Chapter 7: For every man, there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing

Chapter 7: For every man, there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing

-Nietzsche

Micah

I can feel her soft breath on my naked chest and the tilt of her leg over my waist. She feels so good in my arms, it's almost maddening. I couldn't believe my eyes when she appeared in the living room a few hours ago looking lost. She looked ethereal in her flimsy nightgown and her long corn-silk hair pouring down her back. I knew I should have just let her be, but her loneliness called to me. I looked around to see where I tossed my shirt, but it was too dark. So I sat there and observed her dejected posture for a moment until I couldn't take it anymore. Rising from my comfortable perch, I grabbed my whiskey and stood behind her. I didn't expect to lie with her and feel her tiny hands caressing my chest. But I didn't want it to end. It just felt right. Eventually, her breathing evened out, and her hand stilled over me. I lay awake for another hour to make sure that she didn't awaken frightened, but she didn't. So I closed my eyes and fell into a calm sleep.

It's eight in the morning right now, and even though I'm thoroughly enjoying the feel of her lush form, I know that I need to get up before she sees my tattoos. I know that she's curious to see them, which is why I need to cover up. There are just too many tattoos that I cannot explain to her without revealing the extent of my feelings for her.

For so many years, I was tortured with the knowledge that I'd never have what I really wanted. It killed me to hurt her, and I went a little insane. I began taking dangerous missions. And when Willem betrayed the Confradia, I didn't refute the other Assassin's notion that I was also a traitor. Nothing seemed to matter. I won't pretend that I was an angel because I wasn't. If anything, not being able to express my feelings for her actually changed me. I drank more and slept around in hopes of forgetting her. Eventually, even that had no effect. I was left feeling hollow and angry. So when that didn't work, I went to a tattoo parlor and purged all of my heartbreak and loneliness into my skin art. I never expected to have the source of my affection lying in my arms like a sleeping beauty.

As quiet as I can, I lift her in my arms and carry her to my bed. I'm still not ready to leave her. She doesn't stir when I lie her across the bed and cover her with the comforter. She looks peaceful, curled beneath the blanket with her hand under her chin. Taking one last look, I pull back, step into the bathroom, close the door securely behind me, and remove the rest of my clothes.

A sigh of relief escapes me as soon as the warm drops of water cascade down my naked back and arms. I close my eyes, feeling my body tighten in arousal as I imagine Sophia sliding in the shower with me. I can almost feel the velvety touch of her hands on my skin and the taste of her cherry-red lips. My shaft hardens at the thought of having her soft, plump lips wrapped around the sensitive head. Unable to bear another moment, I lower my hand and wrap it around my cock.

A tingle works up my spine as I stroke my fists up and down my hardened shaft. My legs tremble, and my breath hitches with every slide. In my mind, I imagine Sophia kissing her way up my stomach and wrapping her fingers around my shaft to rub it sensually. Lowering my head, I lay a sensual kiss on her mouth as I pump myself inside her soft, warm hand. The kiss deepens as our tongues parry and retreat to relish the sweet nectar of our need.

A moan of pleasure explodes from my mouth, and fireworks shatter behind my eyes as wave after wave of release erupts through my body. Feeling spent, I lean my forearm on the shower wall, lay my forehead on it, and take a few ragged breaths. Unfortunately, my pleasure is short-lived. My hand is just not a good replacement for the real thing. Turning off the faucet, I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist.

Taking a deep breath, I gaze at my reflection in the mirror and run a hand across my jaw. The light of the bathroom casts shadows over my shoulders as if spotlighting my tattoos. Like some Confradia Assassins, I have a tattoo that represents my status in the organization. Mine is a human male's face hidden in the shadows, half of the face is complete with the crimson light of vengeance in one eye and the other half is the skeletal face of the male with an empty eye socket.

Some of my other tattoos are pretty vicious-looking, and some hold what I'd like to think are the fractured parts of my soul. The security monitor mounted on my wall chirps a moment later, warning me that someone is outside my door. Entering my security code, I come face to face with the person on the other end. It's Hunter Cohen; he's one of the Confradia techs that his helping us hunt down Willem Kazik.

