Suyoung has a sleek body and it’s cool to the touch as she molds into my arms. The music changes as we get up. I initially consider whisking her further into the crowd, so as not to be the focal point for my brother and angry date.
“Hello, Victor, long time no see,” Suyoung says in this silky Japanese dialect. Our conversation is exclusive.
“Yes, very… long… time,” I reply dryly, brushing up on the language.
“Cute little girl on your shoulder’s this evening. I thought you liked them taller, exotic…” Her thin eyebrow rises.
“If you like breathing, you will refrain from ever mentioning Luxury again,” I assure Suyoung as my hand grips the small of her back.
From appearances, Suyoung is flirtatiously laughing at my warning. That annoying chuckle ends with a sigh, and then she nestles her cheek onto my chest. “Remember that one time in Rome. Best fuck that me and Fuyoung ever had.”
“I don’t recall.” I give a half smile, and there goes the laughter again. Now I know Luxury’s eyes are boring holes into the back of my suit as I speak with one part of the Siamese twins. Suyoung and Fuyoung represent a Japanese assassin duo. I keep my attention on her, instead of looking around for Fuyoung.
“Oh, you don’t remember? When I handled that witness for the US presidential scandal,” Suyoung brags, while brushing her cheek ever so softly against my chest and sighing deeply from her throat in a cat like manner. The effect has my sword at attention. She licks her lips in awareness. “Your scent is to die for.”
“Yes, that witness,” I reply. “The presidential mark didn’t hold my attention; though I had ample time to kill him. Instead, I enjoyed so many women’s company in Rome that I didn’t even remember fucking the two of you.”
A thunderstorm forms in her dark eyes. “Ha ha ha ha, well, you won’t forget that Luxury is going to die–”
Before she can finish the sentence, I administer a lethal injection from a serum in my Rolex watch. It connects with the softly pulsating carotid artery at her neck. Suyoung’s body tenses as the liquid fire goes scorching through her veins. Suyoung becomes paralyzed and slumps into my arms. First her extremities fail, then her organs, and lastly her heart.
“Take her toward the west exit of the rooftop,” Burt’s voice fills my Bluetooth. “I’m already looking for the little minx’s twin.”
“Bravo Burt,” I reply, with a frown, though my butler is always around when need be. As we begin to exit the crowd, Suyoung appearing to be a very drunken, beautiful dark angel in my arms. Virtually nobody passing by pays attention, except a few women who had flirted with me on my way to the VIP section with Luxury, Graham, and his evil little date.
“Now turn left and you shall see a shaft in which to dump her body,” Burt adds. I look around, since we are on a rooftop, but there are so many taller buildings around. I know my butler is nearby, orchestrating my every move, as I allow Suyoung’s 100-pound body to fall into the dark hole.
There’s movement to my left. A Mexican man, with a Corona in his hands and an artistic beanie on his head, has a confused look on his face. The marijuana cologne provides him with enough time for this to register in his brain and he says, “Hey–”
My fist goes straight to his mouth. He’s knocked out cold and the party is still going on. So, I turn and mix back into the crowd as a Taylor Swift song comes on. When I make it back to the u-shaped whicker seat, I notice the women are surrounding Graham. There isn’t a vacant seat, and Luxury isn't in any of the chairs.
“Where is she?” I bark.
“Gone! Luxury left a few minutes after you stole my lady! Serves you right, Vic. Lux is much better than any of the girls falling at your feet.” Graham turns to the women who are eating up the fact that he has money to burn and shouts, “Body shots!”
A host of gorgeous ladies surround him, shouting in happiness.
I shake my head and push through the crowd a bit harder than necessary. One guy looks at me as if he wants to fight. The glare in my eye sets his subpar testosterone at bay, and he semi-apologizes. There’s a crowd at the elevator, and still no Lux. So, I take to the stairs two at a time. I jump the last step, swirl around and around, and continue on since the club is 15 stories up.
