She’s worried about something.
The elevator slows and stops with another ding. The doors slide open and everyone files out, sticking to the same relaxed formation. We’re in another lobby. It’s a modest square, smaller than the last one, but still decorated with the same luxury. A single hallway stretches away before us, lit subtly by strip lights overhead.
The group starts walking. We pass a couple of doors on either side. It reminds me of the Jumeirah hotel back in Abu Dhabi. Less doors means bigger rooms. I can only imagine what lies behind some of these…
We’re maybe halfway along. Pierce steps to the side and turns to face us. His two men take a few more paces past him and stop. The men behind hang back. They’re giving us space, but making it perfectly clear there’s nowhere to go except where they want us to.
Pierce knocks twice on the door. “Go on, he’s expecting you.”
I glance back at Lily, who nods. I reach for the handle, but Pierce puts his hand up. “Just remember, hero… this is the only way in or out, and we’ll be waiting here for you. Don’t do anything stupid.”
I roll my eyes and open the door, pushing it as I step inside. I hear Lily follow behind—
Holy crap…
The suite is incredible! And I mean, really incredible! The first thing I notice, away to my left, is a large statue of Ganesha, the Hindu Elephant God. It’s maybe nine feet high and made of marble. It’s colorful, adorned with jewels that must cost a small fortune. Lights in the floor illuminate the base from below.
I let out a low whistle as I gaze around in genuine awe. The wall opposite is all windows and offers a stunning view of the ocean. The room itself is like a lounge area, split into sections by groups of seating and low tables. In the far corner is a spiral staircase. Straight ahead is a large double door, standing slightly open and leading into what looks like a bedroom. To the right is—
“Oh, c’mon… I don’t need to see that!”
There’s a huge oval hot tub against the right wall, with thin pillars leading up to the ceiling. Sitting in the middle of it, with his arms stretching out to the sides, resting on the edge, is Horizon. He has a woman either side of him, pouring water over his exposed chest from a decorative bowl, and then rubbing him down with a cloth. Each woman looks—
Yup… they’ve just stood up.
They’re completely naked.
I look away. Not because I feel awkward. Not because I’m trying to be polite. And certainly not because they’re not amazing to look at. But because I don’t want to associate two wet, naked women with a wet, naked Horizon. That kind of mental image stays with you forever.
I hold my hand up as I would if I was shielding myself from the sun. “Jesus Christ, Chief… Can you at least get dressed for your meetings?”
Lily strides past me into the room, and I hear the door close behind me. I watch her look around. She doesn’t seem as impressed as I am. She glances briefly over at Horizon, but simply rolls her eyes and turns her back on him, casually pacing toward the statue of Ganesha.
I get no response from Horizon. I look back over at him to see—
“Oh, seriously! For fuck’s sake!”
He’s standing up in the hot tub. The two women are patting him down with a towel. I’ve just seen things that are the stuff of nightmares. I might never be the same again…
I turn my back and walk over to Lily.
I lean toward her slightly. “I didn’t realize the guy was a naturist.”
She leans into me and smiles. “He’s not. He just doesn’t give a shit.”
I nod. “Ah, I see… Neither do I, but you don’t see me—”
I stop because Lily’s looking at me with an eyebrow raised.
I frown. “What?”
“What were you wearing when we first met?”
Oh yeah.
I shrug. “That was different. I wasn’t parading myself around or anything, I’d just stepped out of the shower.”
She smiles. “Uh-huh…”
“What? It was totally different! Besides… I’m better looking.”
She makes a point of looking me up and down. She shrugs. “Huh… I guess.”
She turns around and walks slowly back over to Horizon, who’s now wearing a white robe and standing in the middle of the room with his arms around the two women. They’re still naked and dripping water on the carpet. They’re both cozying into him with a hand on his chest and one leg slightly bent, resting against him — possibly in an effort to hide some of their modesty.
Which isn’t working, I might add.
“Thank you for coming, both of you,” he says.
I walk over to join Lily. “Not like you gave us much choice.” I gesture to the room with my hand. “Nice place though.”
He nods. “This is the closest thing I have to an office. And you two are the first assets ever to come here.” He looks at each woman in turn, then moves his hands down and grabs their asses. “Go wait for me in the bedroom, okay?”
They both nod and giggle and trot away toward the double doors holding hands.
I look at him and raise my eyebrow. “When I get as old as you and need a care home, remind me to ask for the sponge bath service you just had.”
He smiles for a moment. “Just a little perk I occasionally allow myself. Now, Adrian, if you would take a seat, I’d like to discuss a few things with my dear Lily.”
I look over at her. “You gonna be okay?”
She nods. “It’s fine.”
I walk over to one of the sofas in the middle of the room. It’s a large U-shape, and could easily seat thirty people. It’s a deep purple, with red and gold cushions arranged across it. I sit down heavily and watch.
Horizon moves over to Lily and places the back of his hand gently on her cheek, stroking it. “What happened in Abu Dhabi, my dear?”
She flinches slightly at his touch, but I can see she’s trying not to. She takes a breath. “I had a plan for the hit and it went wrong. When I realized Adrian was living in the city, I asked for his help.” She moves her head away from him and turns to look him in the eye. “That’s not against The Order’s rules, is it?”
He shakes his head. “No…” In the blink of an eye, Horizon strikes her across the face with the back of his hand. The slap sounding like a whip crack in the otherwise quiet room. “But lying to me is!”
I spring to my feet. “Hey!”
He snaps his head round to look at me and points his finger. “Sit… the fuck… down. I’ll come to you in a moment.”
I’m a little shocked he would speak to me like that. I’m not just saying this, but I actually have killed people for less. Stunned by his response, I just sit down and watch.
He turns back to Lily. “If something goes wrong, you tell me. You come to me. That is your only priority if you fail a contract. To lie to me is unacceptable.”
She takes a small step to the side, away from his hand. She doesn’t look at him. “I was embarrassed and ashamed I’d failed. I knew with help I could get the job done, and I didn’t want you to worry or think less of me.”
He turns to face her, grabbing her by her elbow. “The Order consists solely of the world’s greatest assassins. It has done for countless years. Pride has no place among our ranks, do you understand?”
She nods.
“You have disappointed me, Lily. You have always been one of our most reliable and effective weapons, but this was an amateurish mistake.”
I clear my throat. “Can I… say something here?”
Horizon looks over at me again, still holding on to Lily’s arm. “Something tells me you’re going to anyway…”