Out of Time

chapter 24 - control

Benjamin Jones sits in front of me - a surprisingly attractive grin covering his face - sipping his whiskey patiently. His suit jacket hugs his body, displaying sets of huge muscles, and his chestnut hair sits perfectly manicured, framing his strong jawline. The cheap plastic bar stool's backrest bends as he leans back on it.

"What's a girl like you, sitting all alone," my target says, truly curious. It's a pity I have to kill him because he has been admittedly kind and chivalrous. Benjamin is an only child and solely inherited the riches of his parents, along with a myriad of businesses and even more connections. He had a wife until he found out she was cheating on him with his cousin, whom with he had 2 children.

His children, Serena and Aiden, are now well into their teens and stay with their mother, and he "doesn't have the time" to visit them. Absolute bullshit, if you ask me, but no one really batted an eye. The kids have a stepfather that treats them fairly well, so I guess they don't have anything to worry about.

I'm wearing red again, now my seemingly signature colour. Whilst it is practical, with the blood that may splatter on me disguised in the fabric, I have genuinely begun to love it. I pair the bodycon dress with silver t-straps and jewellery, the latter purely there so I can play with them to calm my nerves.

"I'm waiting for my date to rock up," I begin, mixing my practically-untouched martini with the complimentary olive. "However, I have a feeling that he isn't coming."

Along with the 150 thousand dollars I'm receiving, he also works through the one-and-only Alarie Capital Advisors. His companies are completely legal, apart from the occasional facilitation of money laundering, so why someone wants me to assassinate him is a curiosity in itself.  

Anyway, I want to get this over with. Benjamin begins to ramble on about his businesses as a familiar figure strolls into the bar.

What the fuck is Lukas doing here?

I keep my eyes locked on Benjamin, although I can feel Lukas's eyes on me. I grab onto my target's wrist and haul him closer to me to whisper in his ear.

"What do you say we get out here?" I suggest huskily. He shuts up and nods, pulling me out of the crowded room. Benjamin expertly plants kisses down my neck as we enter his Rolls-Royce, not even bothering to tell his driver to drive to his house. I notice Lukas rushing out of the bar glancing around, most likely to spot me, as our car accelerates. 

My heart rate stabilises.

~~

Benjamin's house is cold, the unsteady tone undeterred by the fireplaces found ubiquitously in each room. We first enter into the entryway, the double grand staircase filling up most of the room. The ceilings were extraordinarily high, with mahogany rafters shaping the roof. We stumble through a long, winding hallway and into one of the bedrooms.

"Are we alone?" I whisper into his ear. He nods, mentioning that his maids were all done for the evening. I grind my teeth as his hands tug on my blond wig, the pins holding it in stretching to their fullest. I grab onto his hands and push him onto the bed. He deeply chuckles and lazily relaxes onto the mattress.

"Are you taking control tonight, darling?" he asks, smirking. I nod, returning his smile. I remove one of the pins from my hair that's extraordinarily sharp and coated with a solution of white snakeroot and bleach. One prick to the carotid artery, and he'll be dead in about 5 minutes.

I glide towards the man, rubbing my hands up his torso. As I unbutton his collar, I push the encrusted pin into his skin. He hisses in pain, but I just glance at him, confused.

"What was that?" he demands. He wipes the side of his neck and examines the blood gushing out his body.

"You're here to kill me, aren't you," he states. I reel back in shock before nodding. He sighs, pushing me off his lap and walking towards the glass cabinet, where he takes out an evidently aged whiskey and two heavy glasses. The dark brown liquid beautifully cascades into the tall tumblers, before Benjamin hands one to me. I wait until he takes a gulp of his to sip my own beverage, letting the burn soothe my nerves.