My Heroes Have Always Been Hitmen (Humorous Romantic Shorts) (Greatest Hits Mysteries) by Leslie Langtry Page B
Authors: Leslie Langtry
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something out along the way. Which meant I'd have to wing it. Which was something I didn't do well.
Gaul clamped my hand in his and squeezed painfully. "We'll go together, dear sister. I don't want you wandering off, now, do I?" He dragged me out of the house before I could respond. I'd have to think faster than that if I wanted to make it through this alive…with Gaul dead.
" You know, Cas," Gaul said casually as he dragged me down the street. "I really have to thank you for this opportunity. You're giving me the chance to end the Bombay Family once and for all. You deserve some of the credit, I think."
I said nothing because I was thinking furiously, trying to come up with a plan. And unless I did so, I 'd be dead too. But my brain was muddled. I had trouble putting thoughts together. I felt that old panic creeping up my spine.
It took us exactly ten minutes to reach the Council chambers. Julian, Grandmother's right hand slave, admitted us with no problem. I didn't try to warn him because he was unarmed, and Gaul would've surely killed him. I liked Julian—and he didn't deserve to die like this.
" Caspian?" Grandmother rose from the dais when she saw me. The sight of Gaul didn't cause so much as a flicker on her face. "What's this?"
Gaul shoved me roughly aside, and then gave a deep bow of deference. "Grandmother," he said, "you're looking well."
Grandmother narrowed her eyes . The rest of the Council stood there, wondering what was going to happen next.
" Thank you, Gaul. I just had my hair hennaed. You're looking rather slimy yourself."
I suppressed a snicker. Grandmother wasn 't one to pass up a good insult. My humor was short-lived when I remembered that not only was Gaul there to kill them, but I had just demonstrated that I'd failed at my assignment.
Gaul spread his hands and shrugged. "Well we can't all be serpents like you, now can we?"
Grandmother arched her eyebrows at this but said nothing. She turned to me.
"Caspian? Why did you bring your brother here? You had your orders."
Oh great. My grandmother had just outed me. In front of my target.
Gaul 's expression was confused for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Oh. I see. You sent my own sister to kill me." He tut-tutted. "Not very nice. The Bombays have never killed one of their own before."
" Yes, well…" Grandmother said. "You set a rather unfortunate precedence for it. I'm afraid you signed your own death warrant."
Gaul flushed at this, his rage showing. "You can't assign me to someone! I'm a Bombay! You cut me off from my money! Who do you think you are?"
Grandmother rose to her full height . She looked regal, like a goddess—well, one of the not-so-crazy goddesses that is. "I am on the Council of the Bombays. And this," she motioned to her sister and cousins on the dais, "is the full Council. And we decide who lives and who dies." She shook her head slowly. "And this, Grandson, is not your lucky day."
Gaul charged the dais, leaping up the steps, and raised his fist at Grandmother. She deftly stepped aside, and, as he ran past her, she tripped him.
" You need to control your anger," she said as Gaul fell to the floor.
Gaul pulled a knife from his belt and ran at her, slashing furiously through the air. Grandmother countered by shoving his knife arm away and kicking him in the ass until he fell off the dais and landed at my feet.
" Are you quite done?" Grandmother asked, sounding bored. I had to admit, it was pretty badass. Grandmother 1, Gaul 0.
" I WILL KILL YOU!" Gaul screamed and charged for the dais again. I had no doubt he would try. Eventually his youth and strength would wear down the old woman who was giving him a beating.
Without thinking, I tore off the belt I was wearing and looped it around Gaul's neck. He was brought up short and fell backwards onto me. I tightened the belt, and he dropped his knife, his fingers clawing at the belt now cutting off his air supply.
Grandmother and the others watched calmly from the
Gaul clamped my hand in his and squeezed painfully. "We'll go together, dear sister. I don't want you wandering off, now, do I?" He dragged me out of the house before I could respond. I'd have to think faster than that if I wanted to make it through this alive…with Gaul dead.
" You know, Cas," Gaul said casually as he dragged me down the street. "I really have to thank you for this opportunity. You're giving me the chance to end the Bombay Family once and for all. You deserve some of the credit, I think."
I said nothing because I was thinking furiously, trying to come up with a plan. And unless I did so, I 'd be dead too. But my brain was muddled. I had trouble putting thoughts together. I felt that old panic creeping up my spine.
It took us exactly ten minutes to reach the Council chambers. Julian, Grandmother's right hand slave, admitted us with no problem. I didn't try to warn him because he was unarmed, and Gaul would've surely killed him. I liked Julian—and he didn't deserve to die like this.
" Caspian?" Grandmother rose from the dais when she saw me. The sight of Gaul didn't cause so much as a flicker on her face. "What's this?"
Gaul shoved me roughly aside, and then gave a deep bow of deference. "Grandmother," he said, "you're looking well."
Grandmother narrowed her eyes . The rest of the Council stood there, wondering what was going to happen next.
" Thank you, Gaul. I just had my hair hennaed. You're looking rather slimy yourself."
I suppressed a snicker. Grandmother wasn 't one to pass up a good insult. My humor was short-lived when I remembered that not only was Gaul there to kill them, but I had just demonstrated that I'd failed at my assignment.
Gaul spread his hands and shrugged. "Well we can't all be serpents like you, now can we?"
Grandmother arched her eyebrows at this but said nothing. She turned to me.
"Caspian? Why did you bring your brother here? You had your orders."
Oh great. My grandmother had just outed me. In front of my target.
Gaul 's expression was confused for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Oh. I see. You sent my own sister to kill me." He tut-tutted. "Not very nice. The Bombays have never killed one of their own before."
" Yes, well…" Grandmother said. "You set a rather unfortunate precedence for it. I'm afraid you signed your own death warrant."
Gaul flushed at this, his rage showing. "You can't assign me to someone! I'm a Bombay! You cut me off from my money! Who do you think you are?"
Grandmother rose to her full height . She looked regal, like a goddess—well, one of the not-so-crazy goddesses that is. "I am on the Council of the Bombays. And this," she motioned to her sister and cousins on the dais, "is the full Council. And we decide who lives and who dies." She shook her head slowly. "And this, Grandson, is not your lucky day."
Gaul charged the dais, leaping up the steps, and raised his fist at Grandmother. She deftly stepped aside, and, as he ran past her, she tripped him.
" You need to control your anger," she said as Gaul fell to the floor.
Gaul pulled a knife from his belt and ran at her, slashing furiously through the air. Grandmother countered by shoving his knife arm away and kicking him in the ass until he fell off the dais and landed at my feet.
" Are you quite done?" Grandmother asked, sounding bored. I had to admit, it was pretty badass. Grandmother 1, Gaul 0.
" I WILL KILL YOU!" Gaul screamed and charged for the dais again. I had no doubt he would try. Eventually his youth and strength would wear down the old woman who was giving him a beating.
Without thinking, I tore off the belt I was wearing and looped it around Gaul's neck. He was brought up short and fell backwards onto me. I tightened the belt, and he dropped his knife, his fingers clawing at the belt now cutting off his air supply.
Grandmother and the others watched calmly from the
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