Assassination 101

Lesson 17: Salmon

Lesson 17: Salmon

Kole had been furious with me when he walked in on a dead Alexander. Honestly, I think he was more annoyed that I did it instead of him even if he'd never admit that. However, I'd managed to wriggle my way out of any serious trouble by convincing him that he'd gotten on my last nerve and there was no way he was going to talk no matter what we did to him.

So, reluctantly, Kole had agreed to cover for me and fabricate a story to Celine about why he was dead and we had no information. She was a bit peeved but otherwise uninterested, simply telling us that we were running out of time and to 'get on with it' before dismissing us.

I'd even made Kole pancakes as a thank you which he had readily swallowed in only a few bites but I knew I hadn't quelled his suspicion. He was onto me and if I wasn't careful he would find out too much and I'd have to kill him, an outcome I desperately wanted to avoid.

Regardless, I hadn't seen the annoying git since I'd made him pancakes the morning after the Alexander fiasco. He'd been sent on mission after mission whilst I had simply been tasked with getting to the bottom of an entire terrorist organisation all by myself. No pressure there.

What Alexander had said to me had been troubling my thoughts terribly. He knew where Gio was which meant he was safe but it also meant he was probably close by. But why and how was Gio involved in my mission? Just the idea of my private and work life intertwining this heavily was dangerous and made my head spin so much so that I had to sit down.

It was a text from Zack that finally brought me back to reality and away from my anxious thoughts. He'd asked me out on a lunch date and despite my better judgement, I couldn't find it within me to refuse.

So here I was — wearing a lovely red sundress I'd impulse bought last year but never had an opportunity to wear thanks to the nature of my work and the temperamental British sun — on my way to the location Zack had sent me.

Henry had informed me that this was where his flat was and I definitely was not surprised when I'd hopped out of the taxi and was met with a very expensive looking neighbourhood which most people could never even dream of owning a rubbish bin in let alone an apartment.

However, I was a little confused that he'd asked me to meet him here. It must've meant that he was doing the cooking for lunch — that or he'd ordered food but I doubted he would have turned down the opportunity to impress me with a fancy restaurant if that were the case — and I hadn't taken him for the cooking type. Unless he had a personal chef? God, I hoped not.

I knocked on his door, unconsciously smoothening out the wrinkles in my dress as I waited. It didn't take him long to answer and I couldn't help the upturn of my lips when he did.

He was clad in a red shirt and navy jeans and his soft hair had been styled in that messy way which somehow made him look more attractive if that was possible. But what made me chuckle was the white apron he was wearing with the words 'kiss the cook' embroidered on the front. So I did just that. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek as I walked inside and he looked a little taken aback by the gesture which made me grin.

"You are the cook aren't you?"

"Of course. Best you'll ever meet."

"So what's on the menu then?" I asked but just as I said it my nose picked up on the smell and it took everything I had not to bolt out of his apartment.

Seafood. Of all things why just why?

Zack led me through his open plan living room and to the kitchen where I propped myself up on a barstool and he went back to his position of cutting up vegetables. "A smoked salmon and lemon risotto. A little birdie told me you liked seafood so trust me when I say you're going to love this." What deranged bird had he been talking to?