Pressing a button, I activate the speaker. "What's going on, Hunter?" Hunter gives me a bemused smile and waves a file up towards the camera. "Hey Savage, sorry to bother you at this time, but we have to talk." I narrow my eyes to get a better look at the file in his hand, but I can't see a thing. Instead, I press another button, release the lock, and nudge my chin. "Come on up."

Turning towards the walk-in closet that connects to my bathroom, I step inside and remove a black button-down shirt and black jeans. I rub my palm over my forehead in exhaustion. I'm not much of a morning person. I usually need a great deal of coffee and sugar to get my days started. Thankfully, I turned on the coffee maker before I entered the shower earlier.

The monitor dings again, reminding me that Hunter has made it up the stairs. Unlike a few other assassins, I know that my security system is a little less intrusive. Most of it is coded for the people I know, making it easier for them to get through the system without issue. As for strangers…Well, they go through a more thorough system.

Sophia is still fast asleep when I come out and check on her. She looks peaceful and sweet as she lays there with her hair spread across the pillow, the fringes of her lashes resting on the top of her cheeks, and her pouty lips slightly open. Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on the ball of her shoulder and inhale the sweet vanilla scent of her skin. I want to rub myself against her like a contented cat and envelope myself in her intoxicating fragrance until I'm marked by her. I want the world to know that I'm hers. That she owns every part of me, starting with my heart. But it's never to be, and it kills me.

Jaw clenched, I back away from the bed and step out of the room. Hunter's sitting on the couch, waiting patiently when I step into the living room. "Hey, man." He says with a bright smile as he rises from his seat and extends his hand in welcome. I shake his hand and gesture to the kitchen. "Hey, how about some coffee?" He nods his head as he follows me towards the kitchen. Taking a few cups, I lay them on the marble island and pour. "So, why are you here so early in the day, Hunter? Doesn't Priest have any work for you?" He shakes his head and lays the file next to one of the coffee cups. "Actually, Priest is the one that sent me, and it couldn't wait." I look at the file then look back at him before I slide my hand out and pull the file open. It's a dossier of Swiss accounts. Looking up, I point an index finger towards the file. "What is this?"

Hunter takes the file and spreads out a few of the sheets. "These are Swiss accounts that have been registered to a few of Willem Kazik's associates. As you can see, each of them has been receiving kickbacks from the same account numbers for the past few years." I shrug my shoulders in question. "So?" He rolls his eyes and points at the numbers on the paper again. "So look at the dates! The deposits have not stopped. Nothing has changed. Don't you think that if Willem Kazik was really dead, the deposits would have stopped?"

I shake my head and wave at the paper. "It could be directly depositing it automatically." Hunter shakes his head and rises from his chair to pace around the floor, enthusiastically. "No man, I checked on that already. Swiss accounts do not allow for direct deposit due to the intense security they provide for their clients. It would defeat the purpose of having untraceable money. Or so they'd like to think it's untraceable. When Outlaw and I lost Sardoff, we thought it was odd that he'd know that you and Reaper would kill Kazik. Yet he went into hiding right away. Don't you think that's weird? So I thought it through, and the only conclusion that makes sense is that Kazik had a contingency plan. And if he told his lieutenants to go into hiding, he might have also told them where he'd be. I'd bet you everything that I have that Willem Kazik had an escape plan, and that's why we've been unable to find him."

His words get my heart racing. Is it possible that Willem is alive? I definitely wouldn't put it past the asshole to have an escape plan. "Okay then, let's say that Kazik is alive. Where would he be?" Hunter runs his fingers through his hair in frustration, then gives me an intent stare. "Priest and I are hoping that you might have an idea. I've been running through a few of the accounts in the hope of finding a solid paper trail, but nothing has come up, and it might take too long to do it. However, you worked with him for a long time. And even if you were unaware of his intentions, you still might have seen something or heard something that might help us. Perhaps if you look through the information in the file, you might find something that rings a bell."

