JACE POV
“There once was a boy called Connor, he had great strength and honour, on the day of his birth he had a great big thirst for all things female and hot so pour a shot and drink the lot cos sober is something you will be not!” Connor sang in the kitchen, holding his beer up in the air.
I laughed at his creative rhymes, as did Chris. Drake had a smile on his face and was shaking his head in amusement at his partner. You’d think it was Connor’s tenth birthday from how excited he is, he is acting like a little kid whose just been told their having a trip to Disneyland. Apart from a little kid would not consume as much alcohol as Connor is right now.
Me, Chris, Connor and Drake were in the kitchen/living room area, having a few beers and waiting for your royal highness to hurry up and get ready. It had just gone 8pm and we were all ready to go out and hit the town in celebration of Connor’s birthday. While we waited we drank a few beers and had mindless chitchat, which resulted to me almost wetting myself from laughing from some of the shit Connor is coming out with.
“Thanks for inviting me along tonight by the way.” I tell the guys “I know I just sort of ended up on your doorstep so you really didn’t have to.”
Connor slapped my arm with a big grin on his face “Don’t worry about it mate, I’ve talked to Faith about her old life and from the sound of it I expected you to be a complete jackass. But as it turns out, you’re a decent lad.”
Chris and Drake nod in agreement, but I can see Drake trying not to laugh at Connors blunt words. I grinned back at him, trying to hide the overwhelming curiosity of what exactly Faith has said about me. I could probably guess I mean I know what happened between us and to be honest there was no way to talk about me in a nice way. Hell, I would talk about me in the worst way possible if I was her.
“Talking of Faith, how long does she need to throw a few bits of clothing on and slap some of that black stuff on her eyes?” Chris whines, and we all muttered in agreement. We had been ready for a good half an hour and Faith was still in her room getting dressed.
“Women and their need to spend hours on their appearance.” Drake mutters shaking his head.
I had to bite my tongue back from saying that Faith isn’t just any woman. I mean back when we used to go to parties and that 3 years ago, she would literally spend 10 minute putting some clothing on and brushing her hair. She used to tease me saying I was the woman in the relationship because it took me longer to get ready. Another thing different about that girl.
“So Faith doesn’t mind going on a night out with all males?” I found myself asking before I could help it.
Another thing, Faith would probably have had a panic attack 3 years ago if she knew she had to go out and party with just males. She would have felt intimidated and shy, but now it was just us 4 guys and her and she hasn’t complained about being outnumbered once. Yet another thing different about that girl.
Chris shook his head “Naa, she’s been living with us for 3 years so she’s fine with it. You shouldn’t be shocked that she’s going out with 4 guys, you should be shocked that she agreed to go out at all.”
“Does she not normally then?” I ask.
Connor replied this time “That girl is all work and no play.”
Chris scoffed “You seem to forget I’m her partner. The viciousness of her kills when we’re doing a job would make you think that was her idea of play.”
I took in their words and swallowed, finding it hard to believe that Faith considered killing people as part of a fun event. Maybe a lot has changed about her, but I could not believe that she has turned that cold hearted that death makes her happy. I was still determined to find out if the old Faith is anywhere in that little blonde hottie.
“She played yesterday in the gym.” Drake commented, looking at me with a grin on his face. The corner of my mouth tugged up as I remembered just how close to fun we got yesterday, before she jumped away from me like I was on fire. The guys all looked at me with eyebrows raised, looking impressed and slightly curious. Chris was just about to open his mouth and ask me for further details, when someone cut him off.
“Right let’s get the hell out of here, and I swear to god if you puke on my shoes again Connor I’ll disembowel you.” Her voice made all our heads shoot to the door, and I could collectively hear 4 jaws slam to the ground as we stare at her. She smiles innocently after her death threat “Oh yeah, Happy birthday Connor.”
“Lord have mercy!” Connor exclaims, putting a first into his mouth and biting down as he looks at her approvingly. She rolls her eyes and flips him off.
Chris and Drake mutter a few words of approval, before composing themselves and taking a few more drinks of their beer. Connor has recovered also; I on the other hand was still staring at her wide eyed as I scanned her body up and down.
