The next morning, Emmaline awoke to the smell of pancakes and a slight headache. Annoyed and hungry, she got out of bed, slipped on her silk robe, brushed her teeth and went out to the kitchen.
***
Standing at the stove in a pair of blue sleep pants and a white t-shirt, was John, "So he cooks" she laughed, getting his attention.
"He does." He turned, chuckling, "What time did you get in last night?" He asked pretending not to know.
She shrugged, pouring herself a cup of coffee, from here he was, he could she a spot of purple discoloration on her neck, a hickey. It was like Marcel was taunting him. "I donno. Late. I don't really remember." She took a swing of her coffee. "Did you go out....or... Not like you need to tell me, it's just that I didn't see you when I left or got back." She held her breath for an answer.
"Nope. I was here. All night." He shifted his attention back to the frying pan. "Did you get...whatever it is we need?"
Praising the heavens for the change of topic. "I did. And apparently what we need is co-ordinates for this secret place. Marcel said that it'll lead us to the head of the High Table."
Of course, Marcel knows, John wanted to roll his eyes at her mention of his name, "And you believe him?" He asked, his tone more accusing that it should have been.
"Well duh!" Got a bottle of maple syrup and a bowl of berries out of the fridge. "Why would he lie about that?" The question was clearly rhetorical as Emmaline did not give him a chance to respond, "Oh, when we're done here, I need to take you somewhere."
"Where?" He questioned.
"Well you can't have that much clothes. And I doubt you want to wear more of Jeremy's old stuff." She commented matter-of-factly. "Also, I need a new wig and I'm itching to buy another leather jacket."
"Okay. Well let's finish up here." He plated her a few pancakes and they ate in silence, parting ways to get ready.
***
Their first stop was a women's store devoted to hair and all things surrounding it. Currently, Emmaline was standing in front of a floor to ceiling display of wigs. Her eyes shifting between two blonde ones, the first similar to the one that was ruined, and the other was shorter with bangs. "I thought you said you had others?"
"I do. But not a blonde one." She explained, unmoving from her spot. "I think I'm going to get the shorter one. A new look."
"Why do you need the wigs anyway?" He questioned. It was hard to see the point of them if the people that saw her on the job were going to end up dead in the end.
"Because." She started, picking out the shorter one in the end, "I really like this one. They're great for my look? And they help hide my identity when I have to do public kills. And I like them." She paid for the wig and collected it. Then took him to another store where she immediately whispered to the clerk at the register and slipped him two gold coins. Finally, something in his territory.
The clerk took them though a dressing room that opened up to an entirely different store. This was one selling different types of bulletproof clothing and weapons. "Is the tailor in?" Emmaline asked the boy who nodded and then went to find him.
John had already moved away to look at display of guns of different sizes. A while later, Emmaline appeared next to him, immediately reaching for a matte black gun with silver details, a Ruger 10/22 Rifle. It wasn't that big, but her small hands made it seem larger than it was. She put the strap over her and then took a few steps back, aiming it at him. It was not loaded, so he did not flinch when she pointed the barrel at his chest. "What, I'm not scary anymore?" She lowered it a little, pretending to frown.
"With an empty gun, hardly." He shook his head watching as she tried to fight a smile.
"This is my favorite kind," She said running her hand over the silver parts then looking down the barrel. "It's quiet, perfect for long range, kind of sexy. You try it." Taking off the strap, she held it out to him. He had used this type of gun, and almost all the others on the rack quite a few times, but for the sake of humoring her, John took it. "See what I'm talking about? Sexy?" He did not know if she was referring to him or the gun, though when he saw redness rise in her cheeks, he had a feeling that he knew the answer.
"It seems a little big for you." John commented casually.
Emmaline had already moved on to pick up a Glock 36, hefting it in her not injured hand. "Yeah but you what they say. The bigger the better."
He did not respond as the tailor walked in, greeting Emmaline with a kiss on the cheek. His accent was thick as he spoke, and John recognized him almost instantly. "Emma dear," The man hugged her and kissed her cheek, then turned to John, "Jonathan Wick." He smiled, "To think the last time I saw you, you said it was your last job."
"Unfortunately, circumstances changed." John said sternly, before offering the man a smile,"it's good to see you Duyi." They shook hands.
"Likewise. I didn't know my two favorite assassins knew each other." Duyi chuckled, placing one of his hands on either of their shoulders, "One might think you two are far too similar to get along."
Emmaline playfully rolled her eyes, "Yeah, it's a new development." She leaned into the older man's touch. Was she really willing to get cozy with anyone except him? John tried to brush it off. "I hate to break up the reunion, but we actually came here to stock up. You wouldn't happen to have anything to fit John, would you?"
"You've been away from Kowloon for too long child." He shook his head wistfully, "I think you've forgotten that I have something to fit everyone." Duyi urged them to follow him to the basement of the store, and if John was remembering correctly, it was where he kept his best pieces.
***
As it turns out, he did remember correctly. When they got down, the greying man hand handed him a suit and sent him into the dressing room to try it on. He emerged a few minutes later, awkwardly modeling the black suit with the white inner shirt.
