Killing time.
He stepped from the toilet stall and saw the Russian slut standing inside the entrance of the men’s room.
“No-”
Before he could lift his gun, she opened up with twin silenced guns already locked on him.
Renzo felt the first few bullets ripping through him, then he was on the floor, trying to suck air into his lungs as they filled with blood.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
She’d taken the big guns from his limp hands. That wasn’t right.
Next, she opened his jacket, removed his extra weapons, and pulled the picture of her partner from his inner pocket. It was stained with his blood and had a bullet hole through it, but he saw she recognized who it was.
Fuck! He wanted so much to put a bullet through that pretty head of hers.
Her eyes locked onto his as she stood, stepped back, and lifted her weapon to point it at his forehead.
“Da. For the families,” she said.
“N-no-”
-=-
Liliya spoke quietly into her mic and stepped over to the sink. She rinsed the blood from the photo, dried it with paper towels, folded it, and tucked it away in her pocket. Another death on Tatiana’s hands and hers. She washed the blood traces from her face, hands, and leather.
Three commandos slipped into the men’s room and glanced at her. She tipped her head toward the corpse, and they immediately moved to the body, collecting the weapons and ammo. Then the would-be killer went into a body bag.
The closing zipper was loud in the otherwise silent tiled room.
They quickly carried the bag from the washroom and into a service stairwell. Liliya followed them out but returned to the table. As she approached, she nodded to the Sergeant, who was on her way to notify the restaurant manager to close the men’s room. Then she’d coordinate with the squad and the police who were on their way. She’d also get a cleaner team to deal with the mess in the men’s room.
Ben looked to Liliya. “Something I should be concerned about?” he asked.
“No.”
His eyes dipped to her cleavage. “Uh, you missed a spot.”
She looked down and smiled at him as she dipped her napkin in her drinking water and dabbed the blood spot from her breast.
“Is-is that blood?” Phil asked in shock.
She smiled at him. “It’s not mine.”
“Did… did someone die?” he asked quietly.
Liliya nodded. “Better him than us, yes?”
Phil’s eyes swung to the table where once sat a solitary diner, then back to Liliya, who nodded slightly once more as she held his eyes.
“How did you know?” Phil asked.
“I should give away all my secrets?” she asked with a teasing smile.
Phil held up his hands. “No! No, of course not, but this is a first for me. How-uh, how close did we come to being gunned down?”
“Since we arrived, he did not behave like the other diners. Then he made awkward efforts to avoid looking directly at us when Lorraine was yelling. I followed him to the restroom and saw he was preparing to kill. After I dealt with him, I discovered he was carrying six handguns and extra ammunition.” She sighed wearily. Her accent came through with her disgust. “He was like bad action hero in stupid American movie with ridiculous big guns. Too big. They should call them Desert Emu, not Eagle.”
Phil’s shaky hand held his water glass as he wet his suddenly dry mouth. When she mentioned the weapons, he sprayed his drink onto the table and began to cough.
Liliya moved to pat his back, but he shook his head and raised a hand to indicate he was okay.
Evelyn returned and whispered in Ben’s ear. His expression soured, but he nodded to her as she stepped back.
“I’m sorry, Phil. It looks like we’ll have to take a raincheck on dinner tonight. I need to spend some time dealing with the local law authorities. They get a little belligerent when the US Army steps in to claim jurisdiction.”
He looked at Ashley. “This wasn’t how I wanted to end your visit to New York either.” He paused a moment. “Maybe you’d like to stay with Phil to have dinner while I deal with this mess at the police station? We’ll leave one of the cars with you, and they can drive you?”
Ashley looked at Phil, whose eyes lit up. “I’d welcome the company,” he said hopefully. “Perhaps not this restaurant, though?”
She nodded her agreement with him about changing venues, then looked back at Ben. “You don’t mind?”
He smiled at her. “I’d be happier knowing you got to have dinner with charming company instead of sitting in a police station.”
Ashley’s smile broadened. “Then yes, I’ll stay with Phil.”
Ben kissed her on the temple, waved at Phil, then followed Evelyn out.
Liliya stood next to the table and smiled at the two of them. “Enjoy your dinner, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast, Ashley.”
