Clean Money

Motivation

Aida was not a person who liked interruptions and when she heard the three raps at the door, she had felt a spike of irritation spark through her before she heard a familiar voice announce:

‘Raen, your guest has arrived.’ Maina said.

Raen. Aida rolled her eyes at the title. It was a title she rarely ever used or liked using even though her father had insisted on it. It was a title that drew attention to her by declaring her station in life in a manner that left those that knew of its significance grovelling at her feet, drawing attention Aida never cared for and still didn’t care for even at her father’s behest. Aida could still here her father’s voice echoing through the corners of her mind, stating:

‘You are going to be a great leader someday. You shouldn’t let those you lead call you out of turn.’

Aida could still recall being sixteen and scoffing at her father’s reasoning, retorting:

‘It inspires fear.’

‘And it commands respect.’ Her father had said, his tone non-negotiable.

Still. The title irked Aida, it prickled uneasily under her skin.

Even then, Aida wasn’t blind and she knew what titles meant. She was privy to the power of titles in Kynea, with how often Aida had witnessed how quickly and how willingly many abandoned their dignity for an opportunity to simply exist in her presence once they heard her title, one would think she had the might of the Midas touch dancing at the tips of her fingers. Her father had a title of his own and all those who knew him called him ‘Adnarim’ – The King. It was a title her father had earned by virtue of his station in life, being wealthy gave him an absurd amount of power and influence throughout Kynea, so much so that regardless of what he did, many considered him sovereign and even treated him as such. As his next successor, Aida had a title of her own imposed on her that reflected the same regal undertones and it was a title she often found annoying at best.

As she approached the door, Aida tried her very best to conceal the irritation she felt because she had asked Maina countless times not to address her as ‘Raen’ when at home; it was a simple request that he had been trying, rather unsuccessfully, to stop. Instead, she opted to focus on the voices on the other side, catching one of the muffled voices whispering:

‘Is that their name?’

The voice had an interesting inflection and seemed to be a hybrid of sorts. Aida could detect an accent that sounded as though it was from Compton and it was an accent she was familiar with from watching one too many American movies, the kind that centred on gang wars within California, except the heavy lilt betrayed its Spanish speaking roots. Aida could tell that the voice belonged to a woman even if it was a few octaves low and it had the raspy edge of a person who frequently had a cigarette pressed between their lips; it was rough but was strangely soothing.

When Aida finally opened the door with a flourish, she tried and failed to keep the annoyance from her voice when she responded:

‘No. It’s a title. My name is Aida Kimani.’

Aida wasn’t prepared for the sight before her. The woman who stood before her was tall, Aida didn’t consider herself short but the woman towered over her, dwarfing her by a mile; her coffee coloured curls were buzzed into a fade and the warm light played off her tan mocha skin in a manner that almost made her seem like she was glowing. The initial irritation seemed to dissipate almost instantaneously and Aida found herself at a loss for words; she had not expected the person she hired to be attractive, let alone this attractive.

For a moment, neither one of the women said anything. There was a quiet stillness that hung in the air between the two of them and Aida didn’t know how long it lasted, the silence was almost deafening but she did take notice of one thing; the look that passed over the assassin’s face. The way the assassin’s eyes scanned Aida, her lips parted as she scanned her features, made Aida feel as though she should be, at the very least, disgusted with it. It was the kind of stare that vaguely reminded Aida of the hungry gaze she often received from men who couldn’t keep their lurid thoughts at bay and wore them plainly on their features, except, there was something else there she couldn’t quiet put her finger on. It registered somewhere at the back of Aida’s mind that she should be disgusted, or perhaps even offended by this scrutiny but she wasn’t, if anything, she felt a flutter of flattery pull in her stomach and that was what made her uncomfortable.

‘Hey. I’m Jae Brown.’ The assassin said, holding out her hand for her to shake. Aida stared down at her open hand; her palm was wide, forearm thick with muscle and lined with visible veins that looked like they had the ability to snap a person’s neck if provoked, and yet they still managed to look welcoming enough that Aida almost found herself reaching out to shake Jae’s hand – almost – but before she got an opportunity to, Jae quickly retracted it. ‘Sorry.’ She said, drawing her hand into a fist and placing it on her own palm with a bow.

Really?

Aida turned to Maina and gave him a slightly exasperated look because she knew damn well that this American would not even be aware of these customs if she hadn’t been introduced to it through Maina; as much as he helped raise Aida, he was still the inju of the house and he ran a tight ship when it came to those he was tasked with managing. Maina ran the house to her father’s liking which included following a lot of customs that Aida thought were redundant. It was strange, to say the least; Maina was like her second father and yet he still bowed to her and addressed her by her title from time to time, even when she had assured him countless times that it was unnecessary and now, he was teaching this foreigner the same outdated customs.

