"How are you?" she asked with concern in her eyes.
I didn't even have to get to the bounty yet. I knew Xia already knew by the tone of her voice.
"I'm doing okay."
I actually was doing okay until I saw that damn chain in Adonis' bathroom. My phone ringing in my purse reminded me I didn't have the shit on silent. I forgot to let Talia know when I finished the drive to South Carolina, so although I shared my location with her, I was pretty sure it was her calling me.
Adonis.
Damn, he's gone live long,I thought to myself as I ignored the call and then placed my phone on Do Not Disturb.
I hadn't given him much response since I got his reasoning for the chain. I didn't just come out right and ask him where he had gotten the chain from. We had a small talk after I had fled from his house. He had even offered to bring me some Midol and snacks because of my period. He was so smooth that my ass almost agreed, and I didn't even have my period for real. Our revisiting that night allowed me to bring up the fact that I didn't even wash because there was no soap in the dish but instead the chain. I told him it was a unique piece and asked where he had got it from. He explained that other than the investments that he had back in Lima, he would buy items from pawn shops and then resell them. I chose to give Adonis the benefit of the doubt because the necklace was stolen from me. I'm sure that a thief's first stop is a pawnshop. Overall, the chain was beautiful. I reached for my neck and just played with the skin that was there. I was so used to wearing it that it felt weird not having it.
"I was just about to ask you where your chain was," Xia said.
"I decided to take it off because of everything going on." I didn't mention the robbery because, to me, it wasn't pertinent information.
The server came over, and Xia ordered herself a cappuccino.
"I need to know the price on my head, Xia."
She licked the foam from her upper lip before responding.
"Five hundred thousand dollars."
"A half of mil!" I fucking yelled in that damn coffee shop.
She nervously looked around before responding. "Yes."
Xia said the amount so casually, as if we were talking about twenty damn dollars or something. There was no way that I could offer that up because I didn't even have that much. If anything, my savings were dwindling down fast because I didn't have any income coming in.
"Why so much?" I questioned.
She looked at me like I had two heads before responding.
"Nyoka, you are the top of the top. Only five assassins in The Heart Mirage have the same chain as you. The head of the agency, Queen of Hearts, Onyx, you and a new kid."
Everyone knew who the head of the agency was. He attended everyone's graduation ceremony. We had only heard stories about Queen of Hearts because she was retired by the time our class started, but I could tell she was a badass. As far as Onyx, she was the damn face of the agency.
"What new kid?" I asked.
"I don't know. I don't get privy to info like that because I am not a Supreme."
I looked at her bare neck. She went to take another sip from her cup, and her hands were shaking like a muthafucka. Xia was the worst kind of assassin because she specialized in bombs and weaponry. It was funny as hell to me because for her to be the one you go to for bombs, her hands were shaky like a muthafucka.
"I need you to look somebody up for me."
If Adonis did belong to the Heart Mirage, his background would come back as classified, telling me everything I needed to know.
"Now that I can help you with…"
She pulled her laptop out of her bag and placed it on the table.
"Let me get a name and one city and state."
I gave her his name and Lima, Ohio. She turned the laptop my way, and I was relieved when a full report came up with Adonis' arrest record and childhood home in Clarksdale. The last known address was an apartment he shared with another woman who I'm sure was his ex. It felt good to know that what he had told me was true.
"Did you need anything else from me, friend?"
