Roman
"I got fired." I said into the phone, dragging a hand over my hair in frustration.
Why the hell had I kissed him? I'd never screwed up a mission so royally in my entire time as an assassin. But then again, there had been nothing normal about all of this from the very beginning.
From the moment I had gotten my first glance at Nero, I should have walked away. It wasn't even about his good looks, it was the air of authority around him, the danger that clothed him as perfectly as his tailored suits. Being close to him made me feel drunk and crazy.
"I guess the mission is over." I added.
"It's far from over." My employer's voice replied from over the line.
"What?"
"With the information you've already given us, and the passkeys you managed to steal, we've already hacked into his systems undetected." He chuckled. "That was brilliant. It's a shame you weren't able to get rid of Ferrara yesterday night, but all hope isn't lost."
My mind flashed back to my attack on Nero from earlier. Getting into his bedroom had required a lot of work, but I hadn't expected him to wake up or be strong enough to take me down in a fight.
"We discovered that Ferrara is sailing out on his luxury boat with his mistress tonight." My employer continued, causing my jaw to grind together in irritation. "I already have men who've infiltrated and disguised as the ship staff. It will be the perfect time to get rid of him. His guard will be down, and he won't be able to call for back up in the middle of the ocean."
"I see."
"Your full payment should be in your bank by now, mr. Hunt. It was a pleasure doing business with you." The line went dead.
I had taken the job because of the large pay out and now as my phone flashed with the eight figure deposit, all I felt was terror. I didn't know who my employer was, since most times I was hired anonymously, but I had a feeling Nero knew, or at least suspected who was behind the attacks.
I could take my money and forget about Nero Ferrara. But my mind refused to forget about the feel of his body against mine. The thought of him dying on his boat made me want to break something.
Damn it.
I grabbed my gun and my helmet and rushed out of the motel I had been staying in. Climbing on my bike, I revved up the engine and sped out, hoping that the boat hadn't left the shore.
By the time I got to the docks, it was too late.
Relentless, I jumped onto one of the speed boats, ignoring the furious scream of the boat keeper. I turned on the machine and went after Nero's boat. I was a few feet away when I heard the sound of gunshot. He had better not be dead.
I jumped out of the speed boat and swam up to the swim platform, holding my gun above my head. As soon as I was on the ship, I raced up to the higher level, in search of Nero. The sound of another gunshot had me running.
I shot down anybody with a gun that I ran into, terror gripping me the longer I went without finding Nero.
Eventually, I heard the sound of a pained grunt coming from a lower level. That was when I finally saw him. One side of his face was sporting a cut, but otherwise, he looked completely fine.
As he disarmed one of the men, another one came up behind him. I wasted no time in shooting the bastard. Nero spun around, eyes narrowing in my direction.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, advancing on me.
"Saving your life, Mr. Ferrara."
Suddenly, he aimed at me and fired. I flinched before I realised that he had shot at someone behind me. "Let's go."
Together, we raced to the top level, disarming any armed men we ran into. As I made to fire at one of them, another one rushed up to me and knocked my gun out of my hand, then smashed his fist into my stomach. I bit through the pain, throwing my own fist into his solar plexus in two consecutive hits.
The man made a choking sound, and I kicked my boot into his chest, sending him flying over the edge of the deck.
"Who else is on the boat?" I spat out the words.
Another man rushed toward me, and I immediately grabbed him and tossed him over the side of the ship, enjoying his terrified scream as he broke the surface of the water.
"Why does that matter?" Nero hissed.
"I would have expected that your lover would be somewhere around here." I taunted. Maybe if I found her and shot her without Nero's knowledge, he could blame it on the attack.
I didn't like her, or her sugary voice or the way she looked at him. Most of all, I hated that he let her touch him. As soon as I took down the last guy, I turned to look at Nero, noticing the blood running down his arm.
"We need to get that looked at."
He glanced down at the cut. "I'm fine."
"You're bleeding."
"I said I'm fine."
"It's going to get infected and then you'll lose your arm because your stubborn."
His eyes narrowed at me and I swallowed nervously at the danger in his gaze. It suddenly struck me that I was out here alone with Nero Ferrara, one of the most dangerous men in the world. A man that was feared by even his own don.
He peeled away from the railing and prowled over to me, cocking his gun. I stayed rooted in place as he stepped up close.
"I told you to disappear, that I should never come face to face with you again."
I swallowed again. "You did."
"And yet here you are." He said, breath fanning over my mouth and making me shiver. "I told you I'd kill you." He pressed his gun under my jaw. "And I meant it."
"Then do it. Kill me, boss."
"I fired you." He whispered, heat swirling in his gaze. "I'm not your boss anymore."
"You're not safe. You need me." I croaked.
His eyes flared. "Do I?"
"Yes, you_" and then his mouth was on mine, robbing me of breath and all logical thought.