She paused with a sly smile. “Or will I?”
Ashley’s face turned pink, and her eyes widened in surprise as Liliya walked away with a grin and an extra spring in her step.
She’d protected Ben tonight.
She’d begun to repay his generosity, and that felt so good!
Ben was happy to be home as the previous night had been long. The New York City Police Commissioner was particularly salty about his use of a paramilitary commando team for security within Manhattan and was particularly annoyed he could do nothing about Liliya gunning down one of his citizens in a restaurant within the same. The Sergeant explained she was permitted to conceal and carry anywhere within the United States and was immune from prosecution when fulfilling her duties as a special agent of the United States Army.
The man looked like he might pop a blood vessel in his forehead until Ben suggested he accept credit for taking a dangerous killer off the streets of his city. Ben and his team had no desire to make this claim. The hitman was carrying enough firepower to kill every guest at the restaurant, a likely outcome had he not been pre-emptively dealt with. He suggested the commissioner could spin it any way he wished as long as Ben’s name was not mentioned. This would increase his ability to make the story accepted.
After he left the police station, he and Evelyn spoke with the commando team and filled them in on the Police Commissioner taking credit for the capture of the mad gunman. They snorted in amusement but knew the score and had no issue remaining invisible.
Ben relaxed back against the cushions of his favorite chair and recalled how late it had been when Ashley returned to their room.
She’d had a wonderful time with Phil when it was just the two of them. They’d gone to a small restaurant in his neighborhood for an intimate dinner for two. They ate good food and talked for hours, finally closing the place down. Ashley confessed to Ben that she’d boldly hugged him before she got in the truck for her drive back to the hotel.
Ashley had looked so conflicted when she sat on the edge of the bed. He’d just smiled at her and reminded her of Gabriella’s lesson on love. It didn’t change his feelings for Ashley that she was also attracted to Phil. Ben told her that he liked Phil and thought he was a great person deserving of love and affection.
She shook her head with an embarrassed smile. She explained that she didn’t feel that way about Phil. She liked him very much, but she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend as her life was so full, with her family and her studies. Ben was everything she needed at the moment. She’d let Phil know this, too, gently.
Ashley confessed that during the evening, she’d pretended she was on a date with Phil, trying to assess what it might feel like to be in Ben’s position with more than one love interest. She smiled at him with wide eyes and a tremulous smile as she saw the relationship from his side, and it took her breath away.
It was also seriously conflicting with her faith. He suggested she might wish to expand the definition of love they referenced in the book, but it was up to her.
Ben chuckled as he recalled how affectionate she’d been before he convinced her they had to get some sleep for the flight home.
She’d been a little dreamy-eyed at breakfast this morning, much to Liliya’s amusement.
Phil had surprised them at the airport, where he gave Ashley a small bouquet of flowers, his cell number written on an attached card, and a promise to visit when his schedule permitted. Ashley’s grin and her blush were wonderful to behold. When Ashley kissed his cheek, the surprised look on Phil’s face made Ben chuckle. He’d given the man a hug once Ashley skipped away to board their plane.
Ben knew the paparazzi were catching the entire interplay, and he wondered what they’d make of it. He hoped it didn’t affect Ashley too badly, but he wasn’t worried about Phil.
Liliya and Rose would enjoy dinner with Ben and his family tonight.
When they arrived, Ben noticed they were ten minutes early.
“Rose has been so excited about dinner tonight!” Liliya said with Rose sitting on her hip.
Ben leaned in and kissed the young girl’s cheek. Then Rose pulled Ben’s and Liliya’s faces together, and he gave the mother a sweet kiss. Liliya’s eyes were twinkling happily as she looked up into Ben’s. Her face reddened, so she looked at her daughter.
“You are such a tease, Rose!”
The girl burst into laughter, putting another smile on the mother’s face.
The doorbell rang again, and Ben managed to get to it before Tina. He grinned back at her and opened the door to see Chanel standing there.
The woman leaped forward to hug him and planted kisses on both cheeks.
Surprised, Ben moved inside, and she came with him.
“What was that for?” he asked with a smile.