Chapter 5

I pack all the stuff that I need inside my bag because today Drake and I are going to Los Angeles. Matthew has sent me the location of his wife's house. It's in the suburban area. To be exact is in El Segundo. I just hope everything that I found is right.

"Packing your stuff already?" Knowing the owner of the voice, I didn't turn around but a smile creeps on my face.

"What do you think?" An arms circle my waist, hugging me from the back. A sigh escapes my lips.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine, I just felt like something will go wrong." Blake turns me around. "Listen to me ruby, we call you ruby for a reason. Ruby means a precious jewel, a rare stone. You are precious Ruby, the reason Moretti send you is that you are the best assassin here and everyone wants you to be their assassin. Trust me, you don’t have anything to worry about."

"I hope you’re right. By the way, where did you find that word? In Google?" Blake rolls his eyes.

"I could be romantic too you know." I chuckled. "How's your arm? Feeling better?"

"Well, if you decided to go tomorrow rather than today, I think it will heal pretty quickly." I gave him a look. "Blake, you know I ca-"

"I was just kidding." he caressed my cheek, I lean to his touch. Blake and I have been very close since the day he caught me punching the life of the punching bag when were still in Italy.

*flashback*

I punch the punching bag with all the strength I have. I kick and keep punching till my fists feel numb. Since I got abduct and been brought to the other side of the country, is hard for me to get a good night's sleep. Especially this morning, when I got assigned for my first mission.

To be honest, I never thought I will be assigned to kill people in just a year and a half of training. Every time I close my eyes, the image of the man I killed this morning popped into my mind.

The blood that oozed from his chest makes me nauseous. As soon I got back from the mission, I quickly flew to my room. I took the gun out that is tucked in the pocket of my jacket and drop it to the floor.

I ran to the bathroom and wash my hand that’s been covered with blood a million times. I keep washing my hands till I can’t feel it. A sudden tear stream down my cheeks, I looked up to the mirror and saw myself crying.

I still can’t believe that I killed a man. I found myself chuckling. Where’s the girl that scared watching a thriller movie? And now here I am playing the part of a killer.

"What did the punching bag do to you?" I snapped my head to see the cold, unfriendly Blake. I saw him a couple of times when we trained. He even trained me with hand-to-hand combat.

I must admit he really is skilled. To my surprise, I saw the corner of his lips twitch upwards. He doesn’t usually smirk or even smiled heck he rarely shows any emotion but I guess he doesn’t want people to see that side of him.

I ignored him and continue to punch the punching bag. I don’t realize he stops in front of the punching bag to make it stop. I caught my breath and frowned at him.

"What are you doing?" I said in a cold tone. I really don’t like when someone stops me in the middle of training. He gestured to my hands and raised his eyebrow. I ignored him again and walked to the seat to take my drink. I stare at the bloody knuckles on my hands. As soon as I got here, I don’t bother wearing the bandage, I just quickly jump into it.

A hand grabs my bloody knuckles and treated the wound. I looked up and saw Blake sit there treating my wound looking emotionless.

"You should at least use the bandage. So it wouldn’t be more severe." I scoffed. "Is not like people will care about it." He presses the cotton to my wounds and I hissed in pain.

"A warning will be nice," I said sarcastically. I heard him chuckled. Raising my eyebrow, a looked of confusion plastered my face. "What so funny?" he shook his head. "Nothing, it just you’re the first person who’s not feeling intimidated by my presence. Every time I walked past the other, the only thing they do is looked away. They don’t even try to talk to me like you did."

"Oh should I feel flattered about it?" a looked of amusement etched on his face. "You’re done."

"Thanks," I muttered.

We sat in silence for a few minutes until he decided to break the silence. "When I was 13 years old, I got kidnapped and been brought to this place. I remember I was playing in the park with my mother but she left me alone to pick up her phone because it kept ringing. After about 8 minutes, my mother still hasn’t come back, so I got worried. Then there this guy who told me that my mother got in an accident, I, of course, being a 13 years old kid got panicked."

