Who wants you dead?

He and I were in similar sort of situations when it came to family. Both our mothers were dead and we didn't care for our father. He changed his last name for revenge and I was planning a coup d'etat on my father's business. I could share my secret and hope for him to understand but I had nothing to give him in return for his silence. I could promise a future alliance but I wasn't leading the De la Cruzs right now. My word meant nothing if I couldn't secure my father's position.

He came closer when I was still silent and I started moving back once again. He shook his head at me and said, "You can't run from me, Eli. You should just tell me what I want to know." I heaved a heavy sigh and slouched my shoulders like I had just given up on a fight.

"My father knows but he doesn't care. He wants me to put down the knife and pick up the spatula. I hear you know something about disapproving fathers."

That was ambiguous enough I guess. Now he knew that my father wasn't keen on me having these skills but he didn't know that my father wanted me dead. My statement could easily be misconstrued as my father being worried if I kept up this lifestyle.

The men in our world were trained to fight and women were trained to be showpieces that could be traded in exchange for marriage alliance. It wasn't unexpected that my father would resent the idea of me being a fighter. Men always tend to either mock powerful women or be afraid of them. It could reduce my list of potential husbands overnight, and in-turn reduce his potential allies.

"Who wants you dead?"

"What?" I was shocked enough to think he was a mind reader, for a second.

Miraj breathed through his nose like he was getting annoyed. He pointed at the man on the ground and asked, "Ulio. Who contracted him to kill you?"

Ulio coughed and wheezed as his last few breaths were leaving him, disturbing the ambiance of our conversation. I walked to where he laid and took out my dagger to end his misery.

I smiled as I replied to Miraj's question, "I think you already know too much. Giving you all this information might not be worth getting a free pass on this murder. But... let me at least make sure this is a murder."

I didn't need a back-from-the-dead Ulio coming at me for revenge. I put my dagger through Ulio's throat and he died within a minute. Once I made sure he was dead, I resumed the conversation.

"I don't know who wants me dead. But I knew he was going to kill me. That's all I know about this."

There wasn't any paper or electronic trail of this contract just yet. I knew it because I had my father's office tapped. He won't find anything except for the fact that Ulio had meetings with someone in my family. That won't be enough for him to identify who wanted me to die. Family killing family, wasn't anything new.

"That's nowhere near enough to let this murder pass, Eli. But I'll do you a favor provided you release my man who is being held hostage by Milo."

I exclaimed, "Archer!"

I didn't have enough swear words for this situation. No wonder he saw it all. He must've had his eye on me for a long time to know Archer was my hostage. I was reeling from anger at myself for not noticing him before. I called Milo and told him to bring the man out.

Milo came out soon with Archer at gun point. Archer looked at Ulio and said to me, "Well, ain't this a sight to see. Did you have to make this kill so bloody?"

I turned my face away and gritted my teeth. I wanted to kill him but he was Miraj's man and he definitely won't be generous enough to let me kill two of his men in one night in exchange for some information.

"It's alright. Don't answer. I like women who play hard to get."

Milo pushed with the barrel of his gun and I scoffed at Archer and said, "You are not my type. I don't date nobodies." Then I looked at Miraj and asked, "Will he talk?"

"No, he won't. Not unless I tell him to."

That was an assurance laced with a threat. I was so tempted to just punch my way through this alley.

"Whatever. As long as he is quiet, I don't have a problem. But if any of this gets out, Miraj, I am coming for you. Consequences be damned."

I walked out of that alley like I owned it and all the while I was listening for any sounds of Miraj shooting at me. I was ready to jump away.

I heard Archer cheer, "Damn, Lady!"

Then there was a sharp sound of somebody being punched.

It brought a smile to my face. I have no idea why Miraj let me walk away then but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.