They had made plans to rendezvous back at her room a few hours after John had prompted Winston. John had prodded Delphi as to how she would maintain the secrecy of their alliance, and simply answered, "Management owes me a favor." John knew Winston was not the sort of man to grant favors, but in an effort to not seem overbearing, a term Delphi used often, though endearingly, to describe him, he stayed quiet.
And as it turned out, it was true. Delphi had been given a penthouse suite. She was the only guest on the twenty second floor. John simply got off the elevator halfway up and took the staff stairs to remain unseen. A few years ago he would've taken the stairs the whole way, but he had been hit by one too many cars to trust his knees to twenty-two flights.
As he neared her room, he heard a man's voice inside. Though John had done this a million times before, something felt different this time, like there was more on the line. He took a deep breath, and opened the door.
The first thing he noticed was a lavender rose was lying on the bed. John stepped around to hide himself, but to no avail.
An Asian man slipped around the corner and smashed a chair over John's back. It hurt more than he expected. John fell to the floor. The man drew his gun. John kicked his feet out from under him. The man rolled over and found a piece of the chair leg with a nail at the end. He aimed for John's head. He missed, but only barely.
John moved fast, regaining his stance and pulling the man up. John hit him twice in the face but before he could pull a third punch the man racked him with body shots. They pushed away. The man swung just as John opened the microwave door. The man's fist broke through the glass and he cursed in a language John did not recognize at first, and then decided was Korean.
The man recovered quickly and pursued John again, this time with a knife. John flicked his blade out of his pocket. The man laughed once and then advanced. The result of this advancement was John on the floor, breathing heavily, with the man's knife centimeters from his forehead. John pushed back against the man with all he had. Now was about time for a second wind.
Just like a fresh breeze, Delphi walked in the door. Both men looked at her. She looked between them. She shut the door behind her. "And what exactly would be going on here?" She asked incredulously.
That was when both men started to wonder why they had fought in the first place. But it was just kind of what they did. They stayed standing, but eyed each other carefully.
"He is here for the contract." The Asian man started. He stepped closer to Delphi and she did not move. John found that interesting.
"What contract?" She asked. Her eyes trained on John.
"Aalders has one on you." The Asian man answered. John remained taut and ready to act.
"How much?"
"4 million." The man answered. Delphi acted insulted. But it was obvious that this man was known to her, and that she did not feel in danger.
John took a minute to regain himself. He stretched and wiped off his suit. "Who is this?" He asked Delphi. Her eyes flicked over the man and then back to John.
Delphi thought for a moment. "He's trouble." She said as she made her way through the room. At her answer, the man smiled at her in a way that made John's stomach hurt.
What are you doing, John?
Looking at you.
John came back to the moment.
"Since when are you working with him?" The man asked.
"He's a friend." Delphi explained.
"Sure, he is a friend, but I am trouble." He scoffed playfully. "Henry Liu." He introduced himself as he shook John's hand with his right and returned John's knife with his left. Henry was of a medium build, broad shouldered, and fast. Nothing about him seemed unsure, from the way he talked to the way he walked. He was surefooted and sound.
Delphi found him attractive. John found him annoying.
"John Wick," John replied. His grip tight, causing Henry's bleeding knuckles to bruise. "I'll meet you at the car," John said to Delphi as he turned away from them.
It wasn't until he was about to shut the door did he see how close Henry had gotten to her. His hand on her arm, the rose in her fingers.
John left.
Henry stayed.
"Where did you find him?" He asked her. Delphi shook off his touch and Henry tried to not be offended.
"He's my neighbor." She answered shortly.
"Why are you angry?"
"My sisters have been kidnapped."
Henry looked at her annoyed. "Why are you angry at me?" He clarified.
"Addy told me you and Aldrich are good friends now that you are working for them." Delphi twirled the lavender rose in her fingertips. Henry was a hopeless romantic. Only a man who knew nothing about flowers would buy a horticulturist a rose.
"You knew that." Henry answered.
Delphi's eyes shot him daggers. "Did you know what he was up to?"
"No." Henry answered honestly.
"Do you promise?"
"Yes, yobo." He said as he took another step closer to her. As though to prove that he was still loyal to her he said, "I drove by your house. Your peonies were a mess," as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.
She laughed, because she knew her peonies were never a mess, and Henry laughed, because he liked making her smile, and for a moment they remembered what is was like to be like this with one another. Happy.
Her face turned serious. "Thank you." She told Henry. "You're one of the only friends I have left."
"Well it seems like John Wick is pretty fond of you."