Her blonde hair was curled and flowing around her shoulders, her makeup made her skin look tanned and smooth and her black eyes swallowed you in from the smokey look she had going. Her shoulders were bare as she wore a halter neck white dress that clung onto all the right places. The dress reached mid thigh, showing off never-ending tanned legs that were made to look even longer with the white heels she wore. The dress was so white it made her skin look like she’s just come off of a very hot holiday and caught the sun extremely well. Her arms had gold bracelets dangling from them, and she was currently browsing through her white bag which had a strap that went over one shoulder so she would have to carry it.
She looked like a freaking God with the white on. A hot god that I would gladly break commandments for and risk burning in hell if it got me a night with her.
This definitely was not the Faith of 3 years ago. Chelsea practically had to beat her to wear a swimming costume when we went to the beach, and even then she point blank refused to wear a bikini because it showed off too much skin. The only time I ever saw her bare flesh was when I had her in my bed.
“Are you quite done?” her voice brought me back to the room, and my head snapped up to see her amused face on mine.
I cleared my throat “No where near.”
She rolled her eyes, but I could see a smile tug at her lips. She walked over to the island in the middle of the kitchen where Connor was pouring 5 tequila shots. I joined them at the island, my eyes sneaking glances at her every few seconds.
“He’s going to puke again tonight.” Faith grimaced, referring to Connor wielding the alcohol and downing it like it was water.
“Just make sure you jump out of the way this time.” Drake informs her, laughing at some memory I was unaware of. He turns to me “Last time young Connor here got a little silly and puked up the bar he inhaled all over Faith’s shoes.”
I snorted with laughter, and Connor looked at her apologetically but I could see he was trying not to laugh. I snuck another glance at Faith, and as I grabbed my shot glass I suddenly felt Chris’s gaze on me, making me shift uncomfortably. I don’t know why he was looking at me like that suddenly but I just shook it off.
“Happy 20th birthday pal, here’s to a goodnight!” Drake toasted, and I could see the brotherly relationship he felt for Connor. They were partners after all; they must have become good friends over the years.
We all take the shot and slam the glasses back on the table.
“So the plan by the end of the night is for all of us to have a lover in our beds, hopefully mine will have double DD’s and junk in that trunk.” Connor informed us all, and then turns his head back to Faith “That includes you sweetheart.”
I was the only one to notice her eyes snap to me for the slightest minute before she replied to him.
“I’d rather buy a vibrator.” She replies, and I raise my brows as I notice her words directed at me slightly.
“Why spend your money on that when you can have the real thing?” I querie, leaning on the counter and looking more interested.
The corner of her mouth tugs up “Because a vibrator won’t stick around to ruin your morning.”
I hear the guys ‘ohhhh’s’ at her comeback, and I cock my brow at her smiling face.
“You can cut the sexual tension with a knife.” Drake whispers to Connor, who nods in agreement. Chris is still boring his eyes into mine and Faith’s exchange, but he doesn’t look like he is ready to laugh.
Faith drags her eyes away “I still don’t like the fact we’re going to Watford, why can’t we just go out around here?”
Connor and Drake groan at her whining, before Connor walks over and grabs her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye. “Woman, just for one night think fun and not targets. Okay?”
“I don’t always think targets!” she defends “I’m just saying if we come across anyone that I may have to kill tonight I don’t want to have to hold your hair back as you puke up your liver!”
Connor smirks slightly as he thinks something over. Then as quick as a flash he picks Faith up as she lets out a scream and flings her over his shoulder, turning to us “Grab your shit and lets go while I have her restrained!”
I barely notice what he said as I was too busy staring at just how short that white dress was since her behind was pointing at us over Connors shoulder. I couldn’t help but wonder if I played my cards right tonight, I would be able to remove those white lacy panties...
“Connor if you value your testicals you will put me down now!” Faith screams on his shoulder.
“I do value my testicals and I appreciate them every day of my life, so I will have to apologise to my balls in advance for putting them at such risk.” Connor retorts and heads for the door with us in pursuit. His tone was calm and confident, but judging by how fast he was walking he was clearly worried she would angle her foot the right way and kick one of his testicals clear off.
He was out the door before we were and his womanly shriek of agony told me she had managed to angle her foot the right way, meaning Connor was be in need of testical surgery sometime soon.
**
“Can I have a beer please?” I yelled to the bartender over the loud music of the club. The strip club.
It was just gone 11pm and it was safe to say Connor was enjoying his birthday, considering he has exceeded his daily alcohol limit by at least a thousand. We had hit a few local clubs around Watford until we decided that it was time to hit the strip club. The podiums had girls in such little clothing it was borderline indecent grinding up against the poles, and the dance floor in the middle was filled with people moving to the music. I turn around and lean on the bar; looking at the dance floor and to my surprise I was more interested in looking at the beauty in white rather than the hot topless girls doing some impressive gymnastics on a metal pole.