Emmaline had to suck in a breath when she saw John, he looked good. No, good would be far to mundane, he looked fucking hot. Everything fit perfectly. The jacket was tight enough to show the muscles of his arms and the shirt was snug against his chest. "It looks good." She said meekly.
"Yeah," John, already uncomfortable with having to 'model the outfit' hurried back into the dressing room to get back into his own clothes. He got back out, suit neatly draped over his arm, "Do you have any others that would fit?"
"Asking questions to which you know the answers is pointless." Duyi, took his hands out of the pockets of his tweed coat and walked over to a rack of suits, removing three others then handling them over to John. "These are all the same cut, so they will fit. All your taste too."
At the cashier, John placed the suits on the counter and Emmaline the Ruger from earlier, a few unconventionally shaped knives and a hooded leather jacket. She reached into her handbag for a pouch filled with gold coins but by the time she took it out, John had already paid the cashier with some of his own. "Not cool." She said. "I'll pay you back."
"You will not." He said picking up most of the bags only letting her hold the smallest, lightest one.
"I brought you here, so I should pay." She argued, as they left the store.
"Since when is that the rule?" He countered. "It wasn't much, just forget about it."
"It's not a rule, it's a courtesy." She huffed. "You know what, whatever. Be stubborn."
"Your welcome." He smirked.
***
They had put their bags in the rental car, locked it and then continued walking around the city. They were strolling though a flea market, (per Emmaline's instance) when she stopped suddenly in front of a booth that sold hand made baby clothes. As she turned in a slow circle, and John matched her gaze. "We're being followed," he confirmed.
"Yeah. How do you wanna do this?" She reached into her coat pocket for a firearm she had hidden discreetly on the inside. John did the same, reaching into his brown jacked for his own gun. "Here or..." She looked around, "In there?" She nodded to an abandoned building to their left.
"In there." He started weaving though lines of booths and crowds of people as he made his way to the dilapidated structure, Emmaline close on his heels, covering him from behind. They got inside and he went through a doorway hiding behind the wall and she hid behind a thick concrete post, waiting for their stalker.
Footsteps grew closer to Emmaline's hiding spot and she stood, holding her breath. "I know you're in here." Her eyes widened at the voice. Familiar, masculine and deep. She had listened to it whisper sweet nothing in her ears, it had told her it loved her, wanted to keep her safe, but in the end it all meant nothing. "Come on Emmsy, I know you're here. I saw you walk in and I can smell your perfume. I just want to talk." He was getting closer to the post. He already knew where she was. Quickly, she sent a text to John, telling him to stay put.
"You." A careless whisper broke from her lips, she revealed herself, he was just as handsome as she remembered him. Hair just as blonde, eyes just as green. He sported a 5 o'clock shadow now and in another life, she might have known how it felt to run her fingers over it. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"
"The same thing everyone else wants. Except you apparently." He folded his arms. "To put a bullet through John Wick's head."
"How long have you been following me?" Emmaline tightened her grip on the gun.
"Long enough. I know he's here with you. Don't try to hide him." The man said, his eyes scanning the building.
"He's not here." Her body felt stiff and her mind screamed at her to do something, anything. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He shook his head, laughing, "Don't lie to me, or I might have to kill you too. I'd never want to hurt you, but you're leaving me no choice." He raised his gun and she did the same. "Really? This?"
"Yeah. This. So you're really going to do it this time, or are you going to chicken out again?" She asked, "You could never do it; you were always weak."
"You weren't saying that when had hearts in your eyes." He began, his tone taunting, "When you were screaming my name, saying that no one could fuck you like me. Every time you said you loved me, and I said it back, you didn't think I was weak then, did you?" He took a few steps towards her, "Tell you what, why don't we settle this the old-fashioned way. We'll see who's really weak here." He tossed his gun to the side and after a few minutes of hesitation, she did too.
"Let's." Emmaline raised her leg to kick him, but she was too slow, and he knocked he off her feet, and she hit the cold ground, hard. She crawled backwards just in time to narrowly evade another kick. Standing, fists clenched, just they way he had taught her, she punched him in the jaw.
She raised her leg to kick him and he grabbed her foot, throwing her to the ground again. "Tsk tsk tsk. I taught you all of this and you think you can use it against me?" He said standing tall above her.
"Yeah you did teach me. And now you're going to regret it." Emmaline's legs wrapped around his ankles and she pulled forward. He crumbled to the floor, hitting his head.
Quickly, he rolled onto his stomach and reached for his gun. They stood face to face again, this time he was the only one pointing a gun. "Looks like this is it." He aimed at her, finger on the trigger.
She raised her hands in defeat, "Go ahead. Shoot me." Emmaline walked towards him until the cool metal was pressed to the exposed skin at her chest. "Do it. I'm not scared to die." He swallowed hard, and she scoffed at his obvious hesitation, grabbing the gun, shifting its direction and kneeing him in the groin. He fell into a kneeling position and she hit him in the face with his gun. Now she stood legs on either side of him, pointing the gun at his face, not waiting another second, she pulled the trigger, killing him. "Like I said. Weak."
John emerged from behind the wall upon hearing the gunshot. He looked at the body on the floor, face covered in blood, but he remembered it. From the picture at her place in London. Her fiancée. She said he was dead. She had lied, again.
Jeremy.