Imagine That (Woody McClain Chronicles)

Assassin ( 2)

Loose Ends.

           

"Your hair is gorgeous! How long have you been natural?" She smiled in the woman's face pretending to admire her loose curls. Really all she could think about was ripping them from her scalp, or stringing her up by them until they couldn't hold anymore.

The woman cheesed appreciatively and immediately started talking about her natural hair journey. Black Mamba listened with a smile on her face. Honestly, if she hadn't become an assassin she'd be a damn good actress. The woman rambled on and on about her hair then herself and finally her boyfriend Eli. Mamba pretended to be completely oblivious to the information she was given.

"He sells real estate so he's busy a lot of the time so it's just me. I work from home so ya know.." The woman shrugged.

He's a murderer and why would you tell a stranger you're alone most of the time?

"But God knows I love that man." She gushed.

God ain't got nothin' to do with it, honey...oh and so did I, so much that it hurt. Love ruined everything.

"That's so sweet. I bet ya'll are cute together." Mamba bit back the urge to gag at her own words.

Before she knew it, the woman had invited her to lunch at her house. Mamba had convinced her that she'd just moved to the area and didn't know anyone. She was her first "friend" and the woman was thrilled.

Ashley was the name she gave her unsuspecting victim and in return she got Gabrielle.

                                                                                ~~~~~~

"So what exactly does an international real estate agent do?" Mamba asked with shallow curiosity as she took another bite of the spinach tortellini Gabrielle prepared for them. She had been sitting at the island counter in the kitchen for two hours now and Mamba was almost at her wit's end. The only reason she hadn't slit her throat by now was because of her neighbors. Three had come by already to 'Just say hey' and be nosy about her new company.

Everybody is too motherfuckin' friendly around here! She sighed and slouched in her seat.

"You okay, Ash?" Gabrielle smiled.

Bitch, don't shorten my fake name...

"Not really." She replied flatly with a blank stare. Gabrielle frowned with concern.

""What's wrong?"

She sighed again, this time resting her elbows on the counter and placing her clasped hands under her chin.

"Well...I've kind of been holding something in since we met. It's really buggin' me now." She said sarcastically with raised eyebrows.

"O...k, what is it." Gabrielle let out a confused chuckle.

She took another deep breath and licked her lips before casually rambling on.

"See...I kind of already know your boyfriend. In fact, I know him well, even better than you. We go way back." She grinned.

"Oh-"

"Yep. But the problem is..." She rolled her eyes and played with the fork on her empty plate. She motioned for a confused Gabrielle to come closer to her. Gabrielle obliged, leaning across the counter towards her "friend".

"I kind of hate his guts...and because you're with him...I kinda have to hate yours too. Nothing personal." She smiled sweetly before launching the fork at Gabrielle, lodging it into her upper arm. A blood curdling scream filled the kitchen as Gabrielle grabbed her arm, stumbling out of her chair and to her feet. She held back a laugh as she watched the woman panic.