Aida obliged and mimicked Jae’s stance before rising up, sending a quick seething look to Maina who shrugged unapologetically. Aida had expected Jae to follow her lead but was puzzled when she didn’t, in fact, the American was still standing with her fist pressed into her palm and her head bowed as though waiting for some sort of order. As much as it was custom to bow, it wasn’t custom to bow and wait to be told to rise unless addressing actual Kynea royalty. Aida raised a brow at Jae and turned to Maina who had the most amused, self-satisfied smile on his face. Was Jae really waiting for Aida to tell her that it was okay to look up?

‘You may rise.’ Aida said. Jae rose, her eyes meeting Aida’s and Aida soon found herself captivated by them; they were the same coffee colour as her hair and when they caught in the light spilling out from the room behind her, they glistened like pools of honey under her thick dark brows and long dark lashes, complimenting her plush pink lips. Wow. Were assassins supposed to be this beautiful? Aida wondered.

Aida’s concentration broken when she noticed Jae’s lips quirk up in a slight smirk. She blinked and frowned, turning away from Jae to Maina. What was she doing? Staring at her as though she’d never seen a beautiful woman before – she needed to get a grip. Regardless of how beautiful this woman was, she was hired help. That’s all. After she helped Aida find who was responsible for her father’s injuries, she would return to her country and Aida could return to running Diacious.

‘Maina,’ Aida said, commanding his attention. ‘I trust that our guest’s quarters are up to standard?’ She had switched to speaking in Nea which earned her a confused look from Jae. Good. A satisfying feeling settled in her stomach and she couldn’t help but feel a little smug. Jae Brown may be an assassin but she was playing in Aida’s field; she could have easily asked Maina to escort Jae to a room and have her finished off if she wished and Jae would be none the wiser, Jae ought to remember that, she ought to remember her place. Now that Jae’s countenance was marred in confusion, Aida could concentrate without that distracting cocky little smirk playing on her lips.

‘They are.’ Maina said, responding in Nea as well.

‘Good. Please tell the ujni to prepare the food, we shall be dining here tonight.’ Aida said. Then, she turned to Jae with a slight smirk on her lips, a quiet victory because she noted how Jae stared at her, lips pressed into a thin line as she stared back at Aida unamused, as though she had pick up on and understood Aida’s little game. ‘Our guest must be hungry and exhausted from her trip.’ She said, switching to English.

‘Sure thing.’ Maina nodded, switching to English. There was a knowing smile on his lips as he bowed and exited.

Aida opened the door to the room further and turned, waving Jae inside as she moved from the door. There wasn’t much in the room, it was mostly empty with the exception of the assortment of plush embroidered pillows scattered across the fine Persian rug and a large low round chrome table where Aida’s father occasionally entertained guests. Aida frequented this room, it was one of the few rooms she enjoyed as she got a full view of the open courtyard from the low stone balcony; she liked the way the watery waves of the pool a few feet away reflected into the room, washing into the shadows of the blue walls, making the whole room feel like one giant aquarium. It calmed her.  

Aida thought that there wasn’t much to marvel at in the room, it was bare of personal affects and had a superficial charm to it that was pleasant but vapid. When Aida turned to Jae, however, she noticed how Jae took in the room, her eyes scanning the span of the room in silent wonder as her hands lightly brushed over some of the antiquities, the tips of her fingers dancing faintly over the delicate décor and moving over the striking paintings and posh props as though she was afraid to destroy them. It was an odd but fascinating sight to see. Observing the mercenary that had all the caution of a timid teenager coupled with childlike wonder as she travelled around the room, examining the various items on display.

‘I don’t know about the customs here but where I come from, your ass could get beat for staring so damn hard.’ Jae’s voice echoed. ‘But I get it. I’d stare hard as s**t too if I met someone as hot as me.’

Aida blinked as Jae turned to face her with a smirk.

‘Pardon me, it wasn’t my intention. You just seem so taken with the room.’ Aida said. ‘I’ve just never met someone who was so easily impressed.’ Aida didn’t mean to be rude – okay, fine, maybe she did mean to be rude if only to wipe that little smirk off of Jae’s face – but she wasn’t exactly lying either because most people who did come over hardly ever looked at the room the way Jae had (unless they had a function that saw the rooms around the house transformed for the occasion), they were used to it.

Jae raised her brow, still smirking as she moseyed her way over to Aida.

