The Hit

The tiny, black dress felt two sizes too small and did little to cover the important parts. Its expensive fabric hugged me right down to my hips and felt so soft that I found myself constantly having to double check to make sure I was still wearing clothes. It was a long dress and once it reached the top of my thighs, the material fell into an elegant skirt that reminded me of something a movie star would wear on the red carpet.

I scowled at my reflection in the mirror and attempted to tug the strapless piece higher up my chest. "It feels like it's falling off."

"Then we'll just have to get you a smaller one."

I cast a glare over at Giovanni who watched me with a smug smile on his face. He leaned on one of the high posts of his bed and finished slipping diamond cufflinks into his sleeves. He was dressed in a brand new tuxedo that I was certain was worth more than the contents of my apartment.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" I questioned him further, ignoring his wandering eyes as they trailed the length of my body in this dress.

"Tonight is important, Delia. You know that. I need you to be looking your best."

It was the evening after the eventful night that I met with Giovanni's other side – the side he only reserved for those who disobeyed him. The very thought of it sent a cold chill down my spine and I had to be thankful that our friendship was enough to keep me alive. Though, somewhere in the back of my mind I had to wonder if our situation had been any different, would he have still hesitated at pulling the trigger?

I unintentionally shook my head, making a deliberate attempt to push such thoughts aside. I was here, and Giovanni was willing to forgive my minor indiscretion so long as this evening, I did exactly as I was told.

Giovanni was holding a formal party on his luxury yacht and very important people were going to be there; including people from his original research party, officials from the customs office and most importantly, investors. A lot was riding on this evening, everything needed to go down without a hitch – which included rooting out Logan.

I hadn't heard from him yet, not even when Giovanni sent me down to the customs office to lodge the real paperwork. Logan told me he would be meeting me tonight and Giovanni wanted to make sure that meeting happened.

His touch on my shoulder made me jump upright. I went to spin but Giovanni gently held me there in front of the mirror and handed me a lovely, velvet box. This I opened only to find myself having to squint at the brilliance of a diamond necklace that lay inside it.

"Oh… my," I gasped, it was as heavy as it was huge. A giant diamond took up its centre and then fount itself surrounded by smaller diamonds that dotted the remainder of the necklace.

Still standing over me, Giovanni plucked the treasure from its box and gently placed it around my neck, taking the time to fasten it and then gently pull away long-hung strands of my hair that had escaped my fancy bun. I don't know why, but his light touch on my skin suddenly made me want to melt like butter. His hands were not soft as I had expected them to be, they were firm and demonstrated the roughness of a seasoned fighter. But in them I suddenly found comfort that I had never thought I could find in such a person. I felt safe knowing he was there, and knowing that those of his kin were important to him just so long as we all did our jobs. He was a man of power and ruthlessness, feared by all in the underworld; but yet there was another element about him, a need for a companion or a compliment. And as I allowed my fingers to trace over the priceless piece that now sat wrapped around my neck, I came to realise that this evening I wasn't representing myself as Giovanni's assistant, I was representing him as his other half.

"Are you ready?"

Quickly snapping from my thoughts I nodded and took in a shaky breath before expelling along with it, all of my fears and doubts. "I hope so," I whispered.

I spotted Giovanni's half-smile in the mirror. "These sorts of missions never sit well with you, do they?"

"No," I said. "Especially when they involve my family."

"I've cared for you up until this point. What makes you think I won't be able to pull through now?"

I shook my head slowly. "About last night… it was a moment of weakness on my part. Logan threatened my family and I panicked." I exhaled, "Truth be told, I would have sooner told you than actually filed the false paperwork."

He nodded. "I know."

This evening unlike the last, was clear and lovely. It wasn't warm but surprisingly it wasn't cold either. The waters were calm as the huge, luxury yacht drew to a steady stop several miles off the island and dropped anchor. Stars littered the night sky, glistening under a beautiful crescent moon. The Milky Way's arm reached across from horizon to horizon in a wide arc, giving us the assurance that in this universe, we weren't alone.

A sea of tuxedos and black dresses covered the polished deck as customs officials and business men and women alike chatted nosily amongst themselves, each one holding a tall glass of bubbly drink. My eyes scanned the faces of those who called themselves 'upper society' and my ears filled with the gentle sounds of a live band that played classical music in the background. I soon located Giovanni in the mix, talking to a tall and slender woman with silver hair. She looked like an older version of Giovanni's late wife, though rather than the serenity that surrounded his wife in the photos, this woman seemed to speak more of power.

"My lady, would you care for something to eat?" A waiter approached me with a tray of fancy finger food, but I gently shook my head and sent him away. I couldn't eat… not while my stomach insisted on twisting itself into elaborates knots.

Before long I was approached by an older neatly dressed gentleman. Not unlike other men, he wore a black tuxedo that he had obviously taken the time to purchase for the party. A mess of white hair hung over his eyes and a neatly trimmed beard covered the rest of his features except for a large, almost over-exaggerated round nose that seemed better suited for a Nosepass than a Human.

"Did you make the drop?" he leaned forward and whispered.

My hold on my glass became a death grip and I swallowed. The costume made him look ridiculous... but it was still very obviously Logan. My head fell into a brief nod, my eyes making contact with Giovanni who now carefully watched me from a distance. That was my signal.

"And you told no one of this?" Logan hissed and followed my gaze.

"No." Breaking contact with the boss, I quickly averted my eyes and concentrated on the glass in my hand.