I consider his suggestion for a moment. He definitely makes a solid point. After working under Willem for so many years, I do have a better understanding of how his psychotic mind works. Perhaps I am the key to finding him. "So, where do I start?" I ask, leaning both my hands over the countertop with determination. Hunter claps his hand excitedly and turns the tablet in my direction. "Well, I thought that…wow." He says with wonder in his voice. Confused by his words, I look up from the tablet to see his mouth gaping open and his eyes as wide as saucers. However, his attention isn't focused on me. No, his eyes are glued to something or someone behind me.

Sophia clears her throat and smiles when I turn around and face her. She looks incredible wearing her silky nightgown, just got out of bed hair, and sleep-glazed eyes. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you have a charger for an iPhone. I think I left mine back at the house." Shaking my head, I stand before her and cover her from Hunter's enamored gaze. "Yeah, I think I have one plugged into the desktop in my bedroom," I utter hurriedly as I twist her around, trying to usher her back to the room. She nods her head and steps away from my arms but does not leave. Instead, she turns around and faces Hunter. "Hi. Is that coffee?" To my consternation, Hunter nods his head and gives her a goofy smile. "Yeah, hi. Sorry for coming here so early. I didn't know that Sav-Micah had a girlfriend." Sophia quirks a brow giving me a curious look, then turns back to Hunter. "Ah…yeah, actually, I'm not Micah's girlfriend. I'm Sophia." She says with a flirty smile.

Hunter's eyes brighten at her news. "Wow…yeah, you're hot. I'm…single. I mean… my name's Hunter, but I'm also single. That is, in case you're looking…you know, for a boyfriend." My eyes snap to his, amazed at his gall. The urge to take out my gun and shoot him is almost overwhelming. But the little shit doesn't seem to notice my heated glare because he's too busy flirting with the woman of my dreams. Sophia giggles at his clumsy attempt at being charming, and gives him a pitying smile. "You're cute, Hunter, but I already have a boyfriend."

Relief courses through me at her reply. Unlike her douche boyfriend Darren, Hunter's actually a good prospect. He's intelligent, makes good money, is closer to her age, and is not related to her by marriage. But I know that I couldn't handle it if she fell for him. I would probably have to kill him if he dared touch her. And excluding the fact that I want to kill him for looking at her, I actually like the kid.

Hunter snaps his fingers and gives her a boyish sulk. "Aw man, that sucks. So if you're not Micah's girlfriend, how do you two know each other?" Sophia raises a brow and gives me an impish smile before she answers. "Actually, Micah's my stepbrother. How do you know Micah?" Hunter's eyes widen to the size of saucers. "Well, I…"

Before he can answer, I take Sophia's hand and lead her to the living room. "Give us a minute, Hunter!" I shout from over my shoulder. "What the hell, Micah!" Sophia utters with an outraged cry.

Turning her to face me, I pull her close to my chest and place a hand on her neck to hold her in place. "I'm sorry to disturb your flirting Sophia, but would you mind going to your room and putting some clothes on? As you can see, I have a guest, and I don't appreciate you walking around half-naked." Sophia's breath hitches with an outraged huff. "Seriously, Micah? I wasn't flirting with him. I mean, he's cute, but he's not my type. Plus, I didn't know that anyone else was here before I came out." Taking a deep breath, I loosen my grip on her neck and rub my thumb over it caressingly. "Okay, then. How about you go change, and I make you something to eat for breakfast?" Her eyes light up with pleasure as she rises to her toes, rests her hands on my shoulders, and lays a small kiss on my chin. "I like my coffee with lots of cream and sugar."

With a great deal of restraint, I lay a small kiss on her head and release her. "Lots of sugar in your coffee got it!" Without another word, Sophia gives me a soft smile and walks back to the bedroom. Once she's out of sight, I turn back to the kitchen and Hunter.

Hunter's sitting on one of the booths with his elbows on the counter as he scrolls through his cell phone. He looks up when I take a seat next to him and gives me a wicked grin. "Dude, your stepsister is freaking hot!"

