The Assassin's Bride

Hey, readers :)

Thanks for the fun commentary that brought me here, the schweet votes and coming along this journey with me.

Thanks, Rumpole, for taking the time to eyeball this lengthier chapter.

Acknowledgement to Abroad's song, 'All I Want'. A very underrated band that helped me channel Michael's character so much that some of the lyrics seeped into his dialogue.

This is the last one.

Enjoy x

****

Gavin lightly jumped from the yacht aboard the small speedboat; it wobbled as the engine started.

Wrapped in a navy bed blanket, Carina's eyes slowly closed with exhaustion. She dreamed vividly.

The room was so cold. She sat by a locked window framed with pink roses, gazing out at a sun-soaked garden.

"I want to see the flowers," she murmured.

A heavy hand pressed her shoulder. "No."

"I want to go outside," she whined.

Eduardo's grip tightened. "You are too delicate for the sun,

mi amor

. Look at your hands."

Carina's eyes widened at the backs of her hands; spotted with age. Carlos sat opposite, looking tired, his once jet-black hair now peppered with grey. But his eyes were sharp, watchful on Carina's face, and filled with unspoken sorrow.

"I want to sit in the sun," Carina whispered. "I want to go outside."

A strapping young man strode from nowhere. He was gorgeous, with Eduardo's cruel smile and midnight-blue eyes. Carina frowned as he kissed her withered cheek.

"Morning, Ma," he smiled, tucking a strand of white behind her ear. "Did you sleep well?"

"I want to sit in the sun," Carina repeated. "I want to leave here."

The men collectively laughed; a harsh burst of sound that hurt her ears.

A beautiful girl appeared. Carina watched her twirl for them in a vibrant green dress spiralling to display lovely, long legs and bright red heels.

Unabashed by their audience, Carina's son ran his hand up the girl's skirt. "Stay with my mother," he murmured against her lips, and she obediently nodded.

Distant screams broke the unsettling quiet. The men were gone, Carina was alone with the pretty girl.

"What was that?" she said anxiously.

The girl's hand was firm on her wrist; consoling and controlling. "Do not worry. They are just killing somebody," she sunnily replied.

Carina began to cry, and the girl wiped her face with silk. Blinking tears from her vision, Carina's jaw dropped.

"What is it?" the girl asked curiously.

Carina gaped at a vision that made her heart swell. Gleaming long, dark hair, and a perfectly-shaped pink pout. Vibrant violet eyes, shining with confidence. A lively girl with everything to live for, but no real future.

"W-What is your name?" Carina croaked, panic rising in her chest; a rattling wheeze.

Young Carina airily shrugged. "Whatever they want it to be."

"Your name is Carina!"

The girl shrugged again with a look so vacant Carina wanted to slap her. She seized the girl's shoulders, her roughened fingers digging into young flesh. "You will never get out of this. You will never get out. Your life is nothing with them."

The girl smiled stupidly. "But I am nobody."

Carina tried to shake the girl, but she was too weak. "Your name is Carina!" she sobbed. "Carina!"

Carina.

"Carina."

She shivered awake, furtively staring around until she looked up to find Gavin on the wharf, reaching for her. He was still shirtless, the dawning sun gleamed across his fair skin.

"Come on," he murmured. "We have to go."

Shifting the blanket from her body, Carina wearily draped her arms about Gavin's neck and was lifted from the speedboat. Standing on wobbly-legs, she uneasily stared at the familiar beach.

"Why are we here?" she whispered, as though the surrounds might come to life and envelope her. Two abandoned bikes were on the sand, unmoved since their escape and Michael's pursuit.

"Fuel and the ashes," Gavin said simply. "Can you walk?" he queried, peering at her pale features.

Still nervously taking in her bearings, Carina reluctantly nodded but pressed closer to the inviting warmth of Gavin's skin. Gavin smiled at her silent answer. Yes, she could walk. But no, she didn't want to.

"Alright," he relented, easily scooping her against his chest. "How are you feeling?" he asked, striding down the wharf toward the sand.

Carina sighed against his neck. "Like shit."

"You'd have to have a screw loose to be unaffected after all you've been through," he replied.

"Won't they trace the boat here, from the yacht?" Carina asked.

"That'll be Ethan's problem. We're leaving it here."

"He'll come after us, won't he?" she mumbled, feeling like a newborn not wanting to exit the womb. Adhering to Gavin's chest was so damn comforting.

