The Innocent Target

Chapter Twenty-Three

He came out by nine after setting up for the next day, and smelled fresh red meat. It smelled like steaks or something. When he came to the kitchen, she was in her joggers and t-shirt, cooking up something that was sizzling on the pan. Beside her, on a cutting board was set a couple of burger buns and plate with lettuce and tomato with something that looked like cut up pickles.

"Hey." She jumped at his presense, "You can get a beer from the fridge if you want some." He went to the fridge and pulled himself one. Noticing she didn't have a bottle beside her, he uncapped one and put it by her on the countertop, "Thank you. I'm making red meat burgers. Oh, I've wanted these for ages. Went to a local store nearby and grabbed ourselves a few edibles. All you had were wines and whiskeys and some salad supplies." She shrugged.

"You could've asked the concierge." He gulped his drink.

"I dont know anybody here. Thought I'd get the job done myself. Don't worry, I wore a wig and kept myself natural so no one would notice."

He nodded.

"Anyway, I figured a way to meet up with Ramiel." She sniffed.

"The party day after tomorrow." He informed. She nodded with a grin.

"Even got myself an invite."

This time, he pulled the beer away and questioned silently.

"Hey, I stayed with Noah for a week. He taught me everything he knew, like you did what you are good at."

He shook his head.

"Im going as Lavitah Mendoza. Hispanic by background, ancestors only, but lived in America." She started stacking the burgers, "Alright with pickles?" He nodded, "I own a business of lingerie and I do have a specific interest in the occasional excitement." She grinned slightly.

"You told him all this?"

"Oh, no. He will know when he meets me. I'm just describing who I am. Since we saw stacks, I figured, why not show my interest." She shrugged.

"You're playing at a dangerous territory." He informed.

"I know." She nodded with a pursed smile, "But I've got you, right?"

"I told you, I can have your back but not..."

"All the time. I know Vincent, dont worry. I'll be armed this time. Better." She set the burgers on plates and pushed past him to the fridge and pulled out a small bowl. Pouring out fresh salt beside each, she served it to him, "Bon appetit." She smiled. He was staring at her, "I told you I'm doing this. With or without you." She bit her lip and sat on a bar stool with her plate.

"You'll need a dress."

"I've got one." She nodded.

"Where?"

"Oh, he'll love it. Who did you ask to get these clothes?"

"Noah asked Grace."

"Uh-huh." She bit into her burger and moaned. There was a bit of sauce on the corner of her lips and he watched her, take it on my finger and lick it clean, "Well, she got this gorgeous, a bit sultry but the elegant kind, dress. I think it will do the trick." She winked.

He thought for a bit. He'd asked Grace to get all elegant party wear. He hoped it wouldn't be too revealing. Ramiel was a dirty man, sure it would work on him but he'd want her more aggressively. He set the thoughts aside and wished that she'd be fine with this involvement and not be scarred. Either way, Ramiel would be a dead man soon.

***

He waited in the lounge for her to come out. The party was in two hours and the drive was an hour away. He offered to drive her but she refused. He still made a way for that to happen and he wasn't going to let her argue her way out of that deal. Checking his watch, he tapped his shoe against the marble and bit the inside of his cheek. Worry was eating at him, even though he was trying his level best to ignore that thought. After Noah, losing Odette was another nightmare. He was starting to realize that the only reason he felt stable was because he had Odette. Her idiocy, ability to laugh through pain and through all those nightmares, pretending to be the way he would've liked a partner of his to be, he was appreciative of her presence. It wasn't that he would've scattered had she remained gone but he would've been left alone. And he wasn't used to working that way just yet. He was going to grab a few of Noah's tricks from Odette and get himself accustomed to working alone because after Morris was down, he was letting her go. She could go back to being Odette Elliot, except this time, she would've never met two men who kidnapped her and taken her across lands she didn't expect to cross.