Chapter 3

Wick's POV

Two weeks since my last job, and here I thought retirement would be easy. I realized I was lonely. Since my wife's passing, and the war path I ended, hunting down a good cup of coffee was the kind of boring my life needed. Winston said I needed to move on, two years was enough mourning and brooding, that I should have settled down again. When I told him that the idea of the whole dating scene today was not an avenue I'd want to venture down, he suggested I try a mail order bride. Yeah right, the last thing I needed was that…what about the hen in the fox house, he mused? The Contential style of matrimony. No, I am definitely not that guy. Suit yourself, Winston had told me, finally after telling me where I could find a decent café.

Dominic's did not look much from the outside, but I am not the type of person who judges appearances so hastily. Some of the best spots in the world are where you would least expect them to be. The place was empty, the coffee brewing smelled great. Quiet was good right now. And around the corner, a beautiful girl in a red apron came walking over…this place already defied its appearance I thought.

We had a bit of a banter…she was shy and polite. 10 years ago, and I would have asked her on a date…but that was when I hadn't been baba yaga... and I hadn't killed an entire syndicate.

I found myself looking forward to more banter with her...but then another girl arrived and took over. I couldn't help but ease drop on their conversation.

"You missed some night last night, Celest."

"I'm really sure I didn't," she responded giggling.

"The guys at the club were something else. They bought like three rounds of shots and bottle service." Pulling out her phone, "Like look at these guys… you missed that, to like mark papers and study all night."

"Well, I wasn't marking papers, and I studied for only a few hours then took a nice loonnnggg bubble bath."

"Oh please, do you see my face; do I look jealous of your bubble bath?" teased the girl.

"Besides, who would have opened if I went out with you guys?"

"Good point, but like Angelo would never fire you anyways."

"Why do you say that?"

"Oh, come on Casper goody good, you know what I mean," She teased with a wink.

"You're on till 1pm, right?"

"Yup, then marking papers."

"You've been in school for way too long, you need to relax a little."

"I'm just trying to get it over with, I didn't know I wanted to do nursing until after my first degree. I don't even have my masters, I just mark for this professor because they have no one else to TA the course."

"Oooh, putting in some extra curricula's," wink, wink.

"Oh, come off it Jess, not everything involves a sexy story."

"It really should, speaking of, why don't you go check on table nine?"

"That's your table."

"Techinically..."

"Fine…fine…"

I had been staring at the same few pages of my paper, and was happy to discover I must have been table nine when she walked over to me.

"I see you had no issues with breakfast."

"Nope, I could get used to this place."

"Oh, gunning for regular status now, eh?" She joked.

"Well, don't be surprised to see me again."

"Can I get you another Americano?"

"Yes, to go please, and the bill."

She brought me the bill, breakfast was $15.00…I couldn't figure out an appropriate tip. I liked the girl, I wanted to make sure she got it…don't want to make it too big…. why the hell am I overthinking this… I left a $50.00 bill, and a note on the bill saying:

"See you next time Snow-white,

-John wick"

Before I left, I went to the men's room, with no one in sight on my way back, I casually slipped what appeared to be the waitressing schedule in my suit pocket, gave her a last smile and nod, then went on my way. I always thought I may have a few screws loose from my work, comes with the territory. I may have kept myself in a pretty zen stature, but this was something else. I wanted her. I wanted to know her. Yes, I could go back another time when she wasn't working and ask her out…but I wanted all the pleasantries and small talk out of the way. Life was too short and unpredictable for that. Without a second thought I pulled out my cell and dialed Winston's private line.

"What does it take to get a hen in a fox house."

"Money, power, determination, and the right kind of woman."

"I'll sign the dotted line."

"Do you have a name?"

"Celest Blair."

"Her fate is sealed, legally binding, John, do you understand?

"Yes."

"Call Romano and have him set up a place for you, usually takes him a few weeks, depending on what you want."

"A few weeks is fine."

It was only early in morning, still plenty of time to do some research and be back at Dominic's for the end of her shift. Taking off in my black mustang, I headed to the other side of town, it was time to get some answers before Winston had all the paperwork lined up.

I pulled up in front of Lou's Hardware and Auto, didn't bother locking my car door, no one in their right mind would ever take my car again, especially in this part of town.

Walking through the run-down shop, it had been the same for years, nothing in here had changed. The same dusty merchandise lining the shelfs. People didn't come her to buy electric tools and parts… I walked through the aisles, nodding at the bald henchman of a cashier as I proceeded through to the back. The next room was full of smoke and patrons at carding tables. Every man in the room stopped to look me over and return to their hands immediately. The room after that was a large hallway stocked with exotic animals in cages, all for a hefty price tag. The black market here was just a small pool of what existed. I did not want to draw too much attention to my current undertaking. Finally, I reached the last entrance. I knocked on the door, one knock, followed by another quick two taps, and it swung open to reveal a very large man in a silver suit, packing a triple barrelled rifle and holstered with two smaller clips. This was where I'd find Lou, in the back of his place where he kept his arms dealing and electronics.