"Yep. But we have a bangin' head start, so don't worry about him."

"But it can't be that long since..."

To her surprise, a burst of laughter escaped Gavin. "Seriously, don't worry. He has his work cut out for him."

"What do you mean?" Carina asked, confused by his humour. "What's so funny?"

"It's sort of an inside joke."

***

Michael registered the pounding headache before even opening his eyes. Blinking to full consciousness, he became aware of the mop in one hand, and box of tissues precariously balanced atop the other. Sitting up to let the cleaning items fall from his hands, his blurry vision focused on the neat writing glaring at him from a torn sheet of paper.

"Staff are secured. Thanks, Ethan. I owe you one x."

Michael reached for the message, stared at it for a full minute before slowly crushing it into a fierce little ball, his face frozen with anger.

The boat had to be checked, and it was a big job. Michael felt like a hungover partygoer who had woken up abandoned by all friends and left with a nasty choice: a huge mess to clean, or a very expensive bond to pay.

It wasn't unexpected, it just really sucked. Michael planned to leave Gavin in the same predicament. It was the ultimate act of bad etiquette to leave an associate to tidy a crime scene. Gavin normally had impeccable manners and was a very efficient 'cleaner'. But he naturally wanted to teach Michael a lesson and ensure a safe getaway with Carina.

Carina...

Michael swore and glared at the ceiling, silently counting the rooms on the yacht needing critical attention. The bodies to be taken care of. A reckless, spiteful part of him wanted to leave evidence that would blow all of them into the open, but his rational side understood that the less the world knew of him, Carina and Gavin, the easier it would be to track them down.

It wasn't the worst result. Carlos had been dealt with and Carina was alive. Whilst there was no way Michael would admit it aloud, a part of him, a fleeting part of him very, very deep down, was glad Gavin survived Carlos' hospitality.

But the job could take hours. And he'd have to ensure the staff who'd barricaded themselves in the kitchen remained trapped inside while he went to work. It wouldn't do to have civilians wandering about ship like stray sheep. Though Gavin indicated he'd taken care of that problem, and probably only because he didn't want Michael to murder the workers in a sore-loser rage.

Regardless, he'd still have to mask himself just in case...

"Fuck, fuck,

fuck,

you, Gavin!" Michael snarled, staring at his blood-stained shirt that was somehow symbolic of the gruesome job ahead.

Closing his eyes, he called on memories of Carina to calm himself. The one that stood out was unexpected. A time when Eduardo and Carlos left for a business rendezvous, leaving Michael to mind Carina till daybreak.

They sat on a daybed for hours as the sun went down, drinking and laughing and animatedly debating. Suffering mild sunstroke, Carina dozed off before dinner; curled up against him, her arm loosely draped across his stomach.

Michael gently stroked her hair, watched the red sun vanish and felt it was the perfect way to conclude a fun day. More than once he smiled at Carina's sleeping face, his finger traced her flushed cheek and lingered by her pretty mouth, so close to rosy lips that made his heart and cock ache at once.

It was too easy to pretend they were lovers on vacation, and he remembered being very tempted to shoot the waiter who showed up with dinner, inevitably rousing Carina and ending the exquisite moment.

Michael bitterly shook his head at Carina's stubborn resistance; her immovable determination to reject him despite their intimate background.

For several weeks after they first met, he quietly pondered his unusual feelings; mulled over how one pretty girl, an untouchable girl linked to a critical part of his assignment, could turn his world upside down. He wondered whether he would feel the same if she was maimed in a fire and disfigured beyond recognition. The frustration was so strong he'd once considered testing that theory, just to get her out of his mind. But he could never hurt her.

The answer struck one night at dinner. Pretending to listen to Eduardo's soccer commentary, he watched Carina tease a smile from Carlos, who was in a thunderous mood. It was the wicked glint in her eyes, her contagious laugh that made him realise she was the woman he wanted to grow old with. It was as though she'd reached across the table, right into his chest, ripped his heart out and pocketed it.

It was then he realised it wasn't her looks; it was the spark inside her he couldn't resist, a discovery that came with grim complications he managed to work around. The fact she was unfairly beautiful was just too fucking cruel for him to walk away from.

