𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘

II

you're a ripple in the
deep blue ocean,
swimming naked in
the dark.

los angeles, california

   she needed to get away. obviously. but for that, one would need help

   livias thoughts were in the air, just like her body was - as in, she was on a plane - as she thought about who she had connections in los angeles

   the stars gathered. the city that never sleeps was right underneath of her, very, very much underneath of her

   liam? no, he went to india for an undercover job. ben? no, he quit the whole hitman thing. stephanie? no, she has a kid now

   it was stressful now. before? not so much. livia was going to another country, to another continent, with no where to actually go

   her mind crossed over one more person. but there was no way she going to that annoying, passive prick

   she face palmed and exhaled. she really was going to that annoying prick, huh? well, it was better then dying. maybe not

   once she got off the plane and sat down in the cafeteria of the airport, she dialed the digits that lit up on her burner phone

   "merda" she whispered to herself as she adjusted the ponytail that peeked out of her cap. it made her look more like an american, along with her white v-neck tee.

   ("shit")

   she pressed the dial button and pressed the phone to her ear, as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. her leg rapidly bounced as she lowered her palm down to her chin, and looked around the airport

   first ring. second ring. third ring. fourth ring. her ring

   she looked down at the cold of the ring pressed against her jaw, and spun it around. in fact, she was so focused on spinning it that she didn't even notice the ringing stop until the voice of a man picked up and asked "hello?"

   it startled livia, and she soon didn't know how to form words, but she managed to get something out of her mouth

   "hey! uh, hi, jake. it's lisa-"

   "lisa addison?" she heard the man sit up straight from his creaky chair

   "yeah, so-" she tried to speak, her accent peeking through with every word she spoke

   "son of a bitch! what's up?"

   "what's up? you wanna know what's fucking up?" she asked, keeping her voice down in the public, while looking around through her cap

   it scared the other man, it truly did

   "i just got betrayed by the only person who knows the most about me- i'm talking my identity, my family's history, adresses and safe houses and other important shit. and you know what? i don't need an annoying little shit like you to cut me off every other word. come pick me up at the blue airport and i'll tell you what's up"

   the line went silent, as he startled shuffling objects around, keys clanking around "shit lisa, i'm sorry" he stammered, "i'll be right there, just wait twenty minutes or so"

   "i'm at the cafeteria" she said, then cut the line off, throwing the phone into the cup of water in front of her. it splashed and a water droplet hit her hand

   she rubbed her face and took in all the information of what just happened. after her escape, she took two gym bags and filled one up with things like clothes, necessities and hair dye - let's not forget a fuck ton of money - and the other with nothing but guns, bullets, and knives. oh and snacks because they didn't fit in the other bag. after that she caught the first flight to la, paying in cash and keeping her face away from cameras. so much time passed that she didn't even norice the silent steps of the man that approached her and sat down in front of her, at the table for two

   her head shot up, expecting somebody to have found her already, but it was a brown haired guy with blue eyes and a smirk playing on his face. it instantly dropped when he layed eyes on the woman in front of him

   "hey" he spoke after a brief moment

   "hi please let's just go my ass is gonna fall off if i don't get up right now" livia replied, then got up and slightly slouched over with her neck

   "why are you doing that?" jake asked as he got up as well, then walked over to her side

   "i'm trying to appear like i'm from around here. no offence" she said with the most serious tone ever

   it was enough for jake to snort, "none taken"

   they went out into the parking lot and she followed his shadow that formed from the street lights

   "is- hm. was it giuliano?" he impulsively asked when they got in the car after throwing the bags into the back

   "yeah" she paused, "it's really complicated, and i just want to rest for at least three hours, then i'll explain to you everything, just drive me somewhere safe" livia said when they were driving. it was two in the morning

   "okay" was all he said

---

   "want a beer?" jakes voice echoed through the kitchen and into the living room. livia had her arms crossed while looking at the rifles displayed in a straight line on the wall, it didn't look like something a redneck would do, it looked quite modern

   "no- do you have whiskey?" she yelled back, arms still crossed as she practically scanned his half messy room

   livia knew jake as an annoying, reckless and blunt guy. he knew livia as lisa addison, the mysterious girl who has an expansive knowledge of guns, combat and with that, a charming smile. jake was actually one of the best snipers in the world - it was his passion - and he knew way too much for a guy in his early twenties to know

   jake hadn't known livia as livia, in fact, he hadn't known anything about her, apart from the fact that they studied in the sams college back in the day in la. he didn't even know she came from a rich family of mobsters, her name, or the fact that her mother was judita avani

    on the other hand, livia knew everything about jake. she may or may not have snooped around to get to know more about the guy - back when they both went to college together