I drilled Carlisle relentlessly for about fifteen minutes, demanding the details of Edward’s daily routine. He was very forthcoming, which was helpful. Edward worked from the early morning til early afternoon at the university. He read voraciously, played guitar occasionally, and was apparently an excellent table tennis player. He swam to stay in shape and did not speak much of his days in the military, or his deceased cousin. He rose very early, retired quite late, and had an affinity for chocolate, which I could appreciate.
I dozed off on the thought that if I didn’t have to kill these people, we’d get along just fine.
*****
I awoke to the sound of gravel crunching under the tires of the car. Normally, I wouldn’t sleep in transit, with the exception of Charlie’s fondness for keeping me coked, simply because the need to know my surroundings at all times had literally been beaten into me. But the fact that I had missed my last dose of medication, along with the seductive lull that a car with wonderful suspension provides, was my undoing and I dozed off without hesitation. Certainly the familiarity and comfort I felt with Carlisle Cullen had something to do with it, as well. But I didn’t want to dwell on that little nugget longer than necessary. It wasn’t good for someone in my line of work to let their guard down. Chaos usually ensued when that happened, and I was fairly certain that was probably his goal. It didn’t escape me that I was in a fairly good position to get killed, myself. Charlie might be an ass on occasion, but when it came to my personal safety, he generally didn’t steer me wrong.
Sitting up and stretching out needlessly, I glanced out of the tinted windows and had to hide my surprise and sheer pleasure at the structure we stopped in front of. Usually