The Playboy's Assassin

A Blast from the Past: Vanessa.

The moment I stepped into the room, a flood of memories came rushing back. I had expected the place to have changed over the years and it had but not too much. The room had a different wallpaper and the fur rug hadn’t been there the last time but every other thing was still the same. I pulled the curtains aside and looked down at the wooden framework of the window. It was painted white this time. It had just been dark wood the last time I was here. I trailed my fingers on it and in the middle, I could feel the marking. V.H. I had carved my initials on it as a child and it was still there. I could see it faintly under the white coat.

I remembered running around this room while my dad chased me. Then life had been full of laughter. A tear escaped me and I whimpered. I had pushed those memories far back in my mind and with every soul I’d taken they’d drifted even further away. But now they were at the forefront of my mind, fresh as if it was yesterday. The chasm in chest was even deeper than it had been before. I missed them so much. And to think about how different my life would’ve turned out if they hadn’t died in that crash brought me even more misery.

I cried silently, relishing those moments as I held them close to me. It was sweet torture to imagine a life with my parents still in it but I did it anyway. I would be in college right now studying a course that I probably loved, making my dreams come true. Dad would be proud of me and would tell me how much he loved me anytime I called or came home. I would probably have a sibling or two. Staring out the window right now, I’d be watching them play in the front yard, not grass. My mum would be behind me with her hands on my shoulder watching them play.

“Vanessa,” I heard her whisper my name.

The bathroom opened and the image melted away. I wiped off my tears and faced Enrique. “I didn’t use all the hot water. I saved you some.” He smiled. His hair was wet and scattered from running a towel through it. There were water droplets on his chest and shoulders. A smattering of hair created a trail below his belly button down to his crotch where a towel rested.

“Scarlett? Are you alright?” It took a moment for me to react to the name. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him my name wasn’t Scarlett but I didn’t. Instead, I walked past him and into the bathroom.

ENRIQUE.

Immediately she was out of view, I went to the telephone on the bedside table and typed in Diego’s number. Thunder erupted in the sky and I flinched. I wasn’t a fan of the rain. I placed the receiver to my ear but all I heard was a beep. I tried again and it was the same. I gave up and placed the receiver down. Having nothing else to do, I lied on the bed and watched the ceiling. Thunder sounded again and it reminded me of when I was a kid. I’d get scared of the thunder and run to my mum. She always made me feel better until she left and I had to face my fears alone.

I glanced at the window and a gust of wind rushed in, blowing the curtains violently. I got up and closed the window and my gaze caught the reflection in the mirror. Scarlett was taking a shower. She must’ve forgotten to lock the door and the wind must’ve pushed it open. I watched as the water flowed down her body and it occurred to me that I could just go close the door for her. But I didn’t. Call me a p*****t, but she had been checking me out when I got out of the bathroom earlier. I was only returning the favour.

She rubbed her face and caressed her scalp. Raising her hands exposed her breasts to me and I bit my lip. This was wrong but it felt so good. Her breasts were perky and full. I could imagine cupping them and caressing them and how soft they’d feel. Her n*****s were stiff peaks calling out for my touch. I watched the water flow down her breasts, down her waist and vanish between her thighs. My fingers itched to trace the tattoo on her waist. I looked down at the tent on my crotch and groaned. That was going to be hard to hide.

I grabbed the edge of the table and took a deep breath, but my eyes strayed back to the mirror and our gazes met. At that moment, a gust of wind threw the window open again and I rushed to close it. When I turned back, the bathroom door was closed. I sighed in relief. She hadn’t caught me staring. No doubt she’d have poked my eyes out if she had.

I went to the corner of the room where I kept my stuff and took out a shirt and shorts. I took my towel off and that was the moment the door opened and she stepped out of the bathroom. I turned in surprise and her eyes widened as she looked down at my crotch.

“Holy s**t!” I picked up the towel and wrapped it around my waist. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were about coming out.”