"Mr. Wick, we were not expecting you?" said the doorman.

"Debts owed never have an appointment."

"Lou is slightly detained at the moment, with two blondes if you take my meaning."

"I'm afraid I have another appointment at 1pm, you'll have to break up his morning indulgence."

I walked over to admire the new shipment of arms, only two crates out of the 50 opened meant he'd received them last night. New semi autos, they looked Russian, Lou wanted to sell them as Russian, but they were a Chinese make and no mistake.

"Well, well, if it isn't Johnny boy?" Called a husky voiced that belonged to a man clad in an open red silk robe, black slacks, and donned in a gold watch and chains. Lou was in his 50s but the man didn't look over 30, this lifestyle either aged you one way or another. For Lou, it suited him well.

"How you been Lou?"

"Been good enough," he winked as two scantily clad blonde women in heels headed for the door. "Lucky for you, my morning routines don't last long these days, what can I do for you?"

"I do not want this to become Continental news right away, I have come to you for some information. I have decided to settle down, the old hen deal."

"Didn't you vote against it in the re-edition of the code years ago?"

"Guilty, and hypocritically I have had a change of heart."

"She must be a pretty piece of ass to lock down one John Wick."

"Let's not refer to her as a piece of ass."

"Of course, John, what do you need to find out?"

"Everything," he handed him her name on a piece of paper.

"Celest Blair, never heard of her before, at least she's not high profile, it will be an easier transition for her then. Come into my office and we'll see what we can find out."

I sat down across from him at his large oak stained desk while he typed away and his three desk top screens illuminated with text.

"No criminal record, not even a parking ticket, says here she's a nursing student at Pen state. She does her clinical hours at the memorial hospital every Thursday and Friday. She's 27 years old…gee John, aren't you pushing 50 these days?"

"Lou, get on with it," I glared.

"Well, the problem is she's not on social media anywhere, not even one photo tagged. Wait I found her on a funeral guest list for a one, 83-year-old Mehra Khalid…

She has a sister up in Canada. Let's see if I can get into her University files and email... Bingo… Smart girl, straight As', dean's list, she's a paid teaching assistant for a Dr. Daniel Fry at the University. She has a previous degree from another university in psychology with a minor in law…looks like she took off a year after that before she got into Pen for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing…damn almost 8 years of University.

Here's her school picture. Finally get why you had a change of heart all of sudden. I'm going to print you a list of her classes, clinic schedule, current address and hell in her email she even has her 'time of the month calendar.' Everything is linked up online these days…like can you believe…"

"What about her medical files and any family legal files?" I asked, cutting him off.

"Yeah, I'm getting to that, okay...says here her mother had custody of her and her sister growing up, her dad by the looks of it was into drugs, died of an overdose in 2006. Mother had them taken away twice by social services due to drinking but seemed to regain custody after completing a rehab program…only to pass away five years later of liver and kidney failure. She would have been about 13 when she lost her dad and only 20 when she lost her mother. All I can find out about her other living relative, her one sister, is that she's married up in Canada and working as a child psychologist. They email a lot back and forth, she's supposed to be down for Celest's graduation next April.

"Weird, two years ago she was hospitalized a few times for some broken bones and minor injuries…the doctor's report reads, 'Suspected domestic violence,' but seems she covered it up. Though, it looks like she's been seeing a shrink at her school twice a month for the past 6 months, maybe she dropped the dead beat?"

"Can you get a name of said dead beat?" I snarled not realizing I was gripping the table…I wanted him dead.

"No, nothing is coming up…just the first name of the guy that brought her in to the hospital once, a Riad…"

"Hmm, a Lebanese name, no last name?"

"Hang on, that funeral she was on the guest list for…I think his name was mentioned in the obituary statement…yeah… here it is…. Mehra Khalid was a loving grandmother and survived by her eight grandchildren, including, one Riad Khlaid. Let's check him out. Multiple arrests, drug trafficking, looks like he's one of Geha's foot soldiers, no hits or markers on him."

"Any relation to the Geha's?"

"Yeah, distant cousin."

"They still pushing cocaine and heroin?"

"Yeah, them and all the other syndicates in town."

"Ah John...a whole syndicate for a girl you probably just met today?"

"For now, just one dead man, find out everything else you can about her and that relationship, and any other personal information worth mentioning and send it to me. I expect full disclosure and confidentiality with what you find."

"Nothing less John, nothing less."