Even though I know he's not aware of my feelings for Sophia, I still have to resist the urge to punch him in the face. However, I don't let him see my anger. "Look, I'd rather not talk about her right now. How about we get back to planning out how we're going to find Willem?"

Thankfully, Hunter doesn't question me any further, and we get back to work. Twenty minutes pass before we're done planning our next moves. Hunter rises from the booth and collects his files and the tablet. "Okay, man, I'm going to plug in some of the information you gave me and see if the computer finds anything. In the meantime, I'll send you all of the digital files that I was able to dig up and send them via an encrypted message. Hopefully, we'll be able to find something soon. I'll update Priest and speak to Outlaw too. I want to see if he's picked up anything on his end. Have you spoken to Reaper?"

I shake my head in answer and shrug my shoulders. "No, I haven't. Last time I spoke to him, I was helping him move Jade's things into his loft." Hunter nods his head with a frown. "Yeah, last time I saw them, they were at some club getting hot and heavy. It seems that the love bug is striking hard." I frown at his observation, wondering if he's implying something. "Why do you say that?" Hunter snorts as he places his things in his messenger bag. "Well, Reaper's like really in deep with Jade. I think he's going to marry her dude."

"Oh, yeah?" I ask with a snicker. Hunter rolls his eyes. "Yeah, man. I guess I can't blame him, though. Being what you guys are is hard enough without having someone to show you that there is a sweeter side to life. I mean, you should see how they are around each other. The guy is crazy about her. You can see that he's happier now. It's almost scary to see him more laid back and smiling." Hunter says with a horrified shudder. Laughing at his attempt at humor, I back up and walk with him to the door. "Yeah, I guess," I say with a chagrined tone.

Hunter opens the door and turns back to me before he steps out. "Dude, can you put in a good word for me with Sophia? If she and her boyfriend don't work out, I mean." My jaw tightens at his question. I should have known that he wouldn't let it go. It's obvious to anyone who sees and meets her that Sophia is an incredible woman, and I have to make my peace with the fact that someone is going to catch her interest one day. I just don't think I'm ready for it to be now. With a half-hearted smile, I shake my head with a sympathetic grimace. "Sure, man, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. She's pretty attached to this guy." Hunter's face falls. "Well, a man can dream."

My smile slips from my lips the moment he steps out the door. I need to get ahold of my emotions; if not, the next two weeks will be the longest of my life. "Hunter left?" Sophia asks as she steps into the living area. I turn back to face her. She's wearing a blue jean shirtdress that falls mid-thigh, which makes her legs look miles long and chunky high heels. I bite my lip to stifle a groan. She looks fresh and sweet, with her hair flowing down her shoulders. Taking one last glimpse at her long legs, I move forward and walk towards the kitchen.

"I made you some waffles with strawberries," I utter, remembering her sweet tooth. Sophia follows behind me and takes a seat on one of the booths. "Aw, thanks." She says with a husky whisper. I can't help but watch her as she reaches for her fork and eats. She makes these cute pleasurable moans with every bite.

Her beautiful lips gleam as she licks some cream from her fingers. The woman is temptation incarnate. All I can think about her little-wet tongue tasting other things and my body is set ablaze. My mind is set back from its carnal thoughts when Sophia lays her fork down, takes a sip of her coffee, and asks. "Do you want to do something with me today?" My breath hitches at the thought of the many things I'd like to do with her, but I keep my cool. "I have to work." Her shoulders slump with a sulk. "Come on, Micah. Let's play hooky and do something fun. We can play tourists and wander around the city or go see a Broadway show. Wouldn't you rather do that then go to work?" I shake my head and take her dirty dishes to place them in the dishwasher. "Unfortunately, I can't. There are a few things I need to take care of, so you're going to have to play tourist on your own."

Sophia rises from her seat and steps around the corner to stand between me and the sink. "Please, Micah." She says, placing her hands on my stomach and looks up at me with a pleading pout. My heart speeds up as we stand chest to chest. This woman really doesn't have a clue how much she affects me. As I gaze at her pouty lips, all I want to do is lift her in my arms and kiss her senseless. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I give her a resolved look and take a deep breath. "I really can't, Soph. Maybe after I get back, we can go to dinner or something." Her face falls with disappointment as she leans her forehead against my chest. "Fine, I guess I can call Darren."