‘Are you always this rude?’ Jae asked, stopping right in front of her. There was a sudden shift, a heaviness that blanketed both of them as they stared at each other; Jae still looking unabashedly entertained while Aida maintained her otherwise blank and bare countenance. They held each other’s gaze in silent challenge, neither breaking from the other.

‘I don’t know. Are you always this insufferable?’ Aida retorted. Jae chuckled, unfazed, her eyes seemed to bore into Aida, studying her in a manner that she knew she should have found distasteful but Aida could feel her body betray her as a pleasant electricity hummed through her spine and went straight to her head.

‘Nah, not always.’ Jae said. Aida took this opportunity as an excuse to create some distance between them, so, she rolled her eyes and turn around feigning exasperation as she did so, not wanting to forfeit the silent challenge that still hung in the air between them but needing the breath of fresh air. It was hot and Jae had gotten close, too close. Close enough that Aida could actually smell the delicious scent of her cologne, it wrapped around her and invaded her senses and she could still feel it wafting off her skin along with the warmth of her body.

‘I’ve heard a lot of things about you.’ Aida said, her voice betraying nothing of the strange sensations passing through her body as she choose to focus her attention on the courtyard. Aida could feel Jae’s heated gazed on her and she successfully managed not to swelter and squirm under it as she felt it travel from her head, down her back, over her ass and hips and back up again.

‘All good things I hope.’ Jae said, her tone sarcastic but oddly chipper. Aida thanked her lucky stars that the poker face she had spent countless years horning was perfected because if it wasn’t, she might’ve actually smiled at Jae’s comment as she turned to meet her gaze.

 ‘Good is relative.’ Aida said, flatly. ‘In this case, however, the answer is yes.’

‘Bullshit.’ Jae said with a chuckle.

‘Well, your file did say that you do have a pension for indulging in all sorts of inequities.’ Aida shrugged. Jae raised a brow, bemused.

‘That doesn’t bother you?’ She asked.

‘Should it bother me?’ Aida countered, her brow quirking slightly. Jae remained silent, throwing her hands into her pockets with a non-committal shrug. ‘What you chose to do in your free and private time isn’t any of my concern so long as it doesn’t imped on the work you were hired to do.’

‘Cool.’ Jae said with a nod. ‘Can I ask something?’

‘Well, technically, you’re already asking something.’ Aida said. Jae chuckled, opting to ignore that comment.

‘Well, my employers didn’t tell me anything about you–’

‘–As they should.’ Aida interjected.

‘Yeah but I didn’t expect all of this.’ Jae said, vaguely gesturing around her.

‘Considering the amount I’m paying for your services, did you really think that I was financially challenged?’ Aida asked, unable to hide the hint of amusement in her tone at Jae’s remark. It was a stupid comment so it deserved a stupid question in return.

‘No.’ Jae said, her tone unamused as she took notice of Aida’s condescension. ‘Not that. I mean, I knew you had money but…damn.’ Jae said, her voice damn near breathless. Aida smirked at this display because as much as she was averse to some of the treatment wealthy people received, she didn’t hate being wealthy, she enjoyed it and much like her father, she often indulged in it but since she was so used to it, it rarely ever registered to her how vastly different people on the other side of the totem pole viewed it. It was almost refreshing to see, perhaps that why she found Jae’s initial reaction to the room so interesting to watch – yeah, that sounds about correct – Aida only stared at Jae because it was fascinating to watch how her quick eyes picked apart the fine detail of the room and not because Jae herself was a masterpiece to marvel at, Aida reasoned.

‘Well, we are comfortable.’ Aida said, nonchalantly.

‘Comfortable? Nah, that’s just rich people talk right there.’ Jae said. Aida shrugged.

‘I fail to see your point in all of this.’ She said.

‘I’m just tryna figure out why you hired me.’ Jae said.

‘I thought that was obvious.’ Aida said. Wasn’t it? It’s not like this assassin didn’t know why she was here, she must know why and the only reason she would be asking such an obvious question would be for an ulterior motive and Aida could think of hundreds of possible ulterior motives but there was one main one that stuck out to her – Jae wanted more information, more specifically, she wanted more information about Aida.

‘I mean, I know for a fact that you ain’t hiring me on a permanent case for nothing. You can’t blame me for being curious, can you?’ Jae said, shrugging casually but her tone held a hint of knowing to it.

Aida turned to Jae, her expression reposed, betraying nothing as she stared at her. Perhaps the woman was much smarter than Aida had initially thought. Aida knew, right off the bat, that the only reason Jae was asking these questions and framing them under the guise of fake, casual indifference, was because she was digging for Aida’s main motivation behind her decision to hire her for this hit.