Unfortunately, Logan wasn't convinced as I soon felt his strong fingers curling around my wrist.

"Then why do you have a slew of Team Rocket agents watching your every move, Delia?" In a single movement, he sided up to me and, slipping one arm around my waist, he pulled me into an inconspicuous grab. "Walk with me."

I suddenly felt myself frozen in place… this wasn't a part of the plan! Why wasn't Giovanni reacting yet? Did he not register my signal? He wasn't even looking at me anymore. Team Rocket agents in plain security suits no longer hid the fact that they were watching us, yet chose to do nothing but quietly talk into the communicators on their wrists.

"Move and I may consider letting you live," Logan's leer broke me from my trance and he forced me along through the crowd of party guests.

Slipping into the shadows, Logan forced me around the side of the yacht where there his getaway - a motorised inflatable raft - waited. It was quiet and lonely here, and the noises of the party faded into the light sound of ocean lapping at the side of the boat. Logan ditched his disguise and threw the wig, beard and fake nose over the side.

Occasionally, partygoers would pass us and he would quickly pull me into a tight 'lovers embrace' and made a point of kissing my neck. I wanted to scream, but in our closeness I very easily felt the cold nip of his gun that found itself pressing into my gut. In the moonlight his features were tall and angular even in spite of his hefty build. Unlike the safety I felt with Giovanni's solidness Logan was sharp and sinister.

Undisturbed by those who passed us, we again found ourselves alone, only Logan chose to linger like this a little too long. His kissing on my neck became less superficial and more intimate and I felt the slow trail of his hands from my back down to my hips. I let a gurgled growl erupt from my throat and with my hands that found themselves wedged up against his chest, I pushed against him in attempt to pry us apart.

Logan only grinned at me, his white teeth glinting in the limited light. "You're still a feisty little one aren't you. But you're also right, time isn't on our side." Using his gun as the negotiator, he signalled me to his raft. "Get in."

I balked. "What?"

"I said get in!"

"What do you want me for? You have no use for me." Oh Legendries, where was Giovanni?

"What are you talking about? I can think of several uses for you. It's a long ride back to the shore and I need a hostage. Now get in!"

I didn't have any other choice but to obey Logan's orders. Peering over the rail, I could barely make out the dark raft against the blackness of the ocean. It would be a long drop.

"Oh and before you jump, take off the heels. I don't need you to be sticking holes in my boat."

I cast a glare over at Logan and lifting my skirt, kicked off my shoes. Logan tucked his gun away and then in a single hoist, he lifted me and went to throw me overboard before the low toned hiss stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you, Logan. You of all people should know by now the consequence of people who take certain liberties on my property."

I caught the flash of metal that pressed up against the back of Logan's neck and the dark figure that stepped up to us. Every in muscle in Logan's body tensed at this point and he found himself with no choice but to let me slip from his arms. My feet touched the deck and like a frightened wild Pokémon, I quickly scrambled for safety behind Giovanni.

Still facing the ocean, Logan's hands raised and he obliged Giovanni's orders for him to turn around. Much to my relief, Giovanni was smart enough to strip Logan of his weapon and threw it out into the darkness beyond the yacht.

Splosh! It hit the water.

"Didn't I already kill you?" said Giovanni with a somewhat bemused smirk.

"It didn't take," Logan spat. "If you knew anything at all, then you would realise that shooting me in the head would have been more effective."

Giovanni had to admit Logan did have a point, and he nodded accordingly. "I have to confess, aiming for the heart is a preference of mine. It gives one time to contemplate the fact that they're in the process of dying. But since you insist…"

"My people will find me. When I don't check in with the bureau, the government will hunt me down"

Giovanni didn't seem so convinced. "That's all very interesting, Government Man but what you fail to realise is the simple fact that this boat has stopped in the heart of Sharpedo feeding grounds. The only part of you your G-Men friends will scrape off the bottom is the bullet that found itself lodged in your head."

BAM!

Even though it had a silencer the gunshot still made me jump. From my standpoint behind Giovanni I watched on, mortified as the red spot formed on Logan's head and began to ooze. I watched the flame in his eyes extinguished in an instant and like a sack of potato's his body flopped backwards and fell off the side of the boat. Giovanni moved on from his spot to gaze over the rail and several more gunshots ensued only to be drowned out by the loud squeal of Logan's life raft deflating and sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed…

Satisfied that his job was done, Giovanni casually spun and handed his gun to one of his agents who had since appeared on the scene.

His eyes focused on me and his face fell. "Delia? Are you hurt?"

I said nothing… I just stood there… facing him. I could feel the colour drain from my face, my head feeling light and my legs turning to jelly. Then before I knew it the deck came rushing up to meet me, but somewhere along the way I felt the arms that quickly grabbed a hold of me. Giovanni's concerned frown took up my whole vision and I couldn't help the retch that suddenly forced its way up my throat. Quickly wrenching myself from his grasp, I scrambled for the rail and threw up.

Purging my stomach of its contents, I took the time to hang my head over the rail, sucking in as much sea air as I could. I felt him behind me and the hand that gently rubbed my back.

"You did well." I heard his low murmur.

But it was just these images… I couldn't get them out of my mind. A Government Agent murdered in cold blood... and the Crime Lord who didn't hesitate at pulling the trigger.

Putting up no resistance, I allowed Giovanni to pull me from rail and in a motion that seemed completely alien to him he drew me into a hug where there I dug my head into his chest and cried.