Call My Name

He is forty minutes late. Two weeks of my men out in pursuit of someone who couldn’t be any less worthy of my time and now he decides to show up late on a meeting after I’ve just landed from a twenty-two hour flight? For a CEO who runs a multibillion-dollar empire, he sure sucks at keeping a schedule. “I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience, sir,” Natalie, his secretary, apologized for the fifth time. “The CEO will be here with you shortly. He just went out to get some . . . er, ice cream.” “Ice cream?” I repeated, making sure I heard it right. This guy had the audacity to come forty minutes late for a goddamned ice cream when I’ve been waiting for him at his office with a really bad jet lag? He sure is testing my patience. “Yes, sir.” “What is he, ten?” “Yeah,” a familiar sneering voice answered from behind me and the annoying form of the CEO of Salvatore Holdings came into view. “Ten inches taller than you.” I’m not shocked anymore why everybody just wants to kill him. He sure does manage to be more irritating every time I see him. “Great. He’s still alive,” I muttered under my breath as I stood up, earning a slightly shocked look from his secretary. Alexei just dismissed me with a wave and took a bite from his ice cream, sitting down on his chair. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Gid. I might think you don’t like me.” Oh, you bet, Goldilocks. If only it wasn’t illegal, I would’ve already chucked you out of your own window. “So, why are you here?” he asked when I didn’t say anything, and I chuckled. “Didn’t the Chairman tell you?” He just shrugged. “I’m your new Head of Security. I’ll be working with you, at least just until your pissed off little psychopath gets captured,” I casually explained, leaning against the side of his desk with a smug look on my face. “Hmm.” He gave me one quick look before finishing the last of his ice cream. “You don’t seem pissed off.” Git. “Not me, you little runt. Your assassin.”