‘No. I can’t.’ Aida said. She knew she couldn’t exactly keep Jae in the dark about the reason why she had hired her services and if she did, she wouldn’t be able to do so for a prolonged period of time, there was no way she’d even be able to given the amount of ground work they needed to cover. Damnit! It would’ve been so much easier if she knew exactly who was responsible but she didn’t, hell, she barely had a starting point except for a few wild and possibly wrong guesses – like uncle Roge pointed out, her father was a powerful man and powerful men have a lot of enemies.

Still. That didn’t mean Aida had to divulge everything about herself to this total stranger, she just had to be careful about what she chose to reveal. After a moment of contemplation, Aida gave an obligatory sigh, feigning defeat as she turned to Jae.

‘I know you think you’re clever but your intentions are clear to me.’ Aida said. Jae’s face fell, she didn’t exactly frown but her expression did change, her lips pulling into a taught line, cautious as she held Aida’s gaze. ‘Do you know what it feels like to be a target?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe, I mean, it’s not like I’m an assassin or anything.’ Jae said sarcastically, her tone playful, a small light smile creeping on her face but her demeanour remained visibly tensed.

‘I’ve been a target my whole life and yesterday, someone tried to make a hit. They failed. Obviously.’ Aida said. ‘Quite frankly, I don’t know if that was a blessing or a curse.’ Aida added, mumbling the last part under her breath. ‘I don’t want to have a repeat of that incident and I want to find out who did it.’ Aida said firmly. Jae nodded understanding.

‘Do you have any idea why they’d be after you?’ Jae asked.

‘I have a couple of ideas.’ Aida said, a humourless chuckle escaping her lips. ‘But my primary suspect is a vice that is as old as time itself.’ Aida said.

‘Money.’ Jae said. Aida hummed.

‘No and yes.’ Aida said. ‘Technically, the vice is greed.’ Aida said. Jae rolled her eyes in mild exasperation, vaguely reminiscent of a child who reluctantly does as they are told after having been chastised about it long enough. Aida couldn’t help the slight upward tug of her lips at this display. ‘But yes. Money is a strong motivator.’

‘You said you had a couple of ideas. So, what were the others?’ Jae asked.

‘A personal vendetta, I suppose.’ Aida said coolly.

‘Okay, that makes sense.’ Jae said. ‘You don’t seem too concerned about it though.’ She pointed out. Aida offered a slight shrug.

‘Well, I don’t rule it out entirely but I doubt a personal vendetta would be as strong of a motivator as money.’ Aida said. Jae chuckled, taking slow steps towards her.

‘You underestimate the power of a personal motivator.’ Jae said, she was now standing toe to toe with Aida and again, Aida found herself struggling to ease the pleasant hum that passed through her body at their proximity. ‘For example, I’m here because I need money which I’m going to use to make myself just as comfortable as you are.’

‘Money is still your motivator.’ Aida countered. Jae raised a brow.

‘It’s a means to an end.’ Jae said. ‘My main motivator is–’

‘–Freedom.’ Aida blurted. s**t. Where did that come from? She hadn’t meant to say that but the look in Jae’s eyes told her that she was correct in her assessment and apparently, she was also vividly impressed it too.

‘So tell me, what’s your motivation?’ Jae asked. She was standing close again, too close but Aida didn’t move, there was still a silently challenge that hung in the air between them and this time, she was unwilling to turn away.

‘Why does it matter?’ Aida asked, jutting her chin forward proudly.

‘Cause, I always aim to please my customers.’ She said with a smirk. ‘If you don’t know what you want, you ain’t gonna be happy with the results.’ She added, her tone cutting with a strangely foreboding edge.

‘Revenge.’ Aida said. Jae’s paused, her expression seemed to freeze on her face as her eyes bore into Aida with such intensity that she felt as though the woman was trying to see into her naked soul but Aida matched her with a steely graze on her own.

‘I don’t believe you.’ Jae finally said. She doesn’t believe Aida? What? Who the hell does she think she is to tell Aida what her motivation is after asking her? Was she serious? Aida felt anger flare up inside her but she kept her cool, bluntly securing her nails in her palm before forcing a smile on her lips.

‘It doesn’t matter what you believe. You asked me for an answer and I gave you one.’ Aida said. ‘Your job isn’t to ask me all these questions; if I was unsure about this, I wouldn’t have called for your services. Your job is to finish the task at hand as quickly and efficiently as possible.’ Aida bit.

Jae didn’t seem the least bit fazed by this. If anything, Jae only gave a crooked smirk and leaned back slightly, her next words sending yet another wave of sparks shocking through her system as she responded in a low purr:

‘Yes Boss.’