Chapter 24: Codename: Blackheart Chapter Twenty-Four

After a long, tedious, and uncomfortably silent flight, the jet finally lands home. Marcel doesn’t hesitate before grabbing the bags and exiting the jet while I try to wake Alec up. Alec didn’t bombard me with his usual never-ending list of questions during the flight, which gave me time to think and mentally prepare. After I told him everything about The Tournament, he became extremely quiet, eventually falling asleep, which gave Marcel and me plenty of time to discuss what to do moving forward.

“Alec?” I softly call, giving him a slight shake to jostle him. He awakens with a start, instinctively wrapping his hand around my throat in a vice-like grip, his eyes looking frantic as they search for the threat. Not the reaction I was expecting, but pretty reasonable given I did stalk and abduct him with plans to kill him. Plans I haven’t given up on just yet.

Once recognition dawns in his eyes, he’s quick to release my throat from his grasp. I rub and rotate my neck to soothe the soreness as I straighten up. What’s with him choking me today? I enjoyed it more in the shower though.

“Fuck, Heart, I’m so sorry,” he apologises profusely as he sits up.

I clear my throat, “I’ve had better. You’re just lucky Marcel didn’t see that, or you’d be dead right now.”

“I swear I didn’t mean it. I’m so, so sorry,” he says, looking up at me with guilty eyes. The man has had a peak behind the curtain to my life, does he really think something like this would bother me? He must not have been paying attention.

“It’s fine. Now come on. Marcel is waiting in the car.”

“We’re here?” he asks in surprise.

“No, we just like to fly at great speeds with the door wide open. Nothing like the wind of high altitude blowing in your hair and ruining cabin pressure,” I say sarcastically.

“You could have just said ‘yes’,” he says in annoyance.

“And you could have not asked a stupid question, but here we are,” I retort as I walk down the cabin and make my way off the jet. Alec quickly trails behind me and follows to the waiting car. Marcel is already behind the wheel, ready to go. I get in the back seat with Alec and as soon as the doors close, Marcel is taking off.

The drive is silent. I’m discreetly monitoring Alec out of the corner of my eye as he watches the Moldovan landscape whiz by through the tinted windows of the SUV. He actually looks quite mesmerized.

“You know this is the first time I’ve ever been outside of the US,” he says offhandedly. I casually glance over at him and note Marcel watching us through the rear-view mirror.

“So, then that was your first time on a plane?” I ask.

“No. I’ve travelled within the US,” he tells me. 

“I’m wondering, how does a supplier of your calibre with such an extensive criminal record manage to operate such an empire without ever leaving the United States?” I ask in a detached voice, watching as his entire body stiffens. Marcel is smirking in the front seat, but I’m keeping my eyes on Alec, my face entirely devoid of emotions.

“You don’t have to leave the country to be good at your job,” he says, avoiding eye contact.

“Actually, leaving the country is required in order for me to be good at my job,” I say in a bemused tone.

“Well, that doesn’t apply to all of us!” he snaps as he balls his hands into fists in his lap.

“Has something I said touched a nerve, Alec?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

“Just tell me when we’ve arrived,” he grumbles, curling up against the door so close he might become one with the car soon. I share a glance with Marcel as we continue to drive in silence.

Eventually Marcel pulls up to the house and we all exit the car. Marcel moves like lightning grabbing the bags from the car and taking them inside with a Cheshire Cat smile on his face. He’s loving this a little too much, but I admit I would be the same in his shoes. I walk around to Alec’s side as he stands by the car just staring at the exterior of the house.

“You live in a mansion?” he asks in stunned surprise.

“Castle, actually. Don’t think about it too much,” I say as I guide him inside.

The moment we enter the house, my mum rushes over and wraps her arms tight around me, “Are you okay?” she asks me, unable to keep the worry out of her voice.

I hug her tightly. “Mum, we knew this was coming,” I say soothingly as I rub her back.

“That doesn’t mean I like it. Not to mention…” Her words taper off as she notices Alec behind me. “You brought a guest?” she asks, her voice and face full of surprise.

“Sort of.”

My dad walks over with Marcel at his side smiling from ear to ear, “You never bring guests, and with good reason,” Dad says suspiciously.

“Mum, Dad, meet my mark, Alec. Alec, meet my parents, Aconite and Scythe,” I say casually.

My parent's heads snap to me in such perfect synchronisation you’d think they had rehearsed it. “Did you somehow forget that you’re supposed to kill your marks, not bring them over for a visit?” my mother questions.

“Happened to encounter a little snag. Turns out the entire hit was a set-up to kill me. Funny, right?” I say light-heartedly, but my parent’s faces suddenly turn murderous.

Dad pulls his gun from the back of his slacks and cocks it, “Whose head am I putting a bullet in?” he says in a low threatening voice. 

I look over to see Alec turning as white as a ghost. Aside from the introduction, this entire conversation is taking place in Romanian, so it’s clear Alec doesn’t understand a word and now probably thinks my parents want to kill him. It’s taking all my years of training not to fall on the floor laughing.

“Dad, I have it all under control, I promise. I may have had to take an unconventional approach, but trust that I have a plan,” I assure him.

“Sweetheart, I know you always admired the story of how we met, but we never thought you’d try and emulate it,” says my mother teasingly.

I roll my eyes, “Not even remotely the same situation.”

“Uh huh, so then why is the man you were supposed to kill hiding behind you like you’re his bodyguard?” Mum asks, smirking as she folds her arms over her chest, Dad looking between Alec and me suspiciously. I look behind me to indeed see Alec using me as a human shield. For Christ’s sake, man. Show some dignity.

I pull Alec beside me and switch to English. “Alec, for whatever reason, seems to feel safe with me around.” This makes Marcel snort, so I glare at him. “He also refused to leave my side, and this works out because at least this way, you two can keep an eye on him, and if he does anything suspicious, you can just kill him,” I smile.

“What?!” Alec shrieks.

Dad walks over and wraps his arm around Alec’s shoulders causing Alec to look up at him in fear. “Come. Let me show you my gun collection,” Dad says, pulling Alec towards his gun room as Alec looks back at me with fear-filled eyes. It’s not till they’re out of sight that I let myself laugh.

“Marcel, could you give us a moment? There’s pie in the kitchen if you’re hungry,” says my mother, not taking her eyes off me.

“I do love your pie. Even if it was poisoned, I’d still eat it,” he says kissing her cheek, making her smile, and then leaving the room.

“Well, I should go unpack,” I say, grabbing the bags.

“Do you think sleeping with a man you were hired to kill is wise?” she asks me pointedly.

I look myself over, “Sorry, I was just searching for the scarlet letter that appears to be missing from my outfit.”

“You brought him home, Alina… please tell me he doesn’t know your name,” she says in alarm.

I roll my eyes. “The fact that I introduced you by your codenames should have been a clue. We had sex, that’s all. Given the unusual circumstances of this contract, I don’t see the harm in enjoying myself. Normal rules do not apply here.”

“I hope you have plans to take care of the one who set this whole thing up,” she says with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders, “I have everything planned. Admittedly, The Tournament has thrown in another complication, but I can still work with it, provided I survive. I’ll tell you everything and then you can fill in Dad.”

“I’ll make the tea,” she says, wrapping her arm around my waist and guiding me to the kitchen, “You do know you have left that boy unattended with your father in a room full of loaded guns, right?”

I chuckle. “I know. He’s going to be scared shitless,” I say, laughing harder.