Chapter 2

The next day Branton shows up at the office at exactly 11:59. I meet him at the door.

I walk up to him, "Are you ready to head back home?"

He shifts his bag and looks up at me, "Yeah, I got my car out of storage so I'll just have you follow me. I am sure the brothers know my car by now even though I bought it new when I come back to town."

"No worries, I have your back now. Just go get in your car and lead the way. I am watching you and everything around you. I'll stay close. Let's go."

We get into our cars a drive for about 20 minutes into the outskirts of town. We pull up in front of a nice semi secure house with no close neighbors.. he punches in a code at the gate and it swings open, as we get through the gates is closed automatically. We get out of our cars and I assess the house and surroundings.

"How in depth is your security system?"

He looks thoughtful for a moment before answering, "It is standard, just basic monitoring. I am sure we will be needing to update it quickly. It is no where near adequate enough when dealing with the Bowens."

I smile at him,

"No worries hun, me and my team are the best at what we do. We automatically assume our clients security will not be adequate enough for real threats, no one really can possibly know everything that is needed unless you know ahead of time what to expect. Our tech guy will be here with Donya in the morning. I have enough equipment with me to suffice for tonight. Just give me a little while to get it all in place. I am going to go set up cameras and motion sensors along the front of your house and fence but first we will go in and check it out. I will go in first. Once we check the house for intruders I will sweep the house for bugs and hidden cameras."

I stop and look at him just before we get to the front door I turn and look at him and ask,

"Can you shoot a gun? I know you are good with hand to hand combat but I need to know your skillset."

He grins at me before replying,

"I can shoot very well, I am not helpless and I thought I could handle the Bowens on my own but as I lay there, after getting shot thinking I was never going to see another day, I realized I can't do it all alone."

"Branton, I want you to understand and believe that I do not see you as weak or incapable. I asked you if you could handle a gun because I wanted to know how skilled you are. After all this is over I may even have a job offer waiting. All you have to do is live through this. Look, I know that nobody can walk through hell alone and expect to make it out the other side. I have Donya with a very skilled team and you have us."

"Thank you for saying that Lexa, I believe in you. Thank you for your help and I actually will think about your offer after I see how all this works."

I give him a genuine smile,

"Good, now we have that conversation out of the way let's check out your house, shall we?"

I get to his front door and there is a note stuck to the door written in red. I grab the note and read it

THAT WAS A WARNING SHOT

I turn to him and tell him, "Step back, follow me close stay in my footsteps."

I pull my gun then pull my spare gun from my boot and hand it to him.

"Use it if you need to, make sure I am not in the way. Kill if you have to we can deal with the cleanup later. Don't get jumpy and shoot at any and everything that startles you. Oh and for God sakes don't shoot me or yourself."

"Lexa, just go in the damn house and let's see what we are dealing with. I doubt anyone is in there or we would already be in a gun fight"

"Shut up you ass, I am in charge here. You hired me, I am trying to be cautious with your life and mine. Reach around me and unlock your door then step back behind me quickly."

He reaches around and unlocks the deadbolt and lock, pushes the door open and steps back behind me. I step in slowly scanning the are quickly but being unfamiliar with the layout I need to depend on Branton to look for anything out of place.

"Branton, stay close to me but look around for any sign of unusual disturbances."

"On it Lex."

We stay side by side and clear the house.

Finally, I feel safe to say we are alone and I need to sweep for electronic devices.

"Branton, I am going to get my equipment out of the car. I am going to do a room to room sweep for electronic devices while I am doing that I will be setting up strategic locations for gun placements throughout the house. I want a gun to be within reach no matter where we are in the house."

He looks at me like I have grown a horn in the middle of my forehead.

"Guns within reach ANYWHERE in the house? How many guns do you have here?"

I shrug lightly, "Enough to put one in every drawer and cabinet in this house and still have enough to put 2 under each of our mattresses and 4 in my car. If that is not enough, I have an arsenal of all different types of weapons and a few explosives in a false bottom in my car trunk. Now, do you want to know how many knives will be hidden around as well?"

"Nope, I'll just let you give me the tour of my armory after your done. While you are doing the security sweep, setting up the arsenal and the extra security system I think I will order pizza for dinner and unpack."

"Ok, Branton, sounds good."

We separate, I did a quick sweep for electronic devices inside then I go outside and put several motions alarms and motion activated cameras all along the fence line. I set up the gun and knives then add motion activated cameras to every door and window. I finally feel like the are is secured and I go to find Branton.

I find him scrolling through his phone on the couch. He looks up at me

"You got us secure in here?"

