I get up and make my way over to him, tousling his free flowing curls. "I owe you a thank you.” I bend down to hug him and giggle as he waggles his eyebrows at Cash, taunting him.
“Hey,” Cash growls, “that’s long enough.”
I chuckle and make my way back over to Cash to sit on his lap. “Don’t worry; my heart is safe with you. Remember, I can’t bond.”
“Bullshit, you’re bonded with me.”
“Well, I can’t bond with anyone else then.”
“Good girl,” he croons and hugs me to him as he and Hunter discuss the upcoming job.
“Well, Cash, it will have to be you going into the car lot to buy the car because my surfer boy good looks aren’t going to give off the smell of money like your blueblood does,” Hunter says.
“I know I can’t go. He knows what I look like.” I think out loud.
“Oh no, my dear, you are going in with me. You’ll just have to go in disguise. I’m going to put you in the position to savor this kill. You’re going to be able to see the confusion in his face when he asks if he knows you. You’re going to enjoy the pretense of making him think his eyes have deceived him and then you’re going to enjoy the ultimate deception of ripping that wig off right before you shoot him between his eyes. This job is going to be as much about the psychological as it is about the kill. I do love a good mind-fuck.”
“Damn, you are ruthless.”
“You, of all people, should know just how ruthless I am when it comes to you, love.”
“I’m flattered,” I murmur as I nuzzle in his neck. “You smell so fucking good.”
“Get a room, guys,” Hunter states.
“Nope, right now it’s time to get dressed and go meet a man about getting a car,” Cash answers. I can tell he is in work mode and Steven Taggart is the mark in his mind. Under normal circumstances, I might feel sorry for a man about to suffer Cash’s revenge, but not this time. This time, it’s about my revenge too.
I finish up the last touches on my make-up and the woman looking back at me in the mirror’s reflection isn’t me. It is my sister, Rhonda. I have purposely made myself look like her but even I am shocked at the final outcome and how close the resemblance is. Steven Taggart is going to be in for the master of all mind-fucks when he finds himself questioning whether the woman he had murdered has risen from the dead.
Cash struck a chord of mischievousness in me when he said this job is just as much about the psychological as it is the actual kill. I want to make my sister’s murderer suffer. I want to make that bastard feel like he’s going crazy and I want to watch as he starts to doubt everything he has come to know as truth about my sister’s death.
He took a piece of my soul the day he killed the only person in the world I was ever close to. I know that nothing I do will bring her back, but I can and will avenge her death. Her whole life was spent suffering a series of horrible events at the mercy of ruthless men. It started with the pedophile who robbed her of her innocence, and ended with her murderer who robbed her of her last breath. Rhonda was subjected to the cruelty of fate’s sadistic pranks time and time again. She was out of control but I’m going to make it up to her by getting it back. I am taking back the control she was never afforded in her short life on this earth.
I have no doubt that when the time comes, I will be able to look Steven Taggart right in the eye as I pull the trigger. I will watch his horrified look when he realizes who I am. He showed Rhonda no mercy and I will show him none in return. I have to do this. I know, in my heart of hearts, that if I don’t, I will never be able to move on with my life. Now is the perfect time. I have a partner who has the resources to help me. We will exact revenge and, with his help, we won’t get caught.
“Damn girl, you look good.”
I look up to see Cash standing in the doorway and licking his lips.
“Well, maybe I’ll be generous later and let you fuck a stranger.” I’m being sassy and assuming that’s what every man wants. It had most certainly been the mindset of the men I was associated with in the past. Though, I guess they weren’t the best examples in my life.
“I don’t want to fuck a stranger. I don’t want to fuck you in a wig and even give you the impression that I want another woman.”
I reach out to touch his cheek. He looks so sincere that it pulls at my heartstrings. There is no doubt about it; Cash is a good man.
“Are you ready to go see the look on a man’s face when he sees a ghost?” I ask.
“I’m ready and so looking forward to it.”