My body stiffens, and my breath stalls at the thought of her and that moron cruising the city. The caveman, possessive part of me wants to carry her to her room and lock her in, but I can't tell her no, even though it's killing me to think about what they might do. So I back away from her and shrug my shoulders. "Go ahead. Do you need any money?" Narrowing her eyes, she huffs in dejection and shakes her head. "No, I'm fine." I can see by the slump of her shoulders that she's mad. It's cute how she stomps around the kitchen, trying to hide her displeasure.

Just then, my phone rings. Sophia looks back and gazes over at my phone. Unfortunately, the phone is next to her, and she can see the screen. "Who's Maya?" She asks with a raised brow. Moving towards the counter, I pick up the phone and look at the screen. "She's a coworker. I have to take this." I say, taking the phone as I walk back towards my room.

Once I'm in my room, I close the door behind me an answer. "Why are you calling me on an unsecured line Maya?" I ask with a stern tone. Maya knows that I don't like getting phone calls through my unsecured line, but she still does it. "Sorry for calling like this Savage, but we need to talk." I frown at her cryptic tone. "What is it?" I can hear her deep sigh from the other end of the line. "Just meet me at our usual place in an hour." She says before she hangs up. Looking at the screen of my phone, I think about what she wants to talk to me about so urgently. Maya and I've known each other for years, and she's always been generous with information. So this must be something big.

Slipping on my shoes, I grab my keys and wallet and step back out of the room. Sophia is sitting on the couch with her knees bent to her chest and another cup of coffee in her hands. "I have to go," I tell her. She blows into her cup and gives me a sad smile. "I wish you could stay." My whole body stiffens at her sad words. I can tell that she's a little scared. I guess she's still affected by what happened the night before. This is new territory for me, considering that I kill people for a living. I guess I've become desensitized to violence that it doesn't bother me anymore. "You'll be fine, Soph," I say with an encouraging smile.

Sophia sighs and rises from her seat to stand before me. "You're right. I'm just being a baby." Reaching over, I take her hand and lay a set of keys on it. "What's this?" She asks with a curious frown. Wrapping my hand around hers, I point to the keys. "I programmed my number on your phone in case you need anything. Just make sure you use it only if it's important." She nods her head and looks down at our joined hands. "And these keys are for...?" I gesture to the elevator. "These are the keys to the front door. I've also programmed the security keypad to admit you in. All you have to do is place your palm on it. There is also a set of keys for one of my cars. Just take the elevator down to the parking garage. It's the burgundy-colored BMW. Take good care of it." She chuckles at my scolding tone and jingles the keys in her hand. "I'll take the house keys, but I won't take the car ones." I'm about to argue when she holds a finger up and says. "Not because I don't appreciate the car. It's just, I'm a pretty crappy driver. I guess it's living in New York all my life and constantly cabbing it. I never really drove around. Anytime we leave town, Darren drives, or one of my friends do." My eyes go wide with amusement at her honest assessment of her driving skills. "Alright, then…Well, the car is there if you need it." She bites her lip and shrugs her shoulders. "Thanks anyway."

I don't know why I did what I did next. But without a thought, I bend down and kiss her on the mouth. I wasn't planning on doing it, and I was surprised that I did. But our mouths connected, and our tongues met for a fraction of a second. Shocked at my own actions, I rub the back of my head in embarrassment and take a quick step back. Sophia raises her hand to her mouth, looking just as perplexed by my actions. Not knowing what else to do, I look over her shoulder and utter. "Ah…I should go." Then I turn around and step out the door.

My thoughts are in chaos as I make my way out the door. On the one hand, I feel confused by my actions, and on the other, I feel the need to go back and finish what I started. Even though the kiss was less than a second long, my lips feel sensitive and needy. Kissing Sophia for that second was a lot more life-altering than actual sex with another woman. It's alarming, and I don't know what to do about it.