No, he wasn't some sick stranger fixated on her looks; the sexual connection was verified after the kidnapping. Long before that, they had a mental connection; a link so strong she couldn't shoot him when she had the chance. But now she'd shown her hand, and Michael knew if Carina was forced to choose between her freedom and his life, she would choose him.

Michael briefly touched his mouth that had kissed Carina's caressing palm not long ago. With fresh determination, he ripped the bloodied shirt from his body and stretched.

"Ok," he said wryly. "Let's do this."

***

In navy jeans, a peach-coloured jumper and black sneakers, Carina sombrely waited in the hall. It was an area filled with disconcerting memories; the same hall she'd restlessly paced, been carried by Michael, run from Michael, and chased after Gavin. Turning her stare out the window to the rustling wilderness, shivers raced through her body just from being back there. Even with Michael absent, she could only associate the luxurious premises with emotional upheaval, captivity and forced sex.

"Hey."

Carina started, not realising Gavin had approached, looking quite spunky in Michael's black jeans and an aqua-blue t-shirt that made his eyes appear an even lighter shade of blue. He grinned at Carina's scrutiny.

"A bit on the tight side, but better than what Carlos had to offer," he quipped, biting his lip when Carina's face fell at Carlos' mention. "And we're ready to jet," he confirmed, carefully cradling the ornate teal urn in one arm. "I'm sure we have lots of time, but I don't want to take unnecessary chances."

"Of course," Carina quickly agreed, quite shaken by the prospect Michael could show up.

"You're all packed?"

Carina gravely pointed to the small bag on the ground. It had been a trying process, choosing between familiar clothes that brought memories of Eduardo, Carlos and the Michael she thought she knew, or brand-new clothing that Michael had explicitly purchased for her.

"You won't need much," Gavin assured her. "We'll shop when we get home."

"Home?" Carina echoed. "Doesn't Michael know where you live?"

"'Home' is a loose term. None of us really settle in one location," Gavin shrugged, bending to collect her bag. "I banked on this place being unoccupied when I came for the ashes. I didn't realise Ethan had delayed his job to kidnap you, then cancelled it altogether." He stood tall with a smile. "Not the shock of my life, but it was up there."

"Why did you... Why have you done all of this, for me?" Carina asked, walking slightly behind Gavin so she could discreetly observe his strong profile. It was the first time they could converse candidly, without an immediate threat hanging over them.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Carina awkwardly cleared her throat. "The first time we met, you dismissed me."

"Yeah," Gavin admitted. "When I watched you from afar, even when I jumped on you in bed, I thought you were just some bimbo."

Carina scowled.

"But then you followed me," Gavin added, frowning as he remembered. "People are very brave when they're protected. But you charged right after me without anyone having your back. Very unusual for a good-looking girl under a man's control."

They turned a corner and descended the stairs.

"You weren't a bratty mistress having a bad day. Nor were you idly waiting to be rescued. You

really

didn't want to be here. I gauged that you'd pull your weight in a sticky situation. And you proved yourself on that yacht."

"I did?" Carina questioned cynically. As far as she knew, she dallied about while Gavin pulled the hard yards.

"Don't discount yourself, Carina. Your part was the most challenging, and the most critical," Gavin replied, directing an admonishing glance her way. "One word from you, and I'd have been dead before setting foot on that boat. And that would have been the easy route for you. Not the healthiest, but the easiest by far."

Carina was careful to control her emotions, not wanting to break down again by remembering how difficult it was to betray Carlos.

Gavin whimsically shrugged. "You weren't made for Ethan's prison. But at the same time, you've never really been free, have you?"

Carina swallowed a lump in her throat as she recalled her debates with Carlos about independence.

"Visually, you belong here," Gavin said with a half-smile, his eyes roaming the decorated architecture. "I could picture you in some kind of Royal harem. But your personality is something else." He gestured for her to wait in the lobby and checked outside, then signalled for her to follow.

"And I know Ethan," he added, escorting her to a waiting quadbike. "He's had his choices. If he was going to obsess over a woman, she would have to be something unique. I enjoy stealing things more than slitting throats, and I won't lie -- I wanted to piss him off."

Observing Carina's mouth still set in a tight line, he playfully poked her cheek. "Don't pout. I've risked my neck to get you out of this," he said candidly. "Without asking anything in return."

"There are things I want to give you," Carina broodingly muttered.

"Don't be crude," Gavin sighed, patiently guiding her onto the bike.

