Hitwoman

Chapter 15: the Funeral

(Leilani)

It was time to say goodbye to her father. Leilani looked down at the vase of ashes. Reduced to dust. How sad. She brought her gloved hand to her heart and made a sad little sound. She looked up through her veil to see the crowd. All wondering what they would get.

A hand rested on Leilani's back. It was Aramis. He looked in terrible shape, "Are you okay?" He asked. His caring almost made Leilani sad. He was an idiot.

"I'm the only one who should be remotely sad out of the three of us, yet you look like you've been hit by a bus," she remarked. The sun peaked through the high windows of the church. They had picked a church so no one would pick a fight.

Aramis looked at her sideways, "Besides being tortured and shot recently, I'm also mourning my father."

"Well stop. He was a horrible father to you and Cairo. Cyprus Havenash didn't want sons, he wanted successors. And he tolerated me because I reminded him of mother." Before Aramis could say more, Leilani was walking away. The room was stifling. It's sad music and sad people were disgusting. She marched through a hallway and finally found a doorway outside. Leilani threw her veil back.

Nolan was there. "You look like you need this." He handed her a cigar and then lighted it.

Leilani took a puff and breathed out. The smoke curled in the early morning cold air, "Did you like my father?"

"Not at all," Nolan said frankly. "I hated how Cairo let himself be manipulated by his father."

Leilani smiled, "He was the biggest manipulator I knew. No matter what the issue was, it wasn't his fault." She paused again. "I came here for my father's funeral and to oversee his will, but now that I'm here...." She drifted off. Nolan waited patiently.

"I know you are all lying to me," she announced. "You, Cairo, June, the little assassin. Things aren't adding up. Hell, you're probably lying to Aramis. He wouldn't be able to hide it on his face if he knew something."

Nolan was silent. It wasn't like Leilani was going to get anything out of him. He had a stone face.

The door swung open to the assassin. Eden saw the both of them and cleared her throat, "They are all meeting now."

"Did Cairo send you?" Leilani asked. Eden smoothed her sleeve and nodded. "You are a proper assistant. Watch out Nolan." She moved past both of them and into the hall. Leilani didn't bother with the veil. It was stifling anyways.

In a separate room, a crowd had begun to form. Cairo, Aramis, a few cousins, and an uncle. Leilani moved herself to sit between her brothers. She looked over at Cairo, "Where is your fiancé?"

"There isn't really anything here for her. I believe she's trying to keep away the other nosy distant relatives," he answered. His eyes never left the file on the oak desk in front of them.

An old man entered the room and opened it. Leilani found it hard to concentrate on his boringly full voice as he read over certain legal manners. She tapped her foot on the floor, gaze moving about the room.

Their uncle, a man who had never had the balls to stand up to their father had always been grateful to carry around the Havenash name and bully other business men. He'd never taken a wife but he did have two twin girls and three boys. Only 3 of them were past 16.

She was most surprised to see the guard at the door. Eden. Had that been Cairo or Aramis choice?

"The late Cyprus Havenash bequeathed the Bloody Hands dynasty to his three heirs, Cairo, Leilani, and Aramis Havenash," the old man spoke. Cairo tensed. She was taken by surprise too. They had assumed that their father would give it all to Cairo. Leilani looked over to her younger brother, but Aramis was very calm.

The old man continued, "As for the matters of property, the Northern Westix estate belongs to Aramis. The Crimson Building is under Cairo. The Ruby Casino is fully given to Leilani." She smiled. So she had gotten what she came for and apparently more.

The rest was of lesser importance. The splitting of money equally. A few assets to the uncle and cousins to appease them. The matter of cars, sheds, and other places their father used to hide things. Right when everything seemed concluded, another property was mentioned. "One acre on Galiot is under Aramis Havenash."

Everyone froze. Galiot? Their mother's city. "How did our father own any land in Galiot?" Cairo asked.

"He had it under Aramis' name," the old man answered.

Aramis leaned over in his seat to catch his brother's eye, "Then that must be why they are coming after me and not you!" It seemed perfect. But Cairo only nodded. He sucked in his bottom lip slightly and Leilani knew something was off. She looked back at Eden. The assassin had her hands clasped together and she was suppressing what had to be utter confusion. But why was she confused.

"Before you leave," Aramis stood up. "I'd like to do something." The old man paused. Leilani moved to the edge of her seat. "I'm handing over my third of the Bloody Hands Dynasty to my brother, Cairo." The little amount of people in the room gasped.

Leilani had not expected that. She wanted to smack her brother and force him to sit down. Aramis walked over to his brother, "I might be an adult, but I'll never stop needing your protection." There was guilt laced in his words. "You are the leader and I want to see you succeed."

The door opened and Leilani turned to see Eden slip out. No one else seemed to notice. Cairo stood up to embrace Aramis. Leilani rolled her eyes. It would be awkward if they expected her to do the same. She knew how much she was worth and she wasn't going to throw that away.