Born in Blood

Eighteen

I followed the heavenly smell of Mrs. Lada's cooking down the steps and to her dark kitchen. An old wood table with scraps all over it had two bowls of murky soup inside. Mrs. Lada smiled when she saw me standing in the doorway.

"Kat, you look great in that dress, I just knew you would. Come have a seat and eat before your food gets cold."

I ran my finger through my wet dark hair to get it out of my eyes. I sipped on the soup and it left a warm trial down my throat.

"It is amazing. Thank you Mrs. Lada."

"Kat, you have marks all over your neck!" She ran over and rubbed her thumb over the marks Shade left on my skin. "That boy. Always reckless." She shrugged and sat beside me.

I looked around her home. It was old and worn in many places, but there was a comforting feeling about the whole place. One the wall I could see a single photo. It was of a little boy, about three years old. He was sitting on a pubble covered in dirt but smiling.

"Who's that?" I pointed to the photo.

"Shay. My little baby. I took that two years before Leon took him from me."

"So your Shade's mother?"

"Not biologically, I found him. He was one years old. Left right outside of a warehouse. Blood was all over him, he was physically fine. I could hear screaming coming from the warehouse. So I picked him up and brought him back to my house. Years later, a man came. Told me his name was Leon Cassio and he was here for his property. Then he barged in and took Shade from me." Mrs. Lada was crying now. "I haven't seen him in almost two decades, until now."

"Shade was found in a warehouse?"

"Yes. Word on the street is that the warehouse I found him outside of his where the mafia meet up at. I just happened to be walking back from the store and I heard Shay crying."

"Where is this wearhouse?"

"Down about a few blocks. Kat how did you meet Shay?"

"Mr. Cassio took me in too." It was odd to call him but name and not Boss. That would have earned me lashes if he knew.

"From your parents?"

"Well, my parents worked for him and when they died, he brought me in. I met Shay at school." All of that is true, I was just leaving out the part where Shade and I hate each other and we are assassins to Boss's mafia. We did got to school together, just we learned the easiest ways to kill people instead of calculus.

"I am sorry for your loss." Mrs. Lada place her hand over mine and studied my face.

"You have a lot scars Kat."

"I'm just clumsy."

"Kat, what does Leon have you do?"

"Uh-"

"Smells great Mamushka." Shade interrupted. He was still shirtless with water droplets that ran down his firm chest. His black sweatpants hung low on his hips, which should a sharp V line.

Shade had a smiled on his face and sat in front of another bowl of soup.

"Shade, Mrs. Lada was telling me about a warehouse that she found you outside of."

"Can you remind me of the story Ma?"

I stopped listening as Mrs. Lada retold the story. I finished my soup and felt all warm inside. My eyelids started to droop as my tiredness caught up with me. Shade was at my side and I found myself resting my head on his shoulder. I allowed my eyes to close as the subtle movement of his breathing put me to sleep.

I was in and out of slumber when I felt arms wrap around me as they lifted me into the air. I knew it was Shade that had picked me up, but I was too exhausted to argue with him.

A soft mattress pressed against my body and a blanket resting on the other half. The small bed dipped next to me as Shade slid in behind me. He traced his fingers along my cheek and whispered something before I fell into deep sleep.

***

I woke up in a similar situation. Arms were wrapped around me and I could someone's heartbeat pressed against my back. I leaned up as Shade's arms dropped from my body. He looked so peaceful like this. His hair rested on his forehead in a perfect curl.

I lightly swiped my finger across it to move it. He shuffled a little but remain asleep. I looked down to see that our legs were tangled and I was only wearing his black shirt.

"You know, I don't have the urge to rip out your throat right now. That's a new feeling to me." I whispered to myself.

Shade shifted my below my arm that rested on his bare chest. His arms reached out to wrap around me and bring me into his chest. My body stiffened at our close proximity. I took a deep breathe and allowed myself to melt in his embrace. He smelled like woods after a rainshower. I didn't realize how comforting I found him until I fell back to sleep.

I was always fully out when a loud bang woke me up. Shade and I both shot up in the bed and looked towards to the door to see Mrs. Lada with a smile on her face. She held a wooden spoon in one hand and was covered in flour. Shade's arms were still wrapped around me as I sat on his lap.

"Are you two giving me grandchildren yet?" Mrs. Lada nagged.

"No." Shade said firmly while shoving me away from him.

"Well come down stairs I am making some breakfast breads for you to eat before you leave."

Shade and I rolled out of bed and got dress. Shade wore dark grey jeans that matched perfectly with his eyes and a black shirt. I put back on the black dress from yesterday. I ran my fingers through my hair and flipped it back out of my eyes. I looked in the mirror before going downstairs. I saw my green eyes piercing back at me and a wave of guilt followed.

I wasn't going to cry. I never cried. The way I saw it, crying was for the weak and pathetic. Instead my shoulders dropped and a frown made its way to my face. Shade stopped in the doorway of his room and looked over his shoulder to me.

"Coming Kenny?"

"I'm right behind you."

I tore my eyes away and grabbed my bag from the ground. I strapped my knives to my thigh, put some in my boots and strapped my gun to my back under a coat. I followed Shade down the steep staircase to see him hugging Mrs. Lada in the doorway.

"Come on Kat, we have to get going." Shade held his hand out to me.

I walked over to Mrs. Lada and gave her a hug before I left with Shade.

Once we were outside Shade dropped my hand and took a step away from me.

"The warehouse is this way." I said ignoring his movement.

"Is your plan to go in there are kill everyone?"

"Not the plan, but might happen. We are just going to see if the Russians still use it as a nest and then we will plan our infiltration."

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