Chapter Thirty-One-ways.

Chapter Thirty-One-ways.
ARTEMIS’S POINT OF VIEW
“Not really…” He narrows his eyes more and looks at me as if he’s trying to read my mind.
I wouldn’t advise him to because he just might catch insanity from me.
I take the glass of whiskey and drink it all.
After one minute, his eyes went wide as if he came to a revelation.
“You killed him!” I start laughing at his reaction, and he shakes his head as if he can’t believe I’m reacting like this.
“Not yet,” I answer between chuckles, and he opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again, then opens it. He looks like a fish out of water.
How would he look in miniature, in a tiny aquarium as a little fish?
Okay, waitress outfit, and now this?
Jesus, Artemis, calm the fuck down.
“You kidnapped him?” he asks as if he’s silently praying I will say no.
“Mhm…” His reaction is priceless—wide eyes, open mouth, and all that.
“Where is he?”
“My basement?” I say or ask, -depending on who you’re asking-, with a huge smile, again, flashing my teeth.
“What the fuck? Please don’t tell me that you have a wall covered with his photos and you kidnapped him for your own pleasure,” he says in a hopeful voice, and I burst out laughing like a mad woman.
That shit was funny.
He keeps staring at me while I’m laughing because I just can’t stop.
Now he definitely thinks I’m nuts.
“When you’re ready, you can continue…” he gestures with his hand as I try to catch a breath of air and stop.
“Okay, okay. Fun spoiler. A few nights ago, I got a job. As usual. Name, address. I hacked the police database, and I found my target. Guess who it was. And you get to pick once.” His eyes widen again, and I nod.
“No. Fucking. Shit!”
“That’s what I said! And I was so shocked that I didn’t even realize who he was! My research...” I trail off, not wanting to tell him that my research turned into stalking, and after that, I didn’t look more into his background.
I’m ashamed of myself. Vincenzi is not a name you hear every day, and I did business with his father. I should have figured it out straight away.
“So you have to kill him,” he states, and I nod again.
“Then why is he still in your basement? I suppose that alive…”
“That he is,” I confirm and take a big breath.
Nothing makes sense.
“Artemis, why is he still alive? And since when do you bring victims home?” He asks, concerned, and again, I shrug my shoulders.
“Since I couldn’t pull the trigger, I panicked. And I didn’t know what else to do.” I explain my lack of... everything.
“Have you tried with a FUCKING KNIFE?!” He snaps, and I start laughing again.
Okay, this is not good.
“Fuck, that’s funny. But, nope, didn’t try that,” I reply as I try to get back to normal, well, as normal as I can get right now, and he looks at me, puzzled.
“I don’t get it. Why? You want to quit being an assassin? Is he innocent? Or?” he asks genuinely curious, and I honestly would love to have the answer to his question.
“Nooooo, I love my job. But it’s him! He’s the fucking problem!” I turn from laughing to shouting angrily.
Not sure with whom I’m angry yet.
“Elaborate.”
“I don’t know why, that’s why I’m here, actually. Since you know me better than I know myself, I was hoping maybe you could help me. And... as you probably saw by now... I’m kinda losing it.” He taps his chin with his index finger as he pauses to let all my craziness sink in. I guess.
“You want me to do it for you?” he asks, and for some unknown reason, I get all worked up.
“No! Don’t even think about it. Only I am allowed to kill him.” My voice sounds more protective than I expected, and Knox hears it too.
“Holy shit, you have feelings for him, don’t you?” he accuses, then starts laughing, but now I don’t find anything funny.
“What the fuck is so funny? I’m dying here!” I say, exasperated, as I throw my hands up.
“Sorry, but I never thought I’d get to live to see this day.” he says between chuckles, and I roll my eyes at him.
“And if you keep laughing, you’re not gonna live to see tomorrow. So, tell me what to do. And by the way… there’s more.” I’m joking, I couldn’t harm him to save my life.
“What else can it be?” he asks amused.
“He also has feelings for me. He hired three detectives to find me. Okay, not me, me. The other me. And he talked so fucking nicely about me. But he doesn’t know I’m me. Fuck, I sound like a lunatic. Does anything make sense?” I ask in a desperate voice, and he shrugs his shoulders.
“In a very twisted way… it does. But what did he say about you?”
“Let’s say that I never felt so special...” I say with a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach.
“Well... I’m happy for you...?” he starts laughing again, and I join in. Well, it is funny.
“Sorry, but this is fucked up.” I agree one hundred percent.
“And what now? I mean, there’s a small chance he’ll change his mind after he sees you, and he won’t say nice things.” he says in a soft voice, afraid to hurt me.
“Oh, about that. When I told him I’m a professional assassin and that I’ve killed more people than I can count, you know what he said?”
“Surprise me.”
“He said that it’s hot.”
“No shit! You are both deranged. He is in your basement waiting for you to kill him, and you’re talking about romance and private life? Seriously?” he asks, shocked, and I nod.
Well, I’m also shocked, but for different reasons, since now I know who he is. Men want soft, delicate women by their side, not serial killers. He probably wants someone he has to protect, not someone who would ask him to wash the blood off her back after she killed ten people.
“Unfortunately. And that’s why I’m here. What do I do?”
“Oh, and one more thing. He’s a Vincenzi as in one of Luci son’s, as in L, currently the leader of the Empire. Maybe the next in line. Not sure since I didn’t bother resear--” I’m actually grateful he interrupts me because I truly don’t want to slip up and tell him I lost myself in Adonis so much that I became a stalker.
“Holy fucking shit!”
“Yes, indeed. Now, I’m not afraid of them. I was just telling you,” I say, and he chuckles, shaking his head.
“I guessed that much. Okay, let’s get serious and find a way out.” He says and rubs his hands together, and for the first time since I got the job, I breathe.