"They told me she is brought to the hospital and they want to give me a ride. I didn’t think twice. I just nodded my head and follow them. Once I got in their car, I got injected and that was the last time I saw my mother." My eyes widen hearing Blake's story. The mafia is really cruel. They don’t give a fuck if you have a family or not they just take you out of the blue.

"I’ve been trained for 2 years in here and I got my first mission when I was 15." I gasped. 15?! That is so young! I keep the thought to myself and remained quiet to let him continue with his story.

"I did the same thing back then. When I first kill my target, it brings nightmares. I try to sleep but it is no used. So I woke up in the middle of the night and came here to train. Not just once but a couple of times. But as time goes by, I’m used to it." Does his mother still alive? I’m wondering.

"Why?" he turned in my direction raising his eyebrow. "Why are you telling me this? You don’t even know me heck we never even talk before." Blake let out a sigh. "You remind me of myself back then."

"Tell me, this is your first time being assigned to kill right?" I found myself nodding my head.

"You can’t sleep, every time you closed your eyes the image of the person you killed popped right through your mind. It brings nightmare to you." And again I nodded my head.

"So tell me, how can you ended up here?" honestly, I don’t want him to know but since he told me his side of his story it’s only fair if he knows mine too.

"I just graduated high school and got the news that I’ve been accepted to Stanford University, I was happy knowing I will be studying in one of the best universities. I gain a lot of friends because of my personality. 7 months had passed, I become quite popular. I’ve been invited to many parties and there, I met the school playboy." I took a deep breath then continue.

"A couple of times he approaches me but I always ignore him. From that day, he sees me as a challenge. Maybe because of his charms, I eventually fall for it. I fall in love with him and I regret involving myself with him. Fast forward, we became close, and I-I... " I swallowed the lump in my throat. Blake squeezed my shoulder assuring me.

"You don’t need to continue if you don’t want to." Surprisingly, his voice is soft. I shook my head. "No, I wanted to." I took a deep calming breath and continue. "I give everything to him. I fall for his charm and the saddest part is I didn’t think twice before I do it. Then he asked me out, it’s our first date. I was happy, excited, and overwhelmed." A ghost smile etched on my lips.

"I asked my friend to help me pick out my outfit. As I arrived at the place, I s-saw him.. ki-ssi-ing another g-girl." I looked away as the tears flow down to my cheeks. Blake pulls me and laid my head on his chest. I cried in front of him.

I thought he was going to scold me for being weak but I was wrong. He assured me, he calmed me down and from there we became close, very close might I add.

*flashback ends*

"Hey, you okay?" I blink my eyes and saw Blake looking at me with a concerned look on his face. I smile softly at him. I bring my hand up to caress his cheek. "I’m fine, just reminiscing the day we met."

"The day when you cry in front of me?" Blake teasingly said. Rolling my eyes, I let him go and picked my bag up. "Let’s head down."

"Why are you wearing a skirt?" I was about to answer when Drake barge into my room. "Are you do- why are you wearing a skirt?" he pointed at my skirt.

"Why are you wearing jeans?"

"Cause we’re going on a mission." He said in a duh-tone. I sighed. "We’re going to confront his wife and to make her believe us, we have to go undercover."

"Undercover?"

"Yeah, the one where we have to pretend to be so-" Drake cut me off. "I know what undercover means." I heard Blake chuckling and Drake rolls his eyes. "I mean why?"

"If we show up in front of her door wearing our usual leather jacket and ripped jeans, she will be suspicious but if we show up wearing a professional outfit she will believe us and hopefully, she will tell his location."

"What are we going to be?" A smirk etched on my lips. "You’ll see. Now go and get changed into a blazer and dress pants." I shoo him and he walked back to his room muttering incoherent words.

"You need to be careful." I turn to Blake nodding my head. "I will."