Sienna Stone
You could say Nicolai Stone hasn't ever intimidated me from the start, nor the twins. Could say I embraced the way he was as first impressions come. He was mysterious and dark, callous, mean, and more-so intriguing. Sometimes I wonder what his first impression of me was yet I shouldn't ask, I remember I utterly embarrassed myself with my loose lips, asking mercy with a gun pointed at my head.
Wondering, would he had pulled the trigger still if we weren't interrupted?
But those thoughts had long gone, because all that matters now is I'm here, with him now.
Nico is sitting behind his desk as the fireplace is lit behind him in full flames. The crackles and ember sparks ignite from behind making it look like a hot blazing arura around him. Like a devil.
I am sitting on a couch, a window seal behind me as the curtains are opened wide, showing a beautiful sight of the frosty morning. The sun shines in from the window, glaring in light beams upon me. I look over to where Nico is sitting and see that he is staring at me, with what looks like gentle contentment. I wonder if he still thinks of me as an angel that he usually calls me sometimes in his mother tongue whilst the sunlight shimmers around me.
The devil and the angel. How ironic.
Dimitri walks in, along with Caspian behind him. Then there are two strangers who look every bit distant and dare I say, irritable?
The door shuts them in, they all find places to sit, Dimitri sits beside me--his knee touches mine. Caspian sits across the room in a lounge chair while the two others stand in the midst of the entire office. The low lighting in this room gives off a cosy cabin feel, smelling like burning wood and a touch of old books.
Nico reaches down his desk and opens what looks like files, "Shina Han, from a small town called Wentsworth, age 25. You were at the age of thirteen when some of the surviving people took you into an orphanage when made-soldiers took over your hometown indicating war zone incident, your family was in the middle of gunfire while they found you hidden in the attic."
"At the tender age of 18, a man named Master Haruki Tomo-Han took you in after finding yourself homeless after the orphanage. For majority of your training he gives you, you two had kindled a likness with each other over a year, resulting your daughter in that reunion. Only to be ambushed by soldiers one day, the same fleet that destroyed your hometown and family. Your Master, Haruki, died during that ambush protecting you and both your daughter. Years later, you have taken transactions to assassinate targets for a living, only because you...you are trying to find your Masters and families killers?"
Nicolai narrows his eyes at Shina, "am I wrong so far?"
I can't help feeling tears threatening to leave my eyes, it's all so awful. What she endured for years, everyone she loves died. Thankfully her daughter is alive, I don't blame her for her career choice. If I were her, and if I was capable--I would do the same.
"Yes." Shina looks away from my husband, "I only came here because you'd give me the soldiers whereabouts if I join you."
Nico leans back in his chair, surprised to see his cane beside him again, leaning against the desk. "I did."
Huffing and crossing her arms, face of annoyance, "well?" Seeming impatient.
She is simply beautiful. Her hair silky blonde and long, as long as mine. She has a cute button nose the tip of her nose tilts up a bit. Her cheeks full and makes her face heart shaped. She is tall, not so tall, but she got a few inches over me. Especially those heels she is wearing. Wearing tight denim dark jeans that hug her hips. A long sleeve corset looking top, color of burgundy red with black laces in the back.
I look over to my husband, he barely acknowledges her though. Flicking his zip lighter lid open and closed. The room is silent and giving me an uneasy feeling.
So she is an assassin. Cool.
Wouldn't want to piss her off. Especially with the way her eyes narrow into daggers his way.
"I had Dimitri sought out to finding the perpetrators of your families and lovers' deaths after finding these files. Our findings had led me to believe that this will benefit the both of us, Miss Han." The Pakhan says, voice thick as knives.
Shina tenses, "that's impossible. How did you manage to find my files? They were burned many years ago. My Masters Shrine was destroyed along with it."
Nico smirks flicking the zip lighters lid closed, leaving a loud clinking sound, "don't underestimate my second in command. Dimitri is trained to build bombs and investigate the unseen. What I order, he provides with outstanding results."
My eyes shift to Dimitri who is still sitting beside me. I kind of side eye him for a bit before I speak, "well...that's just an invasion of privacy." I mutter under my breath.
All eyes then steer their way to me.
Shina tilts her head at me before turning back to the Pakhan. I look myself and see that he wasn't to happy about my disruption. "My wife is right. But I'm in a short time frame right now. I need you, for your special skills. Is it true you killed over ten men in one room on one of your missions?"
Wow. Ten men? That's actually insane...
Shina scoffs, "does it truly matter what I'm capable of? Back to beforehand--you said this would benefit the both of us? Yes? What did you mean by that?"
"The made-soldiers that murdered your loved ones are from Edmond Galeon." Nicolai announces. Leaving me shocked beyond belief.
Edmond sent soldiers to kill innocent people? Why?
