The Assasination Project

Part Thirteen

Eva's POV

The last thing I remember was being thrown into a sheik black lemo harshly by those big baboons before coming face to face with this sasquatch in front of me.

Okay, I'll admit, Quince was no sasquatch. He was good looking, handsome even. His height, his muscles that bulged out from beneath his plaid blue shirt. His intense yet beautiful dark eyes that would have had me trembling in fear if I was scared of him. And don'y get me started on that sinfully dark hair and deathly pale skin of his.

I think I was going guy crazy over gangsters. Damn me and my girly side! It has me wanting to take back what I had let slip today.

I sat up from the seat where I was thrown in and glared at my captor, "What's your damn problem! Can't you leave me the heck alone!"

"I told you Eva, either you help or else", Quince threatened in that deep British accent of his. Why was God so unfair and blessed him with a hot British accent and good looks. He was the gang leader for Christ's sake!

"Or else what?! You'll make me wish I wasn't alive? Go ahead, do your worst", I really shouldn't have been testing his patience like this. In all honesty, I truly had no idea what he was capable of. But being the i***t that I am, I'll just see how much he'll take my crap.

"Besides, why would I help you kill such a nice guy like Linos? He's young, friendly, good looking... AND YOUR DAMN COUSIN!" I went on. I'll come clean and say I didn't mean to scream the last part. But what ever it took to get the message through to Quince's thick scull, I'll do.

Quince stayed quiet for a while and I was contemplating whether or not that was a good thing. When he finally gave me a devious smile, I knew it was anything but a good thing.

"Tell me love, do you like fire", he asked the question so easily as though we were talking about the weather. What kind of question was it any who? Metaphorical? Rhetorical?

When he got no reaction or answer from me, he seemed to take my answer as no. What person likes fire? But his next few words froze the blood coursing through my veins.

"Then I suppose your sister doesn't either, now does she?" I couldn't believe he'd even be capable of such a devious thing. What is he, a devil?... Oh wait, he is...

When he saw the shocked expression on my face he let out a bitter laugh. It caused me to shudder and goose bumps to appear on my skin. His bargain was unreasonable and evil and I wish I was capable of smothering him with my bare hands.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to your sister if I get that snail", he bargained.

Both him and I knew I had no other choice but to agree, so with a defeated sigh I responded, "Fine... I'll get you the damn snail. But touch a single hair on my sister's head, and trust me, that snail will be the last living , breathing creature on earth you'll be seeing".

My warning couldn't have been more clear, and if this moron knew what was good for his well being, he'd take it to heart. But he gave me a smile like I was a six year old telling her dad she'd mix salt in his coffee. Why was I seeming so amusing to people these days?!

"Quince Mavoric, mark my words, I will make you regret the day you were born if you so much as..." I began but he cut me off. Rude much?

"Yeah, I get it. It's a deal", he paused and signaled something to one of his men, "But just for safe keeping, why don't we take your sister along:, he suggested.

He can't be serious, can he? He's bringing my little sister along to his assassination project. What was he thinking bringing a six year old into this? Why this freak!

"Why you..." I was about to pounce on Quince but a little body was thrown on me before I could make a move. The action sent me back on the seat.

I looked up to see Azzy smiling down at me with those pretty honey colored eyes while her little hands kept her steady on my chest.

"Well then, I think that's everyone", Quince stated before the limo sped off to where I supposed was the zoo.

The entire ride consisted of Azzy questioning Quince about weird things, and to my surprise, he answered without hesitation. Not once did he show aggravation or irritation. My poor little sister was still under the impression that Quince was my boyfriend. He should have never told her that. She was already calling him her brother-in-law. It was sad really.

When we arrived, everyone got out of the limo and I tried fiddling with my necklace to get the entrance key to the zoo off it. Quince took me by surprise when he unhooked my necklace from the back. For a moment, I thought he was a gentleman.

But then the perverted bastard intentionally let his hands linger on the back of my neck before I smacked them causing him to burst into a fit of laughter. That laugh that still did weird things to my insides.

Currently, we were making our way around the zoo towards the snail's rehabilitation zone. Azzy was busy looking at every creature in the zoo and her eyes lit up every time she spotted a new one. Quince gazed at her in what could have only been described as adoration. And I wasn't sure if I should've been bothered.

We rounded the last corner and were met with the metal door that separated the rest of the zoo from the rehabilitation zone. I punched in the access code onto the keypad and the door clicked open.

Before we knew it, we were surrounded by some of the many endangered species here. We maneuvered our way through cages and finally were greeted by the creature we came to see. Or rather, take.

Guilt clawed at me as I gazed at the little slimy creature with red shrieks on its oddly shaped shell. It was not the fact that I was about to give away the rare creature that had me guilt stricken. No, it was the possibility that Quince was going to use this rare creature to kill his cousin and the fact that I was helping him.

Quince took up the little snail cautiously and lifted it to his eyes as he gazed at it in awe. The gesture had me forgetting he was gonna use the little creature for assassinating people, specifically Linos.

Silence reigned as I looked both guiltily and in awe as Quince held the Red Shrike snail. The creature seemed unaffected by his touch and it made me weak in the knees for some odd reason.

A gun shot and a blood curdling shriek from Azzy shattered the silence and brought me back to reality. I looked to see Quince on the floor with blood seeping out of his arm and onto the floor. With the snail still in his embrace. Blood continued to soak through the blue material of his shirt and it was in that moment that I realized he was shot.

Azzy clutched my hand tight and I picked her up and embraced her in a comforting hug.

I bent low and helped Quince up but a voice behind me had me dropping him and sending me into paralysis.

"Nice to see you again cousin", the voice addressed Quince who, despite having lost blood, was clutching the snail with dear life.

I could not believe what was happening. The guy I thought was to innocent to crush a girls heart just shot his cousin and had a smug look plastered to that face I once thought was angelic.

"Linos"