I smile as I look at her dancing with Connor and Drake, laughing as Connor does some sort of weird running man impersonation. She looks so carefree, which was refreshing to see considering this is the most relaxed I have seen her since the day she came crashing back into my life. And how glad I was that she did.
“She’s not the same girl she once was you know.” Chris’s voice cuts through as I look at the dance floor, and I turn my head to see him leaning next to me on the bar and looking over to where I was gazing mere seconds ago.
This is the most he has talked to me all night apart from the odd comment now and again, and I could tell whatever was bothering him he was about to unload on me now.
“Something in that girl is the same.” I reply, turning my head to look at her again.
“You seem to forget I knew her 3 years ago as well, I recruited her. I saw her when she was the girl you once knew, and I saw her change into the girl she is now.” He tells me “You knew her when she was shy, quiet and was too scared to even speak unless spoken to.”
That was the girl I remember “And now?”
He turns his head, his eyes serious “You’ve seen it for yourself. The girl murders and doesn’t even bat an eyelid.”
I clench my jaw, realising just how right he was. I still refused to believe the old Faith was completely gone. There was some part of her in there. The song changed and ‘Beautiful monster’ came on. I looked at her again as she swayed her hips to the music, a playful smile on her lips with her arms over her head as she moved in an almost hypnotic way. She looked hot, and she looked dangerous.
Beautiful monster is right...
“That’s the life she’s been forced into.” I try and defend “Do you think she would have chosen this life if she had a choice?”
He gives me a knowing look, telling me there was something I was unaware of. He leans his face a little closer “She did chose this life.”
My body tenses over “What?”
“Ed gave her a choice. And she chose to live her life as an agent.” Chris informed me, and I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing. She chose this life?
“There had to be some sort of catch...”
He shrugs “So what if there was, she still agreed to do it.” he counters, then points at the dance floor where the girl in question is “That girl is not the same pushover that you took advantage of for all those years, she is stronger now. She is ruthless now.”
I clench my fists, suddenly having the strongest urge to punch him “I didn’t take advantage of her; you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughs humourlessly “I got told about you before I actually met you Jace, you cheated on her and then just to add to the pain you caused her, you used her as a booty call while you dated the girl you cheated on her with. You fucked that girl over proper.”
My stomach lurched, and even though I wanted to knock him the fuck out right now, I could not argue. I knew what I put her through, and I knew what an asshole I was for doing it. There was no way to defend myself for that because even I realised the mistakes I made. The guilt I have been living with for 3 years made sure that I would never forget the mistakes I made when it came to Faith.
“I like you Jace, but I warn you now...” Chris begins, his tone low and threatening “...I care about Faith a lot, and if you fuck her over again, I will kill you.” He laughs humourlessly “That’s if she doesn’t beat me to it.”
I take in his threat, not feeling the slightest bit intimidated even though I knew the profession he was in, and I knew he would carry through with that threat. At the end of the day, I knew I deserved it. Chris obviously cared about Faith as a friend and was protecting her, and I couldn’t disagree with it.
I nodded my head “I know how badly I messed things up last time, and I’ve been given a second chance now that she came back into my life.” I begin “You have my word mate, I will not fuck it up this time. I made mistakes, but you’re not the only one who cares about Faith. The only difference between us is the way I care about her is a little different than the way you do...I want to be with her.” i pause, swallowing as i came to a realisation "I always have."
He is silent for a minute, a flash of something goes through his eyes before he covers it up, relaxing slightly and nods at my words “You may want to be with her, but you’ve got the length of this mission to do that because as soon as the jobs finished, she goes back to her world and you go back to yours.”
My stomach sinks as he recites the words I have been trying to ignore for the last few days. Chris’s face softens a little as he sees my expression and he lets out a sigh.
“Look mate, like I said I like you and you’re a nice guy. If I were you I’d just make the best of the time you got with her.”
He reaches his hand out and after a second of hesitation I take it, the shake telling each other no hard feelings. I didn’t blame him for threatening to kill me anyway; I mean he was just looking out for his friend. But like I said, I was determined not to let her down this time.
I made the mistake of letting her go once; I wasn’t prepared to do it again.
Even though when the mission is over I really will have no other choice...
==