"Edmond wanted to find a certain someone during this disaster he made--he came short when the one person he wanted was you, Shina Han. Thats why his second attack was after you years later, still he failed." He continues, answering my own thoughts. "For years, he wanted to find women of pure bloodline for his own sick operations. That...we don't know what he is trying to do. Which concludes why I'm doing this. I need a group of people to help me on this mission. To take down the Galeon Empire."
Tension never leaves as she makes her way closer to my husband, which causes my body to tense up.
But a large hand grips my shoulder from the side to stop me, giving me a reassuring squeeze. Dimitri whispers, "wait."
I watch as Shina is now close up front of Nicos desk, after a moment she stands there staring him down before she bows her head, "fine. I will join you. Only because you promise protection for my daughter. Not because you threatened me."
So this entire time...
The whole conversation they just had...
Was Nicolai threatening her? Didn't sound like one but I guess I've never seen my husband in action like this.
Nico nods once before Shina steps back into her place.
The young man beside her, he looks not but my age. Maybe a little older perhaps but you'd think he was just a college kid with dark black hair that has long hair atop and short on the bottom. He is short, maybe 5'4 by the looks of it. He is wearing a deep grey hoodie and dark tan cargo pants with combat boots. His skin pale as ever like he never seen daylight before. His eyes dark and eyebrows thick. Jawline sharp as ever with a stubborn chin.
"Julian Masters, hometown Mother Russia, Moscow. Age, 22. Went to college for a short amount of time before joining SEAL operations at the tender age of twenty. They recruited you because you happened to hack into black market servers and wipe out profits from a different country. But quit and went into the States and found work with the German contractors. Your reasoning was, "because I was bored" and became a made man. But that doesn't explain how you can shoot any target and never miss. But then we looked further and seen that as of age sixteen, a woman named, Hexa Nanom a sex worker brought you in and taught you how to fight with a pistol and sling shot. Though you left her too because, you told her, "it was boring" then left. And when me and Dimitri came to London and found you eating a biscuit and drinking coffee in a cafe'. I gave you an offer but you said you were going to leave the German Contractors anyway..." Nico cuts off when he looks up at Julian, "you told us, because it's starting to be a bore..."
This Julian dude really hates being bored I guess. I wonder if this mission would bore him?
I summed it up.
Julian Masters is a weirdo.
After hearing all this, I wonder if Nicolai has lost his mind on hiring such a kid like him. But of course, I trust my husbands choice.
Julian sighs, "you got me there. Yeah, I tend to get bored with jobs. So what? You need me...Don't you? I already figured out the whole situation before you uttered a word. My best bet is that little hot tamale sitting over there is the reason for all of this? Am I right?"
The Pakhan smirks, "there is other reasons."
Julian bares his teeth, "you going to judge my own motives for being here?"
What?
"No. I'm not judging. But is that anyway to treat your uncle?" Nico rasps.
Uncle!?
Julian sneers, "so you do know. Why haven't you said it sooner?"
"Because that wouldn't change your feelings, would it? I just figured it out myself looking into your background. So I take it your here to kill me?"
Hold up! I shoot up from the couch and walk over to the front of the desk and whirl around with my back facing my husband and my eyes seething upon Julian, "you would have to get through me!" I shout, my heart pounding drastically. My fists clenching in anger, "I don't care if your some hot shot or some pervy hacker! You will not touch my husband! Any vendetta you have with him, how about you get in line with the rest of his enemies! He said he just found out that he was related to you, dammit!!"
Everyone looks at me as if I lost my mind, maybe I had with this head injury but damn it all. How dare he threatened my man in his own home!
Caspian gets up from his seat, he hasn't said a word all this time, just observing. I notice that he couldn't keep his eyes off Shina though, "you really got to read the room better, my dear." He places his hand on my shoulder, his eyes soften, "Julian is joining us, he means no harm. Nico was just trying to liven him up."
Seriously!
I whirl around on my husband, he sits there in his chair all but acting nonchalant, but I can tell he is trying his darnedest to not smile at my defense. The bastard.
I whip around the desk in no time and grab his ear and pull, hard.
"Ah, fuck! Sienna!" He raises his voice in shock, "let go!"
I pull harder and bring his face to mine, "you are so getting no cuddles tonight!" I exclaim.
The look of disbelief graces his face, he grunts, "fine."
Letting go of his ear Shina speaks up, "so what is next?"
Nicolai straightens before looking away from my face, he clears his throat, "we are to prepare for a plan I made for the end of this month. Sienna will be trained by Caspian. You and Julian will hear out your purposes later but until then train yourselves. For now, this team will be called the Stone Squad."
Shina grimaces, "Stone Squad? Sounds childish..."
I snort, "that's what I thought!"
Shina bites her lip as if not to smile.
Julian rolls his eyes.
Caspian is still eyeing up Shina.
Dimitri flicks lent off his pants, showing no care.
This is the team.
I couldn't help myself, I laugh out loud.
Nico grumbles to himself beside me as I'm in a giggle fit, "only childish ones here are you all."