SINFULLY SO

CHAPER 2

I'll open my f*****g p***y up and shove a knife in before I keep an open mind about this crap. Yezebel thought to herself as she listened to Boss speak. When he was done, she looked at him and said one word:

No."

Being at The Lounge was suffocating, and she would rather receive a three-thousand-word email –which says alot because she hated emails– than be there.

"You know we don't bring cases to you that aren't worth your time." He would not back down.

Neither will I. She thought to herself.

Boss wanted her to get married for this next job. Marriage? Did he know how crazy that was? Apparently, there was a man called Harlem Seraphine who she needed to investigate, but she needed to marry into his family because their family only did business with their family members or incredibly close friends, which made her laugh because friends and spouses were all once strangers. They kept their business private. According to boss, Mr Seraphine has a son that he's desperate to get married off as the son was stalling. He's a family-oriented man and wants kids.

“You won't be in the family long enough to have kids, obviously. It will be an arranged marriage, and you find out things about the family. We need Harlem Seraphine dead if the client is correct," he stressed.

She knew, of course. But marriage? She could not possibly get married because of a job, could she? The new client was fairly certain that Harlem Seraphine ran a s*x trafficking ring and the client's daughter had been kidnapped years ago. Pleas for her return were met by a body bag filled with her chopped-up body. He was sure that Harlem Seraphine was the man behind his daughter's death. She turned this information over in her mind. Was it really a big deal? She always saw marriage as a big thing, something people go into when they fall in love. Love was a big deal. But she would never fall in love, not with a man anyway. She did not have dreams or hopes outside killing evil men.

So how would it hurt if you do this? For the girl that was brought in a body bag? For yourself? It’s just marriage. She thought to herself.

"You said yourself that you did not want to get married, so why the hassle?" Boss asked and she glared at him. It was such a stupid question that she rolled her eyes.

"That's your answer right there."

"This is a contract. Nothing about love."

"Can't I pretend to date him?"

"Harlem says he wants a wife for his son, quick," Boss said.

"Can I have some time to think?" She asked.

"Not really. You know if we had options, I wouldn't push you. But this isn't the time for faux morality."

"I never claimed to be moral." She snapped, her eyes shrinking into the slits she was known for in the underworld.

"You're making marriage seem like a big deal. For you!" He replied in kind. She was, she realized, and that was stupid. She had promised to give herself wholly to this job, so what did it matter if she played pretend for a criminal in order to get justice?

"How long do I play pretend?" She asked, after letting out a long sigh.

"As long as you get the necessary information," He said. That seems fast. She could get it in a month and file for divorce. Boss could see her resolve weakening, and he pounced on it by telling her about the alleged crimes of Harlem Seraphine. By the time he was done, she was willing to jump into the lakes of fire to ruin Harlem Seraphine. She sighed a little when she agreed and he smirked.

"We don't really have much information on the Seraphine family. You're going unprepared–" he winced at the word, "but I trust you, of course. I'll get Ezio to send over a little file," he said, dismissing her with a nod.

********

The file arrived immediately she got home while she was putting lemongrass in the kettle. She breathed in as she read it. The file for the father was rather long, but the sons's file? It was short, almost like they barely knew anything about him. Apparently, the world rarely saw enough of him. She flipped the page to the full paged picture and held her breath. This man was beautiful. Not handsome, no, he was beautiful. His features were graceful. Low brows, high cheekbones, a really sharp nose and heavy lower downward-turned lips. His jawline was sharp, but the undertones around his jaw were rather soft...almost feminine. His features were hard but somehow soft. His hair was long and fell around his shoulders and his eyes were dark brown. So will this be my husband for a while? She thought to herself as she read the little note about him. He was the son of a possible s*x trafficker and, for all she knew, he could be involved in daddy's business. Maybe that's why they knew so little about him. She stared at the picture again. He was really beautiful, this man. All hard and soft in his features, it was such a weird but incredible combination. If he wore glasses, now he'd look decent.

Boss said she did not really need to meet Hozier formally and his father has demanded they get married this week Saturday, if she accepts the offer. Apparently, boss had accepted it on her behalf. The fucker. But what kind of father married his son off and did not bother to meet the woman? The client knew someone that knew someone, as all things go, and had offered to find the best person for Harlem Seraphine’s son. She picked up her phone and called Ezio on video. He picked up after the third ring.

"You look...happy," Ezio said, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Look, it's not my fault."

"I never said it was." She replied, raising her shoulder up and bringing it down.

"You are glaring at me like you'd love to put a bullet in my head, so forgive me for not believing you." She added Ian to the call as Ezio whined.

"Hey, Yez." He said with a smile.

"I don't want to get married." She yelled and Ezio whistled.

"Nobody wants to," Ian said.

"That makes me feel so f*****g better."

"Hey, it'll be alright, Yez." Ian said, and she wanted to believe him, really. But being married? To a man? She could not stand men, present company excluded. Not with her history with them too and with her line of work. What if Hozier is an unpleasant cunt? What would she do then? Put a bullet in him?

"At least he's hot," Ezio said and she rolled her eyes. It's true. This could be worse. You could get married to a fat bald man that you'd have to investigate," He added, and Ian shook his head.

"I just hope this marriage ends quickly." She muttered.

"It will." Ezio said. She looked at Ian expecting him to say the same and he raised a brow at her. She glared.

"I'll order a milkcake for you, Yez." He said and she had to laugh. Really, Ian spoiled her silly with cakes.

"Order for me too," Ezio said.

"It's for me!" She snapped at him.

"I am being bullied on my phone." He whined, like a child.

"I'll show you what bullying is, Ezio Ambrosia." She threatened.

"Guys, calm down," Ian, ever the voice of reason, said.

"Yeah, calm down, Mrs. Seraphine," Ezio said with a mocking smile. Ian laughed. She sighed. Right, funny ha ha.

She did not want to change her surname, though she did not need to say that. Because she will, obviously. The family-oriented Harlem Seraphine was also a traditional family enthusiast. Wonderful few months ahead of me, she bet.

She just hoped this mission would go fast and smoothly.