Shimmers of Pearl (The Pearl Trilogy, Part 3) by Arianne Richmonde

was, that little shit. Just seeing his enemy made the thigh muscles in Alexandre’s leg twitch. Those legs that had been trained to kick like a weapon; break a concrete block in two – even if he hardly trained anymore, it was second nature, his leg could fly up and smash any opponent in the head, knocking even the strongest man to the ground without even trying too hard. He’d have to control himself, though – he could kill, just with his thumb on someone’s pressure point. Peace before combat at all times – except now, this bastard had it coming to him for nearly twenty years.
    Alexandre briskly eyed his opponent’s cocky way of walking and could see straight away that he was brawny – yes, he had a footballer’s shape, but an ex-footballer who’d had too many lunches on his big fat banker’s budget. Good, just as he’d been told – the man was going out alone. His family would still be inside watching TV. His contact had told him as much, that Jim liked to go out to a particular bar down by the Seafront on Saturday nights, usually coming home about ten thirty.
    Alexandre watched as Jim got into his SUV and snailed out of the driveway. He waited a beat and when the vehicle was far enough ahead of him, he started his car and drove cautiously behind. He thought about people feeling repentant - how it was only possible to forgive someone when they were truly sorry for what they’d done. That’s why his father had ended up dead – because he could never admit culpability, could never say he was sorry. That’s all it would have taken, that one word beginning with S to save his life – but the shit couldn’t even say it.
    So he’d ended up electrocuted in his bath, the electric appliance zapping him until his body’s spasms jittered like a live wire. Finally, like a huge wet fish he lay silent, his reign of terror over for good.
    Jim parked his car near the bar. Alexandre did the same and swiftly got out, calmly walking over. Luckily, nobody was around; a couple had just gone inside the bar. Alexandre stepped up beside his target, grabbed the man by the shoulders and stuck the pistol into his back.
    The man tried to spin on his heel but he was locked in a vice. “What the fuck?”
    Alexandre murmured quietly, “I’ve got a gun pointed right into your spine. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll pull the trigger and if you don’t die you’ll be paralyzed for life.”
    “Who the fuck are you?”
    “Your shadow. Now get back into your car – we’re going for a little drive. Don’t fuck with me, this gun has a silencer. I’ll pull the trigger, walk you over to the water and throw you in. Nobody knows I’m here, nobody has seen me. Nobody will hear a thing. You’ll be fish food.”
    The man flinched and swallowed hard. Alexandre could smell his fear, the man was a coward. Bullies are always cowards.
    “Get in the car, Jim.”
    “How d’you know my name? You’re accent…are you like…one of those Romanians, the guys from the mafia? Look, I already said I didn’t want to do that deal—”
    “Shut the fuck up, Jim, just get back into your vehicle. If you do as I say, I won’t kill you. If you fuck with me, I will. You’re driving by the way.”
    “You must have me mistaken for someone else.”
    Alexandre pushed the gun in his back a little harder. “I don’t think so. It’s payback time, buddy.”
    The man let himself be bundled into the driver’s seat and panted with fear. He had tears in his eyes and sweat dripping from his brow. Alexandre carefully got into the back seat, keeping the gun pointed at his spine – maintaining the pressure close so there was no doubt he meant business.
    “You know, this country’s gun control laws really need to be revised. Where I come from, you have to be part of a sporting club or a hunting club to get a gun license. They don’t let any Tom, Dick or Harry go around with arsenals of lethal weapons.”
    The man stuttered, “Where are you