Chapter Six

Chapter Six
Zen’s POV
I leaned back on the bench, staring at the phone in my hand. It was opened to notes, her address typed out on the screen. I ran my thumb up and down the side of the cool metal, tracing the buttons while clicking my tongue in my mouth. I was fully prepared for the longest ten minutes of my life when I saw the screen light up with a phone call. I got up, annoyed by the interruption.
“What the fuck are you calling for? I’m on a mission.” I complained, feeling my knuckles clench instinctively. I was having a difficult time controlling my frustration, which I could only chalk up to the roller coaster I just went on with Elizabeth.
“I just got word that she headed back home without you? Did it fail?” Dan’s voice was pissing me off. Probably because I couldn’t stop thinking about that amazing kiss I had with Princess, and he just reminded me of what I had to do.
“No, of course I didn’t fail. She invited me over. Tell the payer that he needs to trust me to get the job done. I swear, if they fuck this up by getting caught by her guard, I’m gonna rip their throats out.”
“Alright, calm down there, tiger.”
“Don’t ‘calm down’ me, Dan. I have until midnight to complete this hit. I don’t want to hear another fucking word from you or the payer until then. Got it?” I ended the call, pulling my smokes from my back pocket.
He was right. I needed to calm down. My mind was going a mile a minute and I needed to get it back on track. I couldn’t afford to falter. I lit my cigarette, taking a long drag before looking around the gate. I saw a white delivery van with fresh produce painted on the side parked about a block down the road. Seriously? This is a fucking residential area. That’s suspicious as hell.
Dan must’ve called them, because seconds later they drove away. So those are the bastards that want her dead, huh? I had half the mind to-
No. It’s just another job.
I rolled the shelter key between my fingers. What a damned waste. She was such an amazing woman. Like an idiot, I allowed myself to think back to our kiss. I had never tasted anyone that sweet before. Her lips were so plump and soft, with not a dab of lipstick on them. The way she hesitantly touched me was so innocent and sexy, I had to stop myself from fucking her on the park bench.
Still, there was something unnerving about her. I had never had a woman affect me as much as she did. Not just physically, although that was true too, but mentally. She was smart, a delightful change to the women I normally interacted with. Not only that, but she had a way of making me feel like I was the most important person in the world. It went beyond her desiring me. It felt like she… accepted me.
My heart began to ache in my chest. Fuck. What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t get attached. A brief image flashed through my mind of Elizabeth underneath me, her neck slit as she gasped, choking on her own blood. I wanted to vomit just thinking about it. That would be her real soon, and it would be all thanks to me. I should’ve chosen the fucking poison and just not stuck around, but it was too late for me to change methods. My ten minutes were up.
I felt like a teenager about to get laid for the first time as I approached the door to her apartment. My nerves made it almost impossible for me to focus on the job. Shaking my head, I managed to do a proper sweep with my eyes; three cameras in the hallway, one on the balcony. The front door was a heavy steel, painted sky blue, unlike the rest of the doors I had seen on the way to the private hall, which were all white wood. It almost looked like a storage closet because of the warehouse feel, but the small placard with “102” written on it gave it away.
I knocked lightly, not wanting to appear too aggressive just in case the guard was easily spooked. Not even a second after my fist made contact, the door opened. I was seen approaching the door. This guy must live in front of the monitors. I knew I would need to take Tom Eldridge out before leaving, along with the security recording. If I didn’t, he would likely have my pictures divulged to the cops before I got down the street. Yet another thing I didn’t plan on. It was obvious that the cameras were all privately owned since there were none in the front lobby. That made my job easier. Once I destroyed the hard drive, the images would be lost.
Tom was a tall fucker, probably a good six inches taller than me. He was built, but it was obvious that he didn’t train daily. His muscles were effortless, or in other words, mostly for show. He would be slow thanks to his large frame, a disadvantage I would play on. Judging by the tattoos, I would say ex-marine. Around forty years old. It would be a fun challenge, but I could take him without reinforcements. I was thankful for my lean 5’11 build, since it hid my abilities pretty well. I was an assassin, not a brute. I didn’t need to be big, just fast and subtle.
He eyed me suspiciously, puffing out his chest. I let my shoulders fall to appear intimidated.
“Um, hi. Is this Elizabeth’s house?” I asked, fiddling with the key. He seemed to recognize it immediately, shifting on his feet. That girl was something else to come up with this plan. I couldn’t wait for my mouth to be on hers again.
“Who are you, kid? What are you doing here?”
Kid? That’s a first.
“Oh, you must be her dad.” I tried to play on his sympathy. He softened slightly, as I hoped. “I just stopped by to return her shelter key. I just got hired there, so she lent it to me until her next shift tomorrow.” She never told me that she worked tomorrow, but I already knew that detail from her file. I hoped that adding it would make my story more believable. “Patty also wanted me to go over grooming schedules with her.” Patty was the shelters owner. I couldn’t risk him taking the key and shutting the door.
He paused, his stance becoming less threatening as his hand moved to rub the back of his neck. He was clearly frustrated that she hadn’t told him that I would be stopping by, but at least he bought the story.
“Yea, okay. She’s taking a nap, let me go wake her. Come in, I guess.”
He stepped aside, granting me entrance. Her apartment had obviously been remodeled, considering it looked way nicer on the inside than the building let on. It had cherry wood floors and modern décor, reminding me of a beach house. There was an open floor plan, making the kitchen, living room, and dining room all visible from the entryway. Three doors split off of the living room. One was likely Tom’s, the other the security room, and the one Tom was knocking on was clearly Elizabeth’s.
“Hey, Elizabeth?” He shouted, telling me that the door was soundproofed. Perfect.
“Come in!” I heard her mumble to the door. He opened it slowly.
“Hey, I know it’s a little early, but you have a friend here.”
“Oh, from the shelter?”
Good girl.
He nodded, looking a little uncomfortable with whatever he was seeing.
“Send him in, Tom. I’m decent.”