Moriarty's Musician

Purging the Demons, Part 7

Nicholas leaned into the car and brushed his lips back and forth over Annabelle's lips. Finally lifting his head, he stared down at her face. She was beautiful and his heart raced against his chest. He traced his fingers over the contours of her face and marveled at how soft her skin was against his hand. How long had he waited to touch her like this?

Nicholas bent down to lift Annabelle out of the car, but stopped. Picking up her hand, he turned her wrist, and scowled at the ugly, raw marks marring her skin.

He turned and leveled his furious gaze on Soo-Long. "What the hell is this? I told you she was to be unharmed."

Soo-Ling shrugged as she leaned against the car. "She's a wild thing, I had to use the handcuffs. She was fighting me the whole way. How else was I supposed to get her here?"

Nicholas's mouth twisted. "This is coming out of your payment."

Soo-Ling's straightened. "Like hell, it will! Do you have any idea what I've gone through to get this bitch to you?"

Nicholas's nostrils flared, but he remained silent.

Soo-Ling rolled her eyes as she marched to the car, opened the backseat door and pulled out the big, black bag. Unzipping it, she withdrew the Stradivarius violin and held it out to him. "I'll throw this violin in too. Apparently, she's pretty good at it and it's worth a lot."

Nicholas's expression quickly changed as his eyes glittered, knowing full well the value of the instrument and Annabelle's rumored abilities. "Deal. Go put it in my truck—carefully."

He leaned back down, sliding one arm under Annabelle's knees and the other around her waist, and lifted her sleeping body out of the vehicle, her handbag still sitting in her lap.

As her head rested against his shoulder, he ran his lips over her forehead. Carrying her to his truck, he gently lowered her into the backseat, smiling down at his sleeping beauty as he gently smoothed her hair off her neck. At long last, she was his.

He shut the car door and turned to Soo-Ling. "So how are you going to finish the job?"

Soo-Ling smiled and held up Annabelle's phone, waving it at him. "I guarantee he will be on his way with Sebastian by now. I didn't realize your little trinket brought Moriarty's favorite mode of tracking, but it works out well. I'll be waiting here when he shows up."

Nicholas smiled. "Good. When you give me proof he's dead, I'll wire the payment to your offshore account. Don't screw it up." He got into the driver's seat of his truck and set off with his prize.

Soo-Ling rested her hand on her hip, pursing her lips as she watched the truck leave. How could she squash Moriarty like the bug that he was?

She giggled as she grabbed her rifle and slung it over her shoulder, nimbly scaling the ruins, and finding the ideal vantage point near the top of one of the stone walls. It wouldn't be long before she was lounging on a white sandy beach, sipping Pina Coladas. But for now, the wait.

She flipped her long black ponytail over her shoulder and loaded her rifle. Knowing James Moriarty, she wouldn't have to wait long.

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