“Burt,” I say in an irritated tone.
“Don’t worry, I’m on it. Fuyoung is nearby and I’m going to find her. That is a promise,” Burt assures. “Don’t be snippy with me, Victor,” he begins in this fatherly tone as I continue down with 5 floors left to go.
“This is a situation that you’ve gotten yourself into,” he says, and I can hear the sound of movement on his part as he vigorously searches. After more fatherly reprimanding, he says, “The club is clear.”
“How will that help? Lux is on her way down.” I jump down the last step and, quickly pass through the double doors. I rush outside and look toward a side street. I'm trying to calculate the timeframe. I can only hope that Lux hadn’t already started down the street and slipped into one of the alleys or other side streets.
“I’ve cleared the east and south side of the building, Vic. I’m working on the west. Trust me, Lux doesn’t deserve to be mixed into this situation, so I’m doing everything humanly possible to ensure that she’s not in Fuyoung’s line of fire,” Burt argues.
I take to the north, since Burt won’t have a visual in that direction. There are shops, most of them closed, but people are roaming around like werewolves on a full moon.
“Damn,” I reply. Reconsidering the dynamics, for Luxury to have gotten downstairs, I don’t believe that she’s gotten a taxi already. “Fuck,” if something has happened to her… Like Burt said, she didn’t deserve to be caught up in my situation.
This has become my situation, now that I on took the mission and didn’t fulfill it. With Luxury by my side, she enters the realm of prey as well. I’m sure the anonymous man will send more than the Japanese, Siamese twins after I find and murder that bitch, Fuyoung, like her sister. Then there’s the situation with Dr. Whitson. He’s been marked, but now I’m on the list too for switching loyalties.
My first priority is Lux.
“Vic! West alley, Luxury just started down it, I’m on it!” He tells me, then huffs, “I can’t… I can’t get a good visual…”
I’m built for agility and speed and hit the concrete at top speed. I split the corner at Gerry Ave and turn into the alley just as Luxury enters. Fuyoung is toward the end of it, appearing to be the meekest of the Siamese twins, but in all actuality, she is much more dangerous than her sister.
“Lux!” I shout.
Luxury turns to me, smirks, flips her middle finger and then continues. My legs stretch to their limit and I swiftly catch up to the irate young woman. Grabbing her tiny arm, I spin her around with so much force that she almost twists her ankle.
“Owe…Vic, what’s wrong with you? Huh?” she asks.
“We need to talk.” I try to hide my concern for her safety.
“Well, owww…” Luxury leans into me and begins to take off her left shoe. She turns around, looking toward the other end of the alley. Lux snaps, “Suyoung and I were going to share a taxi back. She said you ditched her for another girl after I saw the two of you disappear during that slow dance. You know what, I don’t even want to know what you are up to. Switching girlfriends with your brother, is that what you do? I think Graham really liked her.” She peers through the alley, and Fuyoung is lost to the darkness. That little liar must’ve been upstairs for a while, watching me dance with her twin!
Shit, I realize that Fuyoung knows her sister is dead.
“No,” I go along with Fuyoung’s lie, staying nonchalant. If Fuyoung wants to pretend to be Suyoung, that’s fine by me. She just won’t be getting closer to Luxury. So, against my better judgment, I tell a story too, “We were talking about Graham. She wanted to know what types of things he likes.”
Lux looks up at me and shakes her head. “Was I born yesterday? Is that how you see me?” Luxury starts walking back down the street, without waiting for a response. “I’m going home, okay?” There’s an unspoken belief that she won’t be seeing me again. I will allow it for the time being.
I hail a taxi and give the driver more than enough funds to get her home safely.
“Until I see you again,” I tell Luxury as I hold the back door open.
Luxury shakes her head no and rejects my hand while getting inside the car. I watch as the yellow cab zips down the street and out of sight. Even though it’s useless, I travel back toward the alley. It’s empty. So Fuyoung is playing games. Lethal games.