Lorenzo

 

“You sure you’re ready?” Alexis asked me from the doorway.

 

I checked my magazine and tucked it into its holster next to my gun. I knew without looking that everything was in working order, but I always checked anyway. “It’s nothing more dangerous or exciting than any other hit I’ve done. I’ll actually have a little bit of an advantage, since he’s expecting me.”

 

“But he’s expecting me as well, isn’t he?” Her fingers twisted in the hem of her shirt. “Won’t he think something is up when he sees that I’m not with you?” Her teeth dug into her bottom lip.

 

I grabbed her hands to keep her from fretting so much. “First of all, I never told him I was bringing you. I only said I wanted to arrange a meeting. For all he knows, I’m telling him where he can pick you up. He should know better, dealing with a hitman, but he’ll figure it out soon enough.” I’d had the same thoughts, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

 

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to tell you what to do or upset you. I’m just worried about this whole thing.”

 

Her apology made me crumble a little around the edges. “No, you’re fine. I just think you’re worrying about it too much. Besides, if anything goes awry, you know what to do.” I had shown her two hiding spots in the apartment where I had stashed loaded guns and a third that held a good amount of cash. “But you won’t need to know. Trust me.”

 

“Okay.” She put her arms around my waist and pressed her lips to my cheek. I turned so that she kissed my lips instead. “Just be careful.”

 

“I will.”

 

* * *

 

The wharf was quiet, save for a few seagulls who hadn’t bothered bedding down. A few distant ships slipped silently past the mouth of the harbor, their lights flashing. My shoes echoed only slightly against the boards of the dock. During the day, this was a busy place, with shipments being unloaded at every port. Sailors and merchants were everywhere. But it was practically abandoned now, just the way I liked it.

 

Dino was already waiting for me, leaning against a pier and looking confident. “I’m surprised to see you here alone,” he said as I approached. He straightened up and turned to face me. “I was quite certain a man like you would make the right decision.”

 

“Who says I haven’t?” I said with a shrug. “I thought about it a lot, you know. It was tempting to go against your plans just to irritate you. I can be like that. But Alexis is getting to be a bit of a pain in my ass, anyway, so I figured it was just as well I let you have her.” I spoke the words as though I meant them, but they made my guts twist around on themselves.

 

“All right.” He looked over my shoulders. “So where is she?”

 

I let out a soft laugh. “You didn’t think I would just hand her over without some assurance you would keep your word, did you? Rest assured, I have her in a safe location until we’ve worked out our deal.” Maybe it would have been better not to toy with him. After all, the more time I spent here, the more likely it was to have some associate of his pop out from behind a shipping container. I could have just shot him as soon as I got to the wharf, but it wasn’t as much fun. And he deserved to be led along on a string for a bit.

 

“I already told you, as long as I have Alexis, I’m good. I don’t want to get into your business any more than I have to.” Dino shifted his weight from foot to foot, eager to get his hands on the woman he felt belonged to him.

 

“And if you do? Then what? You’ve got her and you’ve got the upper hand on me.”

 

Dino shrugged, a slow smile coming over his thin face. “You’re the hitman. I think you could probably figure something out.”

 

“That’s a good start. But I think maybe we should sign a little contract while we’re at it?” I reached into my jacket pocket as I waited for his response.

 

“Fine by me, if it’ll ease your mind.”

 

He never saw it coming. I had the gun out and the muzzle to his head before he could even take a step backwards. He fell down and into water with splash. Somebody might find him the next day, alerted by the numerous fish and birds feeding on his body as he floated to the surface. But once they identified the body, nobody would really care. He was just another scumbag, and the police wouldn’t do any more work on the case than they had to. The job was done. I went home to tell Alexis.