GRAY. 

I know dangerous men. 

I’ve killed so many dangerous men, I don’t think that I can count how many. When I am there to take their lives, there is no way that they are able to do anything. They try to fight back but it is futile. There’s no way they would be able to win against me. I know how to fight, I’m a dangerous person when it comes to them. I always end up taking their lives with their weapon of choice. Those who put up a fight get killed with their own weapon. I like it that way.

But you know what I can’t dodge? A footage of me killing someone. 

The law enforcement will be all up on me by the time I close my eyes. My previous kills are also smart people; they did have cameras. I get rid of the evidence collected right after but how on Earth can I get rid of evidence that is there, but also isn’t? There were no cameras in that room, but Lennox wasn’t bluffing because I could see myself on the live feed on his phone. I have to give it to him though. He’s a smart guy. An endangered smart guy. It’s too bad that he will be dead soon enough.

Entering my apartment, Holly is on my sofa scrolling through her phone. She knows that I am in, but she just hasn’t acknowledged me yet. I go to the kitchen to fix myself some coffee and get out of this damn suit. I wear a suit everywhere. It’s professional and I really have no personal style, so I just stick to suits. It’s easier than having to clean my clothes every day from the blood. Holly decides to meet me in the kitchen. Her brown hair is down and reaching her waist. She really needs to cut that thing; I don’t know how she survives like that.

“So, how was it?” She asks me as she gives me a cup to fill up for her, “is he as handsome as they say he is? If he was my type, I would have definitely scooped him up.”

Handsome, he’s handsome alright.

But very naïve… He does have balls though.

I remember those brown eyes taking me in for the first time. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking when he finally saw me. I could see the fear for a few seconds, something that I am used to, but after a few seconds, it was gone. It didn’t return until I told him that there would be more to come. It seems to me like he was confused as to why anyone would want to kill him, but that makes me even more curious. I don’t know why someone would want to kill him in the first place, he’s not a dangerous person.

Or maybe he is the most dangerous of them all.

“Did he beg?” Holly continues, a teasing look in her eyes because she likes to know what happens. Sadistic lady, “try and fight? I wonder if he even tried to seduce you because I heard that he likes men. Did that happen?”

I just glare at her. These are not very appropriate questions. As much as I enjoy getting rid of the bad guys, I don’t feel like Lennox is.

“You should have let me go with you.” She grumbles, pouting slightly because she doesn’t know what to do about it, “I wanted to see him.”

“Why?” I ask her, confused, “that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. He’s not anything important.”

I went there to kill the man, not collect his autograph. She shrugs and takes away her mug from me without so much as a thank you. I follow her into the living room, shrugging off my suit jacket before settling into the chair next to Holly. I don’t know how to explain to her everything that has happened, feeling a bit weird because I don’t know what to do. I have never failed before.

“Should I call to confirm the kill?” Holly suddenly asks, becoming more professional like she should be.

I just sip on my coffee. How do I tell her this? I clear my throat first because that’s always a good idea. It’s strange that it even happened this way. What am I going to do? I don’t even know.

“I didn’t kill him.” I admit to her, hating to even admit it, “refund the payment.”

“I’m sorry, what?” She is leaning closer now, probably thinking that she had heard me wrong, “what did you just say?”

“I didn’t kill the guy.” I have to repeat myself, avoiding her knowing gaze, “so, no confirmation. Refund the money and move on.”

“Okay, I will do that.” She assures me, frowning because she knows this isn’t the right thing to happen, “but you have to tell me. You’re not hurt, and you look the same as you did before you got out.”

She is scanning my face, probably trying to see what I am hiding. I hate how knowing she is, feeling like she is seeing right through me. I think it is precisely why we have remained friends for so long.

“What happened?” She wonders, raising an eyebrow slightly, “this isn’t like you.”

“Nothing happened.” I act like I don’t have any idea what she’s talking about, “don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t act coy with me, Silas.” She now sounds like an annoyed best friend which is a little funny, “what happened? Don’t even try to lie to me again.”

She’s one of the few people who get to call me by my actual name. If she would have been anyone else, they would have been shot where they stood. Either way, I give in and tell her everything. I know that she isn’t going to judge me the way that others would because it is clear that nothing more would come from it. I don’t know how I feel about this, knowing how odd this might seem.

