Retribution by Lietha Wards Page A

around assassinating
people because someone pays me to.”
    “I guess I don’t really
know the difference.”
    “I pick and choose who I
work for. Money has nothing to do with it. There are specific
reasons why I do what I do. I do not harm people unless I’m
defending myself, or protecting others.”
    “You’ve killed people
though. How many?”
    Ryan stared down at her. He
shouldn’t have said that. She was still so innocent in a lot of
ways despite what she’d been through and for some reason that
worked against him. This wasn’t the first time he’d said too much.
“I won’t share that part of my life with you Katya.”
    Door closed. She bit her
lip and stared at him. Yes, he had killed people. Again, it was
that look in his eyes, the same one her father had.
    He could see she was
debating his soul. He certainly didn’t want her scared of him. “I’m
not a murderer. Just remember that.”
    “That’s your way of
reasoning it, I suppose.”
    “It’s the truth.” Yes, he’d
killed people. Maybe too many, but it was always for the sake of
others.
    She sighed deeply and
turned away from him. She honestly was no better. She wanted those
men that hurt her and her sister dead and rotting in the ground.
She told him that. He never said anything.
    She was full of hatred and
anger right now and wanted revenge. So did he. He wanted it so much
he could taste the bile rise in his throat.
    ***
    That night after Katya
retired; Ryan messaged his boss and gave him an update. He replied.
The sedan wasn’t theirs. He should have known. Also, they haven’t
found any more on that end about Georgy’s death. Well, neither did
he. He was impatient, which was something no one could accuse him
of before, but this was different. It was personal. He stood up and
walked to the adjoining door. Katya was sound asleep, on her side
again, facing him this time. She looked like sleeping beauty and
she certainly was beautiful. He eased the door closed to a crack
and turned back to his bed stripping off his shirt and tossing it
on the chair he occupied moments ago. He was heading into the
bathroom to wash up for the night when there was a soft knock on
his door. It was Ivan.
    The man’s eyes went down
the front of him. “Do you ever wear a fucking shirt?”
    “What do you want Ivan?” He
suppressed a grin. What did this man expect? It was one in the
morning.
    “Boss needs to see you
again. There’s another parcel.”
    Ryan nodded and grabbed his
shirt off the chair, buttoning it up as he followed
Ivan.
    This time it was a ring
finger and with it, a ring.
    Peter had removed the
jewelry and was spinning it on the tip of his little finger. “This
was her mother’s. Bastards! What does it say?”
    Ryan scanned the note that
Peter handed him, then looked at Peter. They were toying with the
old Russian and it was taking it’s toll. It looked as though he was
wearing. There were bags under his eyes that weren’t there before.
He returned his attention to the piece of paper in his hand. Then
he clenched his jaw. The note actually commented on how pretty
Katya looked today. That she was looking almost as tasty as her
sister.
    “Well?”
    He met Peter’s eyes and
told him the truth.
    Ryan could hear Ivan shift
behind him. No, he didn’t like it either.
    “You watch her Casey, or
I’ll cut your fucking balls off. Do you understand?”
    “I will.”
    “I can’t lose her too. How
would that look if I can’t protect my family?” He turned and waved
at the package on his desk. “Get this fucking thing out of
here!”
    One of the other men moved
quickly removing the package from Peter’s sight leaving the
room.
    Peter ran his hand down his
face. “Ivan. Double security.”
    “Yes Mr.
Nickolov.”
    “I’m going to find those
sons of bitches and rip them to pieces, bit by bit like they did my
Anna, but I’m going to do it while they’re alive, so they can
suffer a far worse fate. The last thing they’ll see is satisfaction
on