Carina's sullenness slightly lessened when they nestled closely together on the vehicle. It felt good to be up against Gavin, though she'd prefer to be facing the other way. The bike rumbled then jumped forward and Gavin's promising erection against her lower back completely dissolved Carina's bad mood.

When they arrived, Gavin unabashedly stripped down to his underwear and waded through water to pull clusters of dead branches from a large craft protruding from the surface. Too astonished to ogle Gavin's physique, Carina's expression was cutely perplexed as she tilted her head at the transport.

"I've never seen anything like it," she said frankly.

It appeared to be a giant clear bubble, framed by foundations resembling something of a war tank, but designed for underwater instead of land.

"It's not quite a luxury missile yacht," Gavin apologised. "No room for fancy dinners and dancing. But it's comfortable enough, and definitely more stealth."

Carina smiled. The less space between them, the better.

"And no sex on board, I'm afraid," Gavin added, noting the saucy look on her face.

"Bet you've jerked off in it," she slyly accused, and despite the chill of ocean water, Gavin felt his cheeks heating.

"Of course not, don't be silly," he lied, drawing a deep breath as Carina squealed her way through the water so he could lift her in. For the first time they would be in very close quarters, without risk of interruption.

Finally, they were settled in, and Gavin fumbled for a good half hour extracting the vessel from its camouflaged state while Carina wriggled into dry clothes.

To Gavin's surprise, Carina made no attempt to weasel into his pants the entire journey. Now and then she sipped from the water bottle he gave her, seeming quite subdued, clearly still grieving Carlos' death. Not bothering with small-talk, he occasionally glanced at her, noticing the distant look in her eyes that revealed her preoccupation. Gavin knew it was perfectly normal, after a traumatic loss, for the mind to repetitively circle the event.

The top of their glass bauble broke surface, and Carina stiffened, feeling exposed when they fully emerged.

"The glass coating is very difficult to sight from shore," Gavin reassured her, still fiddling with the controls. "And this is a tourist hot-spot, so even if we're seen, it won't be out of the ordinary."

Carina frowned at the line-up of individual wharfs in the distance, all leading to big houses along the ocean. "Where are we?"

"Not far from the Caribbean," Gavin evasively replied, twisting from side to side in his seat. "It'll be good to be home. I really need to stretch my legs and have a hot shower."

"You live around here?"

"One of many places." Gavin pointed. "The white one. It's on lease."

Carina was silent for a while, her eyes on the pale, slender house that appeared three levels high with a lot of glass windows.

"Do you like it?" Gavin finally asked.

"It's beautiful," she said quietly, feeling something bittersweet twist through her chest as she discovered what the brink of freedom felt like. Not just freedom from Michael; freedom from the gang. Everything was on her terms. The uncertainty was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

"We can't stay long," Gavin tentatively added, raising his eyebrows when Carina looked startled. "You could say we're about to engage in an indefinite, worldwide game of 'tag'."

"T-Tag?" Carina spluttered, completely baffled.

"Ethan won't give up," Gavin explained. "So, I hope you like to travel."

"I....do?" Carina said numbly, her mind spinning. "You're going to spend the rest of your life on the run, for

me?

"

"No," Gavin laughed. "It's just conveniently how I live. I hate being idle. Early on, I judged your predicament would suit my lifestyle, since I'm always on the move." He turned off the engine and they drifted closer to the wharfs. "We'll freshen up, have a talk, and be on our way."

"A talk about what?"

Gavin leaned over, and Carina found herself eagerly straining to close the distance between them. "The future," he murmured, and softly kissed her.

Warmth flooded Carina's chest and limbs, her heart raced, but before she could deepen the kiss, Gavin retreated and cheerfully continued to close up various blinking compartments as though nothing had happened. Disappointed, Carina sneaked a peek at his crotch and was satisfied that something hard was stretching the front of his pants.

"How do you know Michael won't give up?" she asked curiously.

Gavin shrugged as his rationale mentally aligned with Michael's logic. "It's not just some creepy sexual fixation that can dissolve." His eyes moved to her face with a shrewd glint.

"Ethan was never that kind of guy. I'd say he's been around you for too long, and it was consensual. Now..." he pulled a face. "I'm not a psychologist, but if I imagined myself in love, spending time with that woman and experiencing her as part of my life, realising we actually click..." he shook his head to clear it. "Yikes. He must have been in very deep with Carlos."