“So what did he do? To deserve an assassination by you?”
“I have no clue, it was just an order.”
“But you failed. So…”
“I thought he was dead,” I growl at her. “I didn’t fail. Something else happened.”
“Oh.” She sighs, and then mutters, “OK,” at me, tiring of my evasive answers quickly, and for that I’m grateful. I’m not in the mood to talk about what I’ve been doing the past two years.
“So how come you haven’t killed Merc?” Sasha, that little faker, asks from the back.
“Why would I kill Merc?”
“You killed all the rest. So how come not Merc?”
I scowl at her in the rear view.
“You killed all the other what?” Harper asks now.
Fuck.
“Assassins.” Sasha again. “He’s supposed to be the only one left besides Merc. So I’m just curious, why Merc? Because he’s not a nice guy. He’s not a good guy. He’s not a Company guy either. He’s nasty and mean and since I knew all those other assassins you took out, even if it was just casually, I just don’t get it.”
I say nothing. Because this is yet another puzzle piece that requires some thinking. How the f**k does this kid know so much about my business? And who the f**k is setting me up? And if Sasha and I are actually working for the same person, that’s one thing. But I’m not getting the impression that’s the case. In fact, all my previous loyalties are coming into question at the moment. Who do I trust? Whose plan is this?
“There’s more, you know,” Sasha continues in the wake of my silence.
“More what?” I laugh out the words in an attempt to feign amusement.
“More assassins. More than you know of. Lots more.”
I am not amused. “I don’t want to talk about it, OK? Just a couple more hours and we’ll be in Palm Springs. Until then, shut the f**k up.”
“James,” Harper says in a calm voice. “It’s better if we all know what’s going on.”
“The Smurf back there is the only one who knows what’s going on, why not ask her.”
“He’s crazy,” Sasha says as Harper turns back to her. “They’re all crazy. You had to have seen them growing up, right? Even if it was just briefly, you had to have seen them. It’s not easy to miss the fact that you have to be psychotic to do a job like this.”
“Sasha, I’m not gonna say it again. Shut the f**k up. I’m not the crazy one here, OK?” I look over at Harper and she’s got that look in her eyes again. That same look she had back in Huntington when she was trying to figure out if she was my target. And she has no f**king right. No f**king right. “I’m not the one who just jumped off the roof of a moving vehicle to tackle a dirt bike. I’m not the one who just snapped a man’s neck like it was nothing. I’m not the one who’s been living in the middle of nowhere for three months. You two”—I point to Harper and then jerk my thumb in the direction of the back seat—“you f**king girls are the crazy ones.”
“Hmmm,” is all Harper says.
Sasha keeps her mouth shut for once.
And that’s how they leave it. With me being a dick.
I try to forget about the question and just drive. I don’t want to fight with Harper. She’s the only f**king reason I’m doing any of this. Fighting with her defeats every objective I have. I just want to get out of this goddamned sun, close the curtains, make everything dark, and—
“I think I know why he didn’t kill Merc.”
“Why?” Harper asks quickly, turning around to see Sasha.
“Because Merc is gonna kill him.”
“That’s f**king it!” I swerve the Hummer over to the almost nonexistent shoulder, and slam on the brakes. “You shut your f**king mouth, kid. Or I swear to f**king God, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Harper asks, her eyebrows raised up to the ceiling. “She’s got legitimate questions, James. And to be honest, I’m interested in the answers. Who was the guy who took her? And why was he sending me messages?”
“Harper, use your f**king brain. Why do you think he was sending you messages?”
“Why? If he knew where to find me, then why didn’t he just take me? Why play this game? I’m sure my father has a reward out. Or a hit.”
“Oh, is that where we’re at again? You think I’m here to kill you? Did you know the Smurf is a killer too? Or did you not put that two plus two together yet?”
“Don’t insult me, Tet. I figured that out, thanks.”
“Then maybe you’re her target and not mine? How about that?”
“So why hasn’t she killed me?”
“I haven’t killed you either, but you still think that’s my job. And while we’re all playing let’s-confess-to-shit-we’re-not-doing, what’s your job, Harper? Who the f**k are you and your brother after?”
“Oh, snap!” Sasha says.
“Shut up!” Harp and I yell together.
“She’s playing us, you do realize that, right? I mean, you can see that now, right? She’s egging us on, making us fight.”
“I’m just trying to tell you something,” Sasha squeals. “Something you don’t know but I do. And you know what? Forget it. You don’t deserve my help if you’re gonna treat me like a traitor! I was kidnapped for her!” She shoves Harper on the shoulder and Harp slaps her hand off, turning around like she’s gonna dive back there and start a real fight.