THE ASSASSIN WORE RED LIPSTICK

chapter 5: THE NIGHT DANIEL KANE CAME

Night came in San Fernando, and I could not sleep.

My white dress was still dirty from kneeling for Marco, my red lipstick was fresh because General painted it again, but my innocent face was pale with fear. Daniel Kane - brother of Victor Kane, the congressman I killed in Clark - was coming tonight with ten men to kill me.

I was in Lucian's bedroom, his black sheets, his gunpowder scent, wearing his black shirt again, my long black hair wet from shower, my diamond ring shining. My silver gun was on the pillow beside me, loaded, ready. I am Raven, I don't fear men who want to kill me. I have killed 8 men before. But tonight I fear not for me, I fear for him.

Lucian was downstairs in his office, his black military uniform on, his blue eyes ice, his scar white, talking to his soldiers, planning war for his wife. For me.

"Raven Dela Rosa, assassin who wears red lipstick," I whispered to my reflection in his bathroom mirror, my red lips trembling, my innocent face trying to be brave. "You killed Victor Kane for Mama, now his brother will kill you. Are you brave, Raven?"

I reapplied my red lipstick - my ritual to be brave - and went downstairs.

The mansion was dark, only one light in Lucian's office, soldiers everywhere, guns ready, red roses garden closed. War mansion.

Lucian saw me in his black shirt, my long black hair, my red lips, my gun in hand, my innocent face pale, and his blue eyes turned black instantly, obsession and possession.

"Raven, why are you downstairs? I told you stay in bedroom, my love," he said, his deep voice low, his tall body coming to me, his hand on my waist, his thumb smudging my red lipstick slightly, his favorite.

"General, I am assassin, not princess who hides in bedroom when enemy comes," I said, my small voice brave, my red lips steady, my diamond ring on his chest. "I killed Victor Kane, I will face his brother. Don't keep me upstairs like weak wife."

Lucian smiled, that possessive smile that was not nice, and pulled me into his office, locked the door, pushed me gently against the wall, his black uniform cold, his blue eyes black looking at my red lips and my gun.

"My brave assassin wife in my black shirt, with red lipstick and gun, telling her General husband she is not weak," he whispered, his scar close, his lips near my ear. "Do you know how beautiful you are when you are brave, Raven? Do you know how much I want to hide you upstairs and keep you safe, but also how proud I am that you want to fight with me?"

"I am not just your wife, General," I whispered, my innocent face red, my white thighs under his black shirt. "I am Raven Dela Rosa, the assassin who wore red lipstick. I have killed 8 men. I can kill Daniel Kane too."

"You will not kill tonight, my love," he whispered, his hand taking my gun gently, putting it on his desk. "Tonight you will watch your husband kill for you. Tonight you will see why they fear General Lucian Voss in all of Central Luzon. And after I kill Daniel Kane for making my wife wear white dress and cry for traitor, I will come back and you will still be in my black shirt, with red lipstick, and I will love you more."

Then there was a loud bang outside - gates exploding, guns firing, soldiers shouting.

"Daniel Kane is here," Lucian whispered, his blue eyes ice cold now, General mode, not husband mode. He kissed my red lips hard, tasting my brave color, smudging it.

"Stay here, Raven. Lock the door. Don't open unless you hear my voice saying 'My brave assassin wife, wear red tomorrow.' That is our code, okay?"

"Okay, General," I whispered, crying, my red lips on his.

He took his own gun - big, black, expensive - and went out, his black coat flying, his boots silent, his tall body going to war for me.

I locked the door, my small hands shaking, my innocent face pale, my red lipstick smudged, and I listened.

Outside, guns firing, many guns, shouting, "For Mrs. Voss! For General!" My husband's soldiers fighting for me, for assassin wife they knew for one week but loved because their General loved red lipstick.

One hour. One hour of guns, of fear, of praying to Mama who died ten years ago.

Then silence. Then footsteps. Then knock.

"Raven, my brave assassin wife, wear red tomorrow," his deep voice, tired, cold, but alive.

I opened door, my long black hair messy, my black shirt, my red lips smudged, my innocent face crying, and there he was - General Lucian Voss, billionaire, feared, his black uniform bloody, not his blood, Daniel Kane's blood, his blue eyes black, his scar white, alive, victorious.

He picked me up, my small body in his bloody uniform, not caring about blood, and whispered, "Done, my love. Daniel Kane is dead, his ten men dead, in our red roses garden. No one will ever come to kill my assassin wife again. I killed them all for you, Raven. For my wife who wears red lipstick."

I cried, my red lips on his bloody collar, making a red mark - my red lipstick mixed with blood - on his black uniform, and whispered, "General, you are bloody..."

"Mark me, my wife," he whispered, his blue eyes black with love and obsession. "Mark my uniform with your red lipstick. So they know General Lucian Voss belongs to assassin who wears red."

He carried me to our bedroom, bloody uniform and all, laid me on black sheets, and held me while I cried about Mama, about Marco betrayal, about Daniel Kane, about being safe finally.

"Sleep, my brave assassin wife," he whispered, painting my red lips again with his bloody thumb, smudging it with blood and red. "You are home. No one will touch you. I killed them all."

And I slept, in his bloody arms, my innocent face with red lipstick, my diamond ring, his wife, safe because a Billionaire General killed 11 men in one night for his assassin wife in red lipstick