the table to lay her hand over mine. “But you need to work on it. And you’ve gotta stop letting people underestimate you. You were a whole FBI agent who went head-to-head with one of the most dangerous hitmen in the country and survived. That’s one badass woman if you ask me.”

I smiled. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Look, if any motherfucker tries you, remind them who they’re dealing with - no matter who they are. Do you understand me?”

I nodded. Her kind words, coated with sincerity, flicked sparks against the fire in the pit of my stomach, awakening the drive I’d almost let die. “How do I go about getting another shot? Mateo’s not going to let me touch another one of his formal assignments.”

“Create your own assignments,” she suggested. “Ones him and his handler can’t touch.”

My brows pinched together. “What do you mean?”

“Your reasons for doing this are personal, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Then start making a list of those who wronged you, and start crossing names off one-by-one.”

THE ASSASSIN

How many times was I going to buy this woman flowers before she threw them back in my face? Three? Four?

I was only on my second strike, and that already felt like too much. This relationship I was building with Simone wasn’t something I could screw up. The past few days of us not talking has been driving me crazy. But, I knew she needed the space and time to breathe after our last blowout.

Shit, so did I.

Now that we’d both cooled down, I figured it was time we could have a conversation, try to mend whatever we might’ve broken.

My stomach tightened as I walked into the apartment, remembering what I’d found the last time we had an argument.

The brightness of the lamps in the living room quickly eased my worries. Glancing around the living room, I noticed Simone sitting cross-legged on the couch. Her short curls were damp and slicked back. Her body was swimming in one of my sweatshirts. Notebooks were scattered across the coffee table beside her, and one of our computers sat in her lap.

She looked up from the screen as the door clicked behind me. “Hey,” she said, her voice still tinted with sadness.

“Hey,” I replied. I held up the flowers in my hands. “I picked these up for you.”

Her eyes lingered on the flowers, but no smile tugged at her lips. “Thanks. You can just put ‘em in the kitchen.”