CHAPTER THREE: LICENSE TO KILL
I stared at my detached license plate which sat across the coffee table from me. He had brought me back to his house after removing every trace of my identity from my own car.
I was freaking inside of the killers home, sitting on his country-style sofa and there was literally no way for anyone to track my whereabouts.
Hearing his footsteps, I straightened my posture and kept my eyes trained on him.
"Fresh blanket and pillow, sleep here on the sofa tonight." He handed me a folded thermal blanket and a pillow that appeared like it had never been used.
Then he sat down on the arm chair across from me, he tapped his index finger across his lips, thinking.
In this light, I could see him.
I could see that his eyes were a inky shade of indigo, so mysterious and secretive like the hour of midnight on a starless night. I could see how his hair was a rich chocolate brown shade, fine and silky. Messy but that only added to his rugged charm. I could see how perfect his lips were, I imagine if he allowed himself too, he would have a cheeky smile.
But above all, I could see how he was the devil disguised as some kind of sexy Spanish god.
"There's nothing but space surrounding us Scarlet, you can run in any direction but you won't ever get anywhere. I'm not playing games here, if you run, I will kill you, if you cooperate, I'm willing to protect you."
"Protect me from what?"
"Yourself, mostly." My brow furrowed and when he sat forward on the chair I flinched backwards. "You go running your mouth about what you saw today and people are going to come after you. They're going to want you dead."
"I won't—"
"You will. Sooner or later her face is going to flash up on the news, missing girl. The pressure will get to you and if you don't go running to the police right away then you'll tell your boyfriend or someone close to you. It's a complication we don't need. So you're going to stay with me, at least until her hype has died down."
"And, how long will that be?"
"Few weeks, maybe a month." He replied without a care in the world.
"A month!" I blurted out.
I couldn't stay with him for a day never mind a month, the guy was a killer! I'd actually be safer running back to Sean.
"You stumbled into something extremely dangerous Scarlet. The organisations I'm involved in are not people you want to make yourself known too."
"Are you—" I quietened my voice down as if someone outside our conversation could hear, "—in the mafia or something?"
He laughed, his smile brightening up the room.
"No." I sighed from relief, though I don't know what I was relieved about. He was still a psycho.
"My name is Aries Leventis and I run a huge organisation where we take on clients for a bounty. I work for the police, the FBI, the army, criminals, rich folk who need someone gone. I clean up messes."
"So you have a license to kill?"
"Not exactly. When I'm hired, all work is done in the shadows. Whoever hired me is corrupt as hell, they need a job doing and I'm willing to do it for the right price. No questions asked."
"So that woman back there, you killed her?"
"Yes."
"And you don't know why?"
"Exactly."
"But what if she was a good person? What if she didn't deserve to die?"
"That's not my problem, is it?"
"She could've had a family, kids. You just killed her?"
"You're missing the point Scarlet, someone wanted her dead. They paid me, she's dead. Job done."
His phone started ringing and he held one finger up to me before answering and walking out of ear shot.
I looked towards the door, I could probably make it to the door faster than he could make it to me. But then what? I had no plan and Aries (if that was even his real name) was right, we were surrounded by nothing but open space.
I needed time.
I stood up, conscious of him watching my every move. Instead of pacing towards the door, I leisurely walked towards the kitchenette, which seemed to relax him. He continued talking in hushed tones.
No knives. Great.
What did you plan to do Scarlet? Stab him?
I browsed through the cupboards, only long-life food was in there. Rice, pasta, chips. I spread some dry crackers out on a ceramic plate and grabbed some zip ties from the drawer, my plan started falling together.
"I can't lyns, I'm held up at work."
He was pacing the floor, looking at me strangely because now I was intentionally closer to him. He didn't like me hearing his conversation, that much was obvious.
"I know I haven't but I just can't get out of work at the moment, things are too hectic."
"Fourth of July, okay? I'll come home then."
"Yes I prom—" he started walking away from me and as his back was turned I smacked the ceramic plate over the back of his head with all of my might.
His knees gave way beneath him and he tumbled to the floor, unconscious.
"Aries, hello?" A female voice spoke out of the phone. "Aries, are you there? What happened?"
Timidly, I poked him with my foot but he didn't move or grumble so I picked up his phone.
"Hi, I'm so sorry Aries will have to call you back." I ended the call and grabbed his legs.
Thankfully he had crash landed onto a dusty rug and so it was easier to transport him across the room because the rug just glided over the hardwood floors.
I strapped the zip ties over each of his wrists and cleverly attached him to a strong gas pipe, knowing that if he woke up sooner than I liked he couldn't pull the pipe off the wall because it would blow us up.
Then I stood back, blew the hair away from my face and regulated my frantic panting. Aries, the heavy shit was enough to work up a sweat!
He was bleeding, a lot.
The rug was slowly saturating in a deep crimson and I started to wonder if I might actually end up killing him. It's self defence, right?
Now, car keys.
I looked around, this 'house' was more like a wood cabin stranded in the wilderness. It was homely and peaceful, vacation rental-homeish.
It was only now I was seeing the minimal decor and creepy deer heads hanging on the wall. Half of my brain wondered if he killed them too.
I couldn't see his car keys but there was an unnatural buldge in his pants so I knew I needed to go pocket diving.
I was screwed.
Slowly, I crouched beside him, screwing my eyes closed tightly with fear.
Don't wake up.
Don't wake up.
Don't wake up.
With reluctance I opened my eyes, only inches away from him. My heart was an orchestra in my ears, loud and dramatic. He really was the most gorgeous man that I had ever encountered, even sleeping.
He was a distraction but I digress, I couldn't not get the keys after coming thus far. So I slipped my hand into his pocket, continuously checking his level of consciousness.
He groaned in pain and I lifted the keys from his body quick and easy. I moved towards the door.
"Lyndsey?" His voice croaked out, his accent sounding less accented.
Who is Lyndsey?
The girl he killed?
He grumbled more and tried to move, regaining strength with each passing second.
"Scarlet?" He tried to sit up but the plastic restraints locked him in place.
Reality crashed in for him, realising he was tied up he let out a blood-curdling growl and he fought against his restrains, tightening all of his muscles in the process.
"You are so fucking dead now." He threatened.
"If you fight against those pipes, you'll blow this whole place up." I answered a little too cockily, then I continued to taunt him, jangling his keys. "Plus, I have your car keys."
"Scarlet!" He yelled after me but I was gone, already out the door and in his car.