Pink Walls

Day One [Part II]✓

"There were no bullets in the gun, and your kitchen is a filthy mess. Do you stress bake?"

I let out a shaky breath and looked down at the file in my hand. For a second, I considered reading it but immediately thought better of the idea. Ron always told me what I needed to know and had never forced a file on me before no matter how elaborate the run was.

Only God knew why she was so desperate for me to see what was between the two pieces of manila. She had been less insistent about me carrying a gun around too, which was more than suspicious.

It's best not to look, I decided, and tucked the file under my arm. It'll spare me a lot of trouble.

With a heavy sigh, I returned my attention to the house. Normally, I would have scouted the area before going in but the fact that Ron hadn't been secretive about meeting me here meant that the house wasn't under surveillance—yet. And that made my first day so much easier.

With three long strides I walked up the steps of the porch, and didn't even have to knock before the door swung open.

The first thing that hit me was a thick floral scent that tickled my nose—not unpleasantly—followed by the scent of freshly baked cookies and vanilla.

Immediately, I focused my senses on the person in front of me: my target.

Daniel Guerrero Espinoza stood two heads shorter than me and had hair a shade redder than running blood hanging over one of his eyes to cover the better half of the left side of his face. Lighter—almost pink—strands streaked his thick mane in a way that was too random to be artificial.

By the right corner of his bottom lip was a silver ring that would have highlighted the teen's smile beautifully if he had been in the mood to grin.

All in all, the nineteen year old didn't look more like a murderer now than he did in the grainy photo Ron had placed in the file.

I looked down at the pistol in the teen's hand, more surprised by its make than the fact that it was there.

"Who sent you?" Daniel narrowed his gaze and forced the gun's barrel into my chest. "Think carefully about that, yeah?"

"The only person in this city who doesn't want you dead," I answered coolly and used the file in my hand to shield Daniel's hands from the view of the rest of the street, just in case someone really was watching. "Go ahead and shoot, draw more attention to yourself by killing an unarmed man at your doorstep."

"You're not a Carmosino."

"And right now, I don't work for the Ciscos either," I said as the teenager lowered the firearm. "I'm just a friend from out of town who's paying you a visit."

Daniel's turquoise eye darted over his shoulder before he nodded and backed away from the entrance. "You should come inside."

"Thank you."

I stepped into the house and shut the door gently behind me. "That's a nice pistol. I don't recognize its make."

"Thanks." Daniel rubbed the back of his neck then set the semiautomatic on the coffee table behind him. "My mother made it for me. Sorry about...that… I'm a little on edge. Can't take chances, right?"

I didn't comment on that and appraised the living room instead. The blinds were all shut and only one light was on, explaining why the house seemed unoccupied when I had looked in from outside. It had been a smart move on Daniel's part. "You live alone?"

"You have my file."

"Haven't read it."

"Aren't you supposed to?"