The Accidental Assassin
Page 91

Murder my new friend.
Murder the man that I love.
Shatter my entire world.
When the first shot echoed down the corridor, every muscle in my body went still. Someone I cared for was dead. More shots followed and Maria never stopped moving. She didn’t care who she fucked over, as long as it benefited her.
My sudden lack of movement seemed to startle Vitz. His hold on me loosened and he turned to look behind us and muttered something that sounded like a prayer.
Maria’s high heels met cement with a sharp click, her bun bouncing jauntily as she walked.
I wouldn’t be the last person whose life would be ruined by her.
She was evil.
And I was faster than most people expected.
“Maria.”
She slowed and turned in my direction, but her assistant never stopped. Reaching behind me, I pulled one of the small pistols from the holster hidden in my dress. It took seconds, maybe less.
Sometimes bad people just needed to die.
When I pulled the trigger I felt no remorse. In fact, I felt hollow. Empty. I watched as her head flew backwards, blood spraying the wall beside the assistant, who never slowed.
And that was how my body count doubled.
“BLOODY HELL.” I held a bunch of fabric from Mavis’s dress to my shoulder. Danny shifted me on his shoulder and I winced. I stared down at Captain Horny’s blank eyes and was surprised I didn’t feel satisfied. He didn’t really matter. The only thing that mattered was finding Ava.
“You were supposed to move left.” Mavis glared at me.
“Right. It’s always right. Why the hell would we move left? We’re right handed!” I tried to bat her away, but it was ineffective. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get to Ava.”
“Then stop getting shot!” Mavis threw her hands in the air before kneeling to pick up one of her discarded knives. “Every time I turn around, you’re running into bullets! Do you have aspirations of becoming Swiss cheese?”
“Mavis, we have to find Ava.” I took a deep breath and tried to make sense of the spinning room. “I don’t trust Maria. She’s not safe.”
“I’ll go. This is my fault.” Danny moved to sit me down on the desk.
“No need.” A deep voice with a Russian accent filled the room.
I tried to stand, ready for an attack, but the room spun. Staggering backward, I sat on the desk. I needed to find Ava and get out of there. I was in no shape to fight.
“Oh, God.” Small, cold hands touched my face and I looked up at an angel. “Owen? Can you hear me?”
“’Course I can. Wasn’t shot in my ears.” I watched as Ava looked down at the bloody mess of my shoulder.
“What did he say?” The Russian bouncer leaned over me and I slammed my fist into his jaw.
“Owen, he’s on our side. Stop. Be still.” Her hands were back on my face, and tear tracks ran down her cheeks. My gut froze.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” She shook her head. “I thought you were dead.”
“Nope.”
“The bullet is still in there. I’ve got to get it out and patch him up before he bleeds out.” Mavis moved into my sight line. “Don’t do anything else stupid.”
“Ava?” I looked back at her. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m not hurt.” Her smile was blinding. “But if you ever pull that shit on me again I swear to every god there is, that I will be the one to put a bullet in you. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to hers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, you giant idiot.”
“Not to break up the reunion, but where is Maria?” Danny asked. He was peering out of the office door.
“Dead,” Vitz rumbled.
Ava stiffened and I looked over to where the burly Russian was standing.
“You killed her?” Mavis cocked her head to the side as she wiped her knife off on her dress. Her even tone was much scarier than when she raised her voice at Kenny. “I needed her. She has something of mine.”
“No.” He shook his head and looked at Ava.
He was looking at my sweet, angelic Ava.
The Ava that punched people for kissing the guy she liked.
My Ava that would kill to protect those she loved.
Mavis cursed under her breath, but didn’t say anything to Ava. Danny was looking at Ava in surprise and Vitz had his arms crossed as if everything was completely normal.
Red filled Ava’s cheeks and she frowned before a fierce look filled her eyes.
“I thought she had killed you,” she whispered.
She had killed for me. This beautiful, brilliant, kind woman had killed for me.
“I love you.” I didn’t know what else to say. I’m not sure there was anything to say for that. It wasn’t like the card companies made cards for occasions where your lover kills a villain.
“Of course you do.” Her bright smile did wonders for the pain I was feeling.
“Ava killed Maria.” Mavis shook her head, a smile forming on her face. She looked a bit like a proud mother. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“She killed a Maria.” Vitz grunted. “It was a good shot, though.”
“I got lucky.” Ava’s blush deepened.
“What do you mean a Maria?” Mavis demanded.
“It’s an organization.” Vitz rubbed at his jaw where I’d hit him. That’s right. Even with a bullet in me, I packed a punch. “I’ve spent the last five years infiltrating these damn businesses, trying to find out how it was managed. Every branch is controlled by a woman named Maria. The CIA has been trying to unravel the threads for years.”