Chapter 9

NATASHA Something cold and heavy hit my face, starling me out of my sleep. I jumped off my bed, eyes wide in shock and ready to smack the shit out of whoever messed with me. “What the hell?!” Luca stood a few meters away, a stupid smile on his face as he watched me. I was drenched as hell, and he held up a bucket, looking quite proud of his accomplishment. He had poured water on me. Me! I growled, stomping towards him, ready to smash his face into the ground. “You bastard!” “A very refreshing way to wake up, no?” He chuckled, dodging one of the blows I had launched at him. “I don't know if you've noticed, Vera, but I am not a puny little man. That blow won't do a thing to me.” “But my legs will!” I bellowed, ready to slam my knee into this precious family jewels, when a muscle pulled in my thigh and I fell to the ground. “Oh hell, that's painful!” I groaned, cradling my leg, trying to ease off the pain. Perhaps Luca was right, I had grown soft. He had said that when I sparred with Olivia two days before. It had been brutal. Brutal as hell. I could still feel her blows on my sides and how defiant she was. Of course, I had landed my blows. No way was I that weak. But I had lost. I had lost the contest. Puny little Olivia won, and she looked quite smug about it. Luca hadn't failed to remind me every minute after that that his secretary or whatever the hell she was had whooped my ass in a contest. I had felt mortified. After all my big talk on how Olivia couldn’t possibly train me, you had been embarrassed in the most undignified way possible. Passed out, with my face on the ground, swollen and achy and painful as hell. Luca hasn't spared me ever since. He claimed that he wasn't ready to waste all the money he had spent trying to find me. If I died before I could get rid of Hell, or at least uncover his identity, Luca would be at a great loss. That made me think there was some ulterior motive behind it all. There had to.be someone else involved in this scheme. It seemed too elaborate to be just one man's plan. There was also the issue about Luca knowing my identity. How had he known who I was? As an assassin, I was stealthy. And I certainly did not go on my missions unmasked. No one ought to know who I was. Yet, he knew. He had even known about me dying my hair blonde. There was something else underlying it all. The Russian Mafia would never reveal their trump cards and hidden secrets. And I was one of them. Sure, the name Vera Ivanov was known, but I could say only selected persons knew who I truly was. How could it be that an Italian found me out? Had they let it slip somehow? Or, Had they found me and decided they would rather leave me in the hands of someone much brutal like that bastard holding the bucket before me? “I can see the wheels turning in your head, Vera,” he chuckled. “If you're calculating how you would kick me in the balls with your cramped legs, then you're crazier than I give you credit for.” I fixed him a glare that told him exactly what I thought of him, and he chuckled, looking very pleased with himself. “Rise and shine, lazy daisy, your training continues.” I groaned, falling on my back to the ground. How the hell was I supposed to get any rest with all this training? I had trained the day before with Olivia and boy, she was crazier than I expected. I felt sore all over. Her movements were quick and sharp and so fucking witty, but that wasn't the problem. Her blows weren't something stronger than I could bear. And my hits were certainly more powerful. The problem was how quiet she was when she fought. She was as silent as ever. Her movements were faster, but what made them hard to predict or detect was because of how light and quiet they were. That was stealth on a whole level. And I was so damned jealous. Luca really had picked the perfect team. I had met the rest of his folks as well. A couple of young men sprinkled around the mansion. And they were quite yummy looking. But not as yummy looking as that man. My mind quipped, and a certain green-eyed man popped into my head. Oh! good gravy. There was no way I could forget about that arrogant ass from the club, was there. I could literally feel his breath on my face again. Teasing me. “Vera?!” Luca yelled, waking me out of my reverie. “It's Natasha!” I snapped, my face burning in embarrassment. I had nearly begun fantasizing about some idiot right before the man who hired me. I really was out of my element lately. “Good, you're back. You spaced off for a minute. Dreaming about me, perhaps?” I fake gagged and gave a revolting shudder. He tsked and shook his head. “You're no fun.” “I would rather go back to Russia than think about you.” I grumbled, picking myself off the floor. “You're a cruel woman,” Luca stated, and I shrugged. “I'd think that was pretty obvious, Now,” I said folding my arms as I glared at him, ignoring the pain in my thighs. “Can you tell me why on earth you decided to douse me with water so early in the fucking morning!” The man shrugged and turned on his heels. “I already told you. Training. Olivia's waiting.” “Tapping me awake or calling my name would have done the trick.” I hissed. “An assassin who sleeps, so deeply she didn't hear someone approach her? I am starting to consider if you really are worth your fame and reputation, Vera Ivanov.” I glared at him, feeling irritated with his words. He wasn't wrong. The spar with Olivia had shown me how slack I was. I used to be quick, sharp, and deliberate. And then his skinny secretary had dumped my head into the ground. Nonsense. I felt quite annoyed just thinking about it. “Fine, let's go,” I grumbled. “Let's go see your precious Olivia,” He chuckled, strutting out of the room, and I followed. Luca had planned carefully for all of this, it was obvious. He had the right kind of people. There were men constantly training in the training rooms and they were brutal. Very brutal. I had watched a man almost split his fellow into half yesterday and I had gotten scared shitless. That was odd, wasn't it? I didn't get scared easily. The Russian Mafia was terror itself. And When one spends their entire lives living with terror, they got quite used to the fear and suffocating emotions that followed. But yesterday? Yesterday had shown me just how weak I really had grown. I suppose two years was really a long time. I had been the pride of the Russian Mafia. One who could kill in the blink of an eye. One who walked through the blood of men. Bad men, but humans anyway. And yet, I had gotten scared. Biting my lip in irritation, I walked behind Luca as we made our way to the training ground. Olivia was there alright. But she wasn't alone. Luca's secretary was engaged in a fierce combat with some guy. It was rather brutal. But I could pick his weaknesses apart. He could not win against Olivia. If I could see the mistakes he made, then I was sure Olivia could as well. And she delivered. She hoisted herself in the air, flying like a fucking boomerang, and landed a kick on his head. The dude went out cold. I watched Olivia pant heavily. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. She was sweaty as hell, but then she turned towards I and Luca and beckoned at me with a nod. “Impressive isn't she?” Luca grinned as if he were a proud dog owner and his dog had just played a marvelous trick. I glanced back at Olivia to see her smiling warmly at him. Yep, I was right earlier. She was definitely besotted with him. Wasn't that a sight to see? The brutal feminine woman was utterly in love with the crazy man, whom I still had no information about. Wonderful. However, her crazy ways aside and her icky feelings for Luca aside, she was amazing. She had just knocked out a man who was twice her weight and height to the ground, and she looked damned ready to take me on. “You know,” I said to Luca as I geared towards her, cracking my bones. “You might be right for once, Luca. I'm starting to think I like her.”