Chapter 19 And Then Some.
Delilah
I drove out and onto the street.
I knew exactly where I was headed. The old town farmhouse. My safe haven for meetings like this. It was better when it was abandoned and far off from the town. So I used it every single time and I've never had problems with it.
This was going to be very simple.
Darius wasn't dumb. And if he was, then he wasn't that easy.
So get me a plan B and be sure of my plan B so much so that when things went under the rug, I would have a plan B. That was basically it.
I parked by the farmhouse, the place very familiar from the night visit we'd had a couple of hours ago. I'd come out early enough so that it didn't interfere with work. I hoped this was worth it.
We hadn't seen each other's faces, or at least I hadn't seen his. But I knew he was trustworthy. I knew I could use him. I'd used him multiple times.
Let's just say my track record for killing people wasn't as clean as my husband thought.
I walked inside and waited there. Things were easier like this.
Wait. Pay. Go.
I stood there for a while, realizing that he was coming very late and wondering why. I gave it another five minutes, and within the five minutes, he showed up, hood covered, mask worn, as always.
I only knew his voice, which was weird.
For a masculine-looking guy, his voice was very high-pitched, very feminine.
But I had talked it up to a voice changer immediately because none of it really mattered anyway. As long as he was effective, it didn't really matter what he sounded like.
Simply put, I was working with someone who was trained, effective. I just didn't know who he was, and I quite preferred it that way. That way, my surprise, if he actually outed me, would be more palpable, and it would be easier to tell the story.
“Madam, the pay.”
“Here's half. I'll pay you the rest when you actually get the job done. And remember, as we discussed, if she gets killed by my plan A, you refund 70%. I'll let you have 30 because I'm benevolent.”
He nodded.
Without another thought, he folded the money and pushed it into his hoodie pocket, turning around on his heel and walking away.
“Just keep your eyes peeled. I'll let you know when I need you to strike.” He shot me a thumbs up as he walked away, his hand a sign of his approval.
I entered my car and drove off, happy that that part was taken care of.
And that was when I got a call from Darius Andrew again.
Ah, yes. I'd waited for this moment. I'd known he would call for something.
It was either he found out that she had something to do with my husband, or he wanted the talk of pay. There was always something, something to keep me tethered to him, owing him, needing him the rest of my life.
It wasn't something I was proud of, but I had little to no other choice. I needed him, just as he needed me to satisfy his insatiable desires.
“Darius,” I smiled. He could always hear the smile through the phone. I needed to keep my act up, keep it together, no matter what came next.
“You did not tell me she was Jess's ex. Is that why you want to kill her? Is that why you were so defensive about it?” I smiled again, my teeth tight from widening so much.
This was not going to be easy in the slightest.
I picked at a split end on my hair, surprised that the hairdresser hadn't even paid enough attention to get every last split end.
“Darius, I didn't think that your research to find this girl to kill her would involve every last part of her history, no?” My fingers directed the steering carefully.
“Well, you didn't give me enough information and I went to find it myself. And if that counts as history, then I'd be glad to say yes. Because what the hell am I finding out about her working at Alex Corp shortly before now?” He was angry.
“She has ties to you guys. Things can get really messy really quick.”
“Darius, I want one thing. One. Kill the girl. Get her out of my life. Out of my sight. Out of my five senses. And then some. That is all you have to do. And I made that pretty clear last night.” I stopped, waiting a little.
“Do you love me or not?” I heard him falter.
“Not everybody enjoys being ordered around. And the fact that I love you doesn't make me indebted to you in any way. It doesn't even make me have to do anything for you. Especially not murder. And especially not an ex of your husband, whom I don't give two fucks about.”
“So you have two options. Get the record straight. Meet me up and explain everything. Or forget about the entire deal. And then some. Whatever the some is, you will have to take. Nobody orders Darius Andrews around.”
The line went dead.
I looked at my phone for a while, flinging it at the passenger seat. I seethed, driving my way to work, confused.
Darius's words never meant nothing. That “then some” meant something and something serious. This meant serious trouble for me. Whatever it was, I would not like it at all.
And I would not risk putting myself in Darius's hands.
I had thought him reliable. I see where the mistake came from now.
I was fuming now, honking at innocent passersby who drove a tad too slowly or hesitated a bit too much before they moved. The traffic was frustrating. It was getting on every last nerve I had.
I didn't want any of this. Not anymore. I just wanted Aria out.
How was that too much to ask for on the fucking planet?
With one more breath, I drove on, finding my way to the office. It was high time I got back to work.
All this wedding and newly married thing wasn't sitting well with me. All this sitting and waiting for him to come home was not sitting well with me either.
With another breath and a thought to Jess and the “something something”, I parked and walked into the corporate building. It was time to work again.
Hooray.