“Wow.” She whispers, shocked, “he really had some balls to stick up to you, Silas, everyone knows what kind of an asshole you can be, and you NEVER stop the kill.”

Yeah, I’m surprised, too. I have never done this before. I’ve never broken my code. I receive, and I execute. But I guess Lennox will be the first and last. 

“Who ordered the hit?” I finally ask, the question having been on my mind, “did you trace the money like I told you to? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

I have to know what is going on.

We tried tracing the text but got absolutely nothing. It only led us to a kid’s computer in Lagos, Nigeria. I know Mafia men are everywhere, but they don’t go that far from home. They love the comfort America provides way too much. It seems like they have made sure to wipe their tracks that way they would never be found. None of it makes sense though.

“I got nothing. The lead led me nowhere.” Holly admits, looking a little frustrated because she is normally great at tracking, “the coders who can pull this type of things off are usually freelancers. They do the job, they get paid, and then they vanish. So that is also a dead end.”

That makes sense. Only a crazy man would want Lennox dead, and he would be an even crazier man if he thought it would be easy. Like I said, no one dared to want the pretty boy dead. He’s made sure there’s iron clad security for him and his family, but it seems that it is about to change. I put my now cold coffee away. I don’t know why he has remained in my mind. I don’t like it at all.

“Got it. Next job.” I murmur, wanting to get the pretty boy out of my mind for good, “who is next on my list?”

Holly nods but does open her mouth to say something but thinks better of it and clamps it shut instead. She’s probably going to tell me to slow down but she knows that I won’t. Working has always gotten my mind off of things that I wish to forget entirely. It’s just how it is. The sin that I carry. She places her phone in front of me, and I see a picture of a man.

Massimo. What an odd name. He’ll be much like Fergie.

My assumption was correct. He is much like Fergie, but the only difference is that he is unmarried. I suspect it has something to do with him not wanting to pay alimony or share half of his assets with anyone. Another cheap bastard. I wonder what I’m going to have to do to him soon enough.

“Massimo Diaz,” Holly murmurs, going through all the details now, “he is currently in Abu Dhabi for vacation. He just made a huge win, which is why his competitor put a hit on him. I sense that he has had enough of competing and just wants Massimo dead. He’s a bad man. We will save a lot of women by getting rid of him…”

I know that. I know every one of them. I’m making them all kill each other like I know they would, and they are none the wiser. As long as the police do not catch me, I’ll never stop until each and every one of them are dead. I bet they will roll in their graves when they realize they pay me to eradicate them all.

“I know.” I murmur in agreement, “he will be dead soon enough.”

“Great, I’ll book our ticket. We will leave tomorrow afternoon.” She replies as she gets up and stretches, “I haven’t had a vacation in a long time. I’ll pack my bikinis to get some hot men. I know I’m pretty desperate right now to have someone big and hulky. Don’t you think?”

Of course, typical Holly.

“We’re not going on vacation.” I remind her sternly, “we do the job and then we leave. I hope you booked the flight under our alias.”

She rolls her eyes at me before a smug grin comes across her face, “but wouldn’t you quite enjoy it if you managed to get your hands on Lennox? I know you were interested in him, it’s clear by the look on your face.”

I just don’t give her a response, knowing that is what she wants. She has made up her mind and as usual, I’m going to let her think what she wants. Turning away from her, I just go about my business, knowing that I’m going to need a shower and a good nap. I don’t know why my body is acting so weird right now, unsure of what to think about it. I couldn’t be sure what to do about it, feeling a bit weird with everything happening right now. I don’t know why I can’t get his brown eyes out of my mind and how he looks at me so innocently. It is making me feel weird, unsure of what to do about it. What is so special about him?

I do not know.

I don’t believe that I want to find out either. I know he is going to die and there’s just nothing that can be done about it. I mean of course I know precisely that he could be protected but he is not worth it in my eyes. Why should I drop everything to protect him? Closing my eyes, I just let out an annoyed noise because there’s nothing more that I can do. 

Lennox Cambridge is just destined to die.