The Pet

Chapter 2

Atlas

Pet.

That couldn't possibly be her name. It had to be some fucked up nickname. If this insane plan worked out, was I really expected to call her that? Pet? Like she's a fucking animal?

This whole thing was fucking ridiculous. She needed to be put down, not invited in.

The woman of the hour sat strapped to a chair in the middle of the basement. It made me uneasy to have a woman down here at all. Let alone strapped down to a chair. In the same place where we'd killed and tortured so many men. It felt wrong. It went against our laws and I really hated that. I'd spent my life living by those laws. And now Reno just wanted to throw it all away for some cracked mafia bitch? She wasn't worth this. She wasn't worth anything.

"Wake her," Reno tells Rhodes.

Rhodes moves forward and raises the butt of his rifle. My stomach turns as he raises it, but he just pushes it against her shoulder trying to shake her awake. Her small body moves but barely, her head still lulling forward. Her dark waves of hair hiding her face from me.

She had taken me by surprise last night. I'd nearly dropped the needle when she threw the door open. Her dark hair framing her face, her hood shadowing her sharp features. She was so young. And her eyes. Those grey eyes. Like a stormy ocean. I'd barely had the good sense to catch her as she fell.

But after the initial shock of her beauty wore off, I was back to the way I'd felt before I'd seen her. I'd heard of the things she'd done. Every gang in Reaper had. The Scathes didn't try to keep quiet about having her in their ranks. She was like a shiny little doll that they showed off. A very deadly, fucked up doll.

"You know if you wanna go out with a lady all you have to do is ask," The feminine voice makes me snap my eyes up. The woman is awake and looking up at Rhodes as he smiles down at her. "Drugging her is very rude."

She doesn't even seem to care that she woke up strapped to a fucking chair.

"It is? Forgive me. It's been a while since I've dated."

"Clearly, because this," She tugs on her restraints for emphasis. "This is a little kinky for a first date."

Rhodes chuckles and I find myself wanting to punch him in the stomach.

Reno clears his throat and steps forward. Rhodes steps back immediately, his calm impassive exterior taking over.

The woman looks at Reno. It's easy to see that she knows who he is. But she doesn't look remotely concerned that she's facing the boss of the Reapers.

"Pet," He nods in greeting. "I'm pleased to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

The woman smiles like a cat. "Have you?"

Reno nods. "Why do you think you're tied up in my basement?"

"Well I thought I was on a date." Pet batts her eyes innocently, flicking them back to Rhodes who clears his throat trying to hold back his reaction.

To my surprise, my boss laughs. "You really are everything they say."

The woman's grin crawls even higher up her cheeks and I hate how much she's clearly enjoying this. "And what do they say?" She asks.

"My people tell me," Reno begins. "That you'll do anything asked of you, anything at all."

"That depends." She finally hummed cocking her head to the side, staring a little harder at my boss with those dark eyes.

My fingers tingled. I'd break anyone that looked at him too long. And the look she was giving him now, made me wanna snap her little neck.

We don't do that here. I remind myself. Not to women.

...Does she really count though?

"On?" Reno asked, his lips twisted up a smirk. He was fucking enjoying this. For fucks sake.

"If you get on my good side." The Pet's smile was lethal. Promising. My back stiffened and I had to hold myself back from lunging forward and pushing Reno out her face before she tore his throat out. But she didn't. Her face morphed back, indifference taking its place.

"I want you."

I set my jaw at my bosses words. I wasn't one for killing without purpose but this bitch was a Scathe. She never said no. She was certifiably insane. Why the fuck would we trust her on our side?

The women remained indifferent. I had a feeling that if her hands were tied behind her back she'd be picking at her nails in shear boredom. She was a good showman. I'd give her that much.

"So tell me, Reno Sepapore." She drawled out his name long and hard. I could see the guard, Andros shift on the other side of the room. His discomfort probably as clear as mine. "What can you offer me that the Scathes can't?"

"Power." Reno said it with no hesitation. The promise making me clench my fists.

"I'm listening," The Pet said in return.

Reno begins to walk leisurely in front of her. "You see, Pet, my men are loyal beyond belief. Smart, cunning. More than I can say for your Scathes." The woman let out a hiss but Reno ignored her. "But I do not have anyone who holds surprise." He slowed his pace. His eyes meet mine for a moment before they snap back to the woman strapped to the chair in front of us. "The world knows my men. They know their bravery and their strengths and their loyalty to me. So it's easier to guess what they'd do, what we'd do as a whole. And well, after 45 years in the business, I think you can understand how that gets a bit old."

The woman was silent for a few moments while she watched Reno, who'd stopped in front of her again. Her lips perked to the side as she thought.

"So let me get this straight," She raised a dark eyebrow. "You're willing to give me a position of power, because you want to be less predictable?"

I shifted. My heals digging harder into the soles of my shoes.

Reno shrugged. "You'll be on a trial run for a while. Until you prove you're not spying and you're not going to go running back to your precious Scathes any time soon. But afterwards, yes." Reno shrugged again. "Maybe you can earn a nickname besides 'The Pet'"

"I like my nickname." The woman said back.

Reno smiled at that. "I'm sure you do."

To my surprise, the woman smiled back, that same deadly smile. Her black hair fell from her face as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Do I get to think about it?" She asked aloud, not looking at anyone in particular.

"Do you need to?" Reno asked back.

The woman's cheeks tugged up in her signature wicked grin. "No."