Elemental Assassin 03 - Venom

Mab finds out who I am before I want her to, she’ll come after everyone I know with everything she’s got. I know you have Eva to think about. Believe me, I know how important sisters can be, how important Eva is to you. I’ll understand if you don’t want to take the risk.”
    Owen stared at me for several seconds, his eyes dark in his strong face. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m a big boy, Gin. I can take care of myself. Eva too. I’ve been doing it most of my adult life. Besides,” hismouth twisted. “Your family isn’t the only one that Mab killed.”
    A pain I was all too familiar with filled his face. I reached over and put my hand on top of his. “Oh, Owen. I’m so sorry. How did it happen?”
    He shrugged. “My father was a gambler. He got in too deep to a bookie who worked for Mab. My father was a big, strong guy. The bookie was scared of him, so he called in Mab for reinforcement. She torched our house with the four of us in it to send a message to the bookie’s other customers to pay up—or else. Eva and I got out. Our parents didn’t.”
    Owen lapsed into silence, lost in his fiery memories of the past. We just sat there, my hand on top of Owen’s larger one. We didn’t say anything for almost a minute.
    “So whatever you want to do, however you want to fight Mab Monroe, I’m with you,” Owen finally said in a low voice. “Because the bitch killed my parents too. But mainly because I’m falling for you, Gin. I know what you do, what kind of violence you’re capable of. But also, I know what kind of woman you are.”
    His words startled me more than anything had in a long time. “And what kind of woman would that be?”
    Owen stared at me. “Someone who’s passionate and full of life. Someone who’s funny and smart. But mostly, someone who’ll do whatever the fuck it takes to protect the people she cares about. That’s what I like about you, Gin. That’s what I admire about you. That’s what draws me to you.” His mouth quirked up in a smile. “Well, that and the knives. Did I ever mention that I think weapons are sexy?”
    A warm, soft feeling blossomed in my chest, a littletingle of possibilities, of what could be between Owen and me—something far greater than I’d ever dreamed of.
    At his suggestive tone, I arched an eyebrow, got up, and sat down in his lap. “Weapons are sexy, huh?” I whispered, my lips just touching his. “Care to frisk me to see if I’m carrying any right now?”
    Owen’s eyes glittered with violet desire. “I’d love to.”
    A minute later, Eva Grayson walked into the kitchen in her flannel pajamas to find Owen and me still kissing—among other more prurient things. She immediately clapped her hand over her eyes and started backing out of the kitchen.
    “Oops! Owen, sorry, I didn’t realize that you had an overnight guest—” Eva peered through her fingers at me. “Wait a minute. Gin? Is that you?”
    I pulled my robe closed. “In the flesh.”
    Eva’s eyes narrowed, and she looked from me to her brother and back again. “A sleepover. Cozy.” Her gaze flicked to the food on the table. “I take it you’re staying through breakfast then?”
    I stared at Owen. “Yeah,” I said. “I think I’ll be here awhile.”
    Three days later, just after eleven, I was back at the Pork Pit, sitting behind the cash register reading the morning edition of the
Ashland Trumpet.
The headline across the front page read
Police still searching for vigilante.
The story was yet another follow-up piece about the events that had transpired at Elliot Slater’s mountain mansion.
    “Well, at least they’re not calling you an assassin,” Finnegan Lane said, reading the headline upside down.
    Finn was taking a break from his banking to have an early lunch at the Pork Pit before the usual noontime crowd hit. Sophia Deveraux had already poured Finn his second cup of chicory coffee and was brewing him another pot to take back to the bank.
    I shrugged. “It’s only a matter of time before it spins the other way and I’m back to being a cold-blooded killer.”
    “We’ll see,” Finn replied. “It might take longer than you think.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “I’ve had my ear on the underground buzz,” Finn replied, taking a sip of his coffee. “Word is that Mab Monroe is looking high and low for you and that she’s got all her boys and girls on red alert. But there are also a lot of other people who are interested in seeing if you can