Tell Me No Lies: The Black Orchid, Book 1 by Magnolia Smith Page B
Authors: Magnolia Smith
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Theodore hovering by.
He smiled our way. “You need something, mon? Another drink? Some food, maybe?” Mark shook his head and the bartender looked at me. “And you my friend, where is your pretty girl?”
“Gone.” I shot him a blank look. “Flew out today.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “That’s why you look so glum, huh?” The bartender moved to help another customer.
Mark pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, slapped them on the bar and lowered his voice. “Your instructions are on a microchip embedded in the third cigarette from the right. Someone could already be in your room waiting for you, so don’t go there. We’ll have your luggage shipped to you.”
I shrugged. “Only have clothes back there. Nothing important.” Just memories.
“Fine . When you leave here, go directly to the taxi stand in front of the hotel. Take the fifth cab in line. Make sure the driver is wearing a green hat backwards. He’s one of ours. He’ll get you to our company jet.” He finished his drink and signaled for another. “Who’s the girl?”
“Nobody. Just a chick I picked up on the beach. We fucked. You know how it goes.”
“Fuck buddy or not, whoever’s watching you doesn’t know that. They’ll have someone watch her for a while, make sure you don’t show up at her house, so they can off you in her bed. Her too, just for the hell of it.” He stared at me. “Might want to warn her.”
“Don’t know her last name, and didn’t get her phone number.”
“Yeah? You seem awfully sad for a guy that’s been relaxing in the islands for months.” He lowered his voice. “After your kill, I expected to find you in high spirits.” Mark slapped me on the back. “The Group is pleased.”
“Pleased enough to let me go early?”
He shook his head. “You signed a seven-year contract. The Group is serious about getting a return on their investment in you. So, what’s your problem?”
“You just told me there’s a price on my head and my parents are in South America.”
“Yeah, but that’s just a normal day in the office for you. I’m going to ask you again. Who’s the girl?”
“I’m telling you, she was just a lay.”
“I hope for your sake and hers, that’s true. The Group doesn’t want its operatives with attachments. Of course, if you contacted her, you’d basically be signing her death warrant.”
I picked up the cigarettes and shoved them in my pocket. I finished my beer and slapped him on the back. Hard. “See you around, Mark.”
Looking over my shoulder once, I headed for the taxi stand. I couldn’t contact Rain. I couldn’t call her, email her, text her or write her, not until I put enough distance between us. Not until I was sure the threat was gone. And then there was The Group. My employer. Yeah, I’d agreed not to get married, not to have children, not to visit my family more than twice a year, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a life outside of my job.
I’d read the fine print. I’d had a lawyer look at it. I could have a girlfriend if I wanted to. The Group wouldn’t be happy about it, but as long as I did my job, what could they do? I just had to find the girl that I wanted, and who wanted me back. I’d found her. One in a fucking million. I aimed to keep her.
I would find out who was after me. I’d kill him with my bare hands—rip his esophagus out, crush his skull in and tear out his heart. It didn’t matter how long it took, I would eliminate the threat. And then, I’d find Rain.
Chapter Six
Three Months Ago
“Where is he?”
He paused for a moment as the sounds in the background of the long-distance phone call reached a fever pitch. There were guttural sounds of men fighting, the clanging of metal and fists hitting flesh.
He cleared his throat. “Sir, are you still there?”
There was a growl in the phone. “I said where is he?”
“I haven’t found him yet.”
“Do you hear what is behind me? The sounds of animals, these men…I’m
He smiled our way. “You need something, mon? Another drink? Some food, maybe?” Mark shook his head and the bartender looked at me. “And you my friend, where is your pretty girl?”
“Gone.” I shot him a blank look. “Flew out today.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “That’s why you look so glum, huh?” The bartender moved to help another customer.
Mark pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, slapped them on the bar and lowered his voice. “Your instructions are on a microchip embedded in the third cigarette from the right. Someone could already be in your room waiting for you, so don’t go there. We’ll have your luggage shipped to you.”
I shrugged. “Only have clothes back there. Nothing important.” Just memories.
“Fine . When you leave here, go directly to the taxi stand in front of the hotel. Take the fifth cab in line. Make sure the driver is wearing a green hat backwards. He’s one of ours. He’ll get you to our company jet.” He finished his drink and signaled for another. “Who’s the girl?”
“Nobody. Just a chick I picked up on the beach. We fucked. You know how it goes.”
“Fuck buddy or not, whoever’s watching you doesn’t know that. They’ll have someone watch her for a while, make sure you don’t show up at her house, so they can off you in her bed. Her too, just for the hell of it.” He stared at me. “Might want to warn her.”
“Don’t know her last name, and didn’t get her phone number.”
“Yeah? You seem awfully sad for a guy that’s been relaxing in the islands for months.” He lowered his voice. “After your kill, I expected to find you in high spirits.” Mark slapped me on the back. “The Group is pleased.”
“Pleased enough to let me go early?”
He shook his head. “You signed a seven-year contract. The Group is serious about getting a return on their investment in you. So, what’s your problem?”
“You just told me there’s a price on my head and my parents are in South America.”
“Yeah, but that’s just a normal day in the office for you. I’m going to ask you again. Who’s the girl?”
“I’m telling you, she was just a lay.”
“I hope for your sake and hers, that’s true. The Group doesn’t want its operatives with attachments. Of course, if you contacted her, you’d basically be signing her death warrant.”
I picked up the cigarettes and shoved them in my pocket. I finished my beer and slapped him on the back. Hard. “See you around, Mark.”
Looking over my shoulder once, I headed for the taxi stand. I couldn’t contact Rain. I couldn’t call her, email her, text her or write her, not until I put enough distance between us. Not until I was sure the threat was gone. And then there was The Group. My employer. Yeah, I’d agreed not to get married, not to have children, not to visit my family more than twice a year, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a life outside of my job.
I’d read the fine print. I’d had a lawyer look at it. I could have a girlfriend if I wanted to. The Group wouldn’t be happy about it, but as long as I did my job, what could they do? I just had to find the girl that I wanted, and who wanted me back. I’d found her. One in a fucking million. I aimed to keep her.
I would find out who was after me. I’d kill him with my bare hands—rip his esophagus out, crush his skull in and tear out his heart. It didn’t matter how long it took, I would eliminate the threat. And then, I’d find Rain.
Chapter Six
Three Months Ago
“Where is he?”
He paused for a moment as the sounds in the background of the long-distance phone call reached a fever pitch. There were guttural sounds of men fighting, the clanging of metal and fists hitting flesh.
He cleared his throat. “Sir, are you still there?”
There was a growl in the phone. “I said where is he?”
“I haven’t found him yet.”
“Do you hear what is behind me? The sounds of animals, these men…I’m
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