"As humanly possible." I tell him

Just the the motion alarm at the gate goes off. I flip on the monitor and show him.

"It's the pizza, let's walk down to the gate and get it, together. Best to be safe than sorry."

I follow him out the door and we walk down the short driveway to the gate.

We get back inside and he gets us both a soda and we settle on the couch with the pizza box between us.

He looks up at me and I see he wants to talk but doesn't know if he should.

"Look Bran, You can ask or talk about anything. We have to appear to be dating so getting to know each other is ok. I usually am not open with anyone except a select close few but something about you makes me feel safe to be open with you so I am an open book, ask away."

"Well, then Lex just open your book and start reading."

"Well let's see, my dad was a top level assassin and personal bodyguard for the Williams family. My mom died in childbirth with me. My dad started training me as soon as I could walk. I met Donya when I was 8 and she began to train with me as well. I started doing jobs with him as well as doing my own missions when I graduated high school. Donya went to college instead but when my dad was killed I went to her. She helped me see that my skillset could be used for something more than just killing without real purpose. That was the moment the foundation was laid for my agency. Dad's death and Donya's grace was the catalyst for all that I am now."

"How do you not get recognized on jobs, don't you ever cross paths with past clients or associates of?"

"I am just the inconsequential girl on some guys arm, I am rarely noticed unless it is to get kidnapped to try to get to my client. I also change my name every time, my eye and hair color some times, just to fit the character needed."

"Ok, 2 questions now, first question, is that your real eye and hair color? Second question, you have been kidnapped by your clients enemies?"

"The answer to your first question is this is my real eye, hair and Lexa Belle is my real name. You were sent to me by Jonas and Sam, they know my story better than I do. They trusted you alot to send you to me so you get the total real me. The answer to the second question is yes. I have been kidnapped twice. I got a few bruises, they got very dead very quickly. They learned the hard way that it is best to know what is on your fork before you try to bite."

The motion alarm goes off and I glance at the monitor.

"Bran, that's Donya. Does she have the gate code?"

I watch as the gate opens for her, "Never mind, I guess she does."

"Oh yeah, sorry Lex, I gave her the gate code this morning since you are a team I assumed she needed it too."

"You are right. It simply slipped my mind. Thank you for thinking ahead."

I open the door for Donya and escorts her into the living room.

"Hey Don, did you get all the info together?"

She looks up at me obviously surprised that I ask her in front of Branton but answers anyway, "Yeah, we are good."

Branton immediately asks, "Anything I should know?"

I look at him nonchalantly and answer him truthfully, "Your background check come back clean and your story has been proven true."

He looks at me with a look that almost resembled hurt, "You don't trust me? You want me to trust you but you don't trust that I am being truthful?"

I feel a little guilty even though I run a check on every client. I don't usually tell my clients everything that goes on behind the scenes but I feel the need to be totally honest with Branton about everything. That fact actually puzzles even me. I look at him and answer as best I can in Hope's he understands.

"You called me because Jonas and Sam told you to. I can not force you to trust me but I can ask that you trust your friends that brought you to me. I am here, you already had my trust but understand that doing what we do, we have to verify."

Donya decides to break the tension by bringing us back to business mode and asking, "Do you have the house set up, Lex?"

"Girl you know I do."

"Good."

Branton decides to pipe in another question, "About the girlfriend role. How far do we take it. Do we just hold hands or kiss, how does it work."

I study him for a moment before I answer, I have been asked this question more than a few times but this time coming from him, it felt different. I felt different about the question. I try to get a grip on my thoughts then answer as coolly as possible.

"We are both adults, we take it as far as we need to sell it. It's not like we are expected to rip each others clothes off in public."

"Ok I just wanted to know where the line is. I didn't want to get knocked out for kissing you. Oh, do we get to use tongue, I mean I have a reputation to uphold. I don't do quick pecks, darling."

I hear Donya burst into a loud giggle she tries miserably to cover with a cough.

I take a very deep breath and try to keep a steady voice as I answer, "Um yeah, uh tongue or no tongue yeah whatever."

Donya finally let's a full laugh loose then says, "Oh yeah, this is going to be great."

She makes her way to the door and whispers softly, "So, your bed or his?"

"Shut up, I will be in my bed, he will be in his. Same as always, Don."

She tilts her head and looks at me, "But it's really not like every time before is it?"

Before I can protest she slips out the door leaving me with him and my own confusing thoughts. I don't understand what is happening to me. He is different from all my clients but then again it may very well be me that is different. No matter what, I have to complete this job, for me and him.