His Secret Assassin

Chapter 11: Matias

"Matias! I had no idea you were coming over! Come on in boy, make yourself comfortable."

I couldn't help the chuckle from leaving me at my uncle's enthusiastic greeting. He was always like this, way more lively than he had the right to be for everything he'd gone through. He was nearly 70, had a prosthetic leg, and I was pretty sure he was starting to go blind but if you told him that he would protest that until he died. He was stubborn enough that it was hard to picture him dying anyway, but seeing him limp a little more than usual today had fear piercing my heart. I kept that to myself however, not wanting to ruin his good spirits with my worry.

"Hi Uncle, you seem in good spirits." I made my way inside, going to sit in my usual spot in the front room while he shuffled around in the kitchen. I'd offer to help, but last time I did that I was treated to an hour-long rant about how he doesn't need anyone's help and he's moving just as well as he had 20 years ago, et cetera. I didn't care about the lecture, I just had something to talk to him about and I didn't want to waste any time.

"I've got a lady friend coming over in about an hour, so why shouldn't I be in good spirits?" His little chuckle mad me grin as I shook my head.

"Some things never change."

"Indeed not Matias. So what made you come by?"

I shifted in my seat, avoiding looking at him while I let him in on the Kiara situation. "Remember that last job I took?"

"The traffickers, yes. Still hunting?"

My lips curled in distaste. "Unfortunately, yes. It seems they've gone underground for the moment."

"Figures. Bunch of pansy-ass cowards."

"Seriously. But uh... I haven't quite told you everything about the night I took out their safe house."

"Oh? Do tell. You know I live for a little drama."

I snorted. "Yeah, I know. Which is why I hadn't brought this up yet. But, the reason I moved sooner than I should have was because of this woman they had chained up in the attic. She was completely defenseless, and-"

"And beautiful?"

Jasper's words halted my tirade, and I sighed. "Fucking breathtaking. Bright green eyes, beautifully long, light blonde hair, curves that could stop a truck. And she's funny and smart and determined, so her beauty isn't just on the outside."

Uncle Jasper stared at me for a few minutes before cackling like a crazy man. "Ha! I knew one day this would happen! Got you wrapped around her fingers too I bet."

I let out a groan, my head falling into my hands. "I never realized just how complicated women are."

"Better get used to it, they never get less interesting."

I let out a snort. "Great. Just what I needed."

"Now go on, finish telling me about this woman."

"Kiara. She doesn't seem to have anywhere to go, so I took her home with me after taking care of everyone at that safe house. I don't know why she was afraid of me, with the scar and seeing me kill men in front of her, but she not only seems unafraid, but interested. In me. There must be something wrong with her, is all I'm saying."

Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "Seems like you found one of the good ones. Well-adjusted and accepting of the world's inherent violence underneath the surface. And she likes you, so she must be intelligent. I'd like to meet her soon, if you think it's safe."

"I'll definitely think about that, Uncle. Thank you for listening, I at least feel better about basically stealing her away. If you hear anything on those putas I'm after, let me know?"

"Always, my boy."

I headed home even though the sun was just beginning to set and I'd been avoiding going back before dark for a while. I had the urge to see Kiara, despite the promise to keep my distance. I missed her, dammit. Seeing her bright eyes watching me, hearing her laugh, watching her try to take me down during training, even just sitting together quietly. I rushed home, not able to stop myself. I'd just parked and stepped out of the car when I heard a repeated thudding noise coming from somewhere.

I immediately went on high alert, not knowing what I would find when I located the source of the sound. I stalked quietly towards the noise, soon realizing it came from the backyard. I peeked my head around the corner, surprise filling me at the sight that greeted me.

Kiara held a few knives in one hand, her gaze focused on a small hay target about 50 yards away, maybe a little more. She smoothly shifted a knife to her empty hand, arm pulling back and throwing it like it was a natural extension of herself. The air whistled quietly until the dull thud of the knife in the hay stopped it. I looked over and my eyebrows rose when I noticed that it hand landed directly in the middle of the target posted to the bale. I turned my eyes back to Kiara to see her winding up for another throw, this time adding some kind of spin that would throw off most peoples' aim, and yet that knife landed perfectly, right beside the first.

I felt my skin heat, the hunter and assassin in me highly impressed and slightly confused at how she'd managed to get so good. She didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat, and who knew how long she'd been at it by the time I got here. I watched as Kiara focused once again, repeating the trick from before, only fueling the fire I felt inside from watching her. She was powerful, graceful, and with that kind of aim, absolutely deadly. She clapped lightly in excitement before running over to grab the knives. I was about to step out from behind the house, but waited to see what she would do next. I wanted to see her in this element, something primal and beautiful.

I was already half hard from watching her, but as I watched her take deep breaths, face turned up to the sky with her eyes closed as she refocused herself, I couldn't help but appreciate the way her breasts heaved with each breath, the sports bra not doing much to hide them. The tiny shorts she wore didn't help much, and a small growl escaped me when she bent over to take a quick stretch. When she straightened up, I could feel the energy in the air from her, and I knew that whatever happened next was going to be worth my silence and patience.

She turned to the side slightly, then an arm flung out, the knife sailing from her fingertips as she used that momentum to spin, throwing another knife in the process somewhere, then somehow spun on one leg and while her body twisted faster than I had expected. The last knife flew out from her blur and followed the first two, thudding into the hay. She planted the spin, easily facing the targets as her hair floated wildly around her. I followed her gaze, my eyes widening to see that she had managed to get each knife into the exact same spaces she had before, right in each previous slit in the paper.

She let out a delighted laugh, dancing around in the grass in excited celebration before running to grab the knives, and I couldn't help but let out a chuckle and a round of applause that had her quickly turning towards me with the knives in her hands. It was a natural, obviously defensive stance, and the fire in her eyes had my arousal turning up even more. She looked slightly shaken to see me, just as I was slightly suspicious of her and where that talent had come from.

"That was impressive, Angelita. You never mentioned that particular talent. Now where could you have possibly learned all that?" I watched her eyes widen, and I couldn't stop the smile from spreading on my face. "Well?"