“It’s uh…It’s okay.” She cleared her throat. I stared at her chest. A towel was wrapped firmly around her but all I could see were her naked breasts with water dripping down them. I blinked and the image was gone.

“I’ll just go change.” I picked up my clothes and practically ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

What are you doing, Enrique? This trip was supposed to be a distraction so I could contact Diego and he could get me away from her. I blew out a breath and looked down at my crotch. Good to see everything was back to normal.

VANESSA. 

I sat on the bed, watching the door to the bathroom and wondering when he would come out. I didn’t think this arrangement would be as awkward as it was. I didn’t think seeing him naked would have any effect on me either. I rubbed my thighs together to get rid of the ache in my core and bit my lip. I needed to get a man to get rid of it for me. Thoughts of Enrique and I came to mind and I shook my head. No way was I having s*x with that buffoon.

I moved slightly and pain jolted up my side. I groaned and looked down at my stomach. I got off the bed and let the towel drop. I pulled open the wet bandage and looked at the skin beneath it. A foul odour came out from the injury and I wrinkled my nose. The skin surrounding the wound was looking yellow and nasty and it hurt like hell. I swallowed and closed the bandage. The wound was infected. I heard the door open and picked up my bag to take out my medical supplies, fully aware of Enrique staring at my naked back. The guy really was a p*****t.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I said.

“I would but you broke my phone.” Nice to see he was back to his usual self and no longer the bumbling i***t that had run into the bathroom. I faced him just to make him feel uncomfortable but the desire I saw in his eyes stumped me. I picked up my towel and wrapped it around myself.

“Uhm…I think I’ll go check what’s for dinner.” He left the room. I felt dizzy and I grabbed the bedpost to hold me steady. My temperature was rising; I shivered. I raised a hand to my temple and felt a sheen of sweat on it. I never sweat.

I took off the bandage and cleaned the wound. I groaned at the sting from the antiseptic and covered it with a clean bandage. Fatigue took over and I sat on the bed to rest for a while. How had I not noticed the wound was infected? Now I was stuck in this hotel with a storm howling outside.

ENRIQUE.

I sighted Harrison as I got down from the stairs and called out to him. “What can I help you with, Mr Capone?” he asked.

“Enough with the formality. You can call me Enrique.”

He smiled. “Alright, Enrique.”

“Is there a phone booth nearby? I think I saw one on my way here. I need to make a call. It’s urgent.”

“Oh! You won’t be able to get reception in this storm. We don’t usually have reception out here when it rains.”

“So you mean I’m stuck here?”

“No, you’re not. The storm will clear out in a few days or so and you can make your call.”

A few days? This was horrible. I could think of the different ways in which Scarlett could’ve killed me in that time. Talk of the devil. I heard her coming down the stairs and grabbed Harrison’s arm.

“Are we the only guests here?”

“Unfortunately, yes. We haven’t had a lot of tourists here in months,” he said as I led him away.

“That’s expected. I heard the white whale the island was famous for died some years ago.”

“Yes. It was an unfortunate incident. But that’s not the only attraction we have. There are lots of others. People just only wanted to see the whale.”

“Maybe you can give me a tour of the hotel now and when the storm is over, we can tour the island.”

VANESSA.

I took one step down the stairs and tripped. I rolled down a few steps before I could get a grip on myself. Groaning as I got up, I realized my stitches had opened up. This just made things worse. There were spots of blood on my shirt. The receptionist rushed to my aid and grabbed my hands to steady me.

“Are you okay?” She looked down at my stomach and noticed the blood. “Oh my goodness! You’re injured.”

“Is there a hospital around here? I need to see a doctor.” I felt faint and feverish. My vision was slowly getting covered with black spots.

“There’s a hospital in town but that’s a few miles away and the roads are closed because of the storm.” She helped me down the stairs. I could feel her arms around me and my legs moving but I couldn’t see anything. Her voice sounded from far away as it echoed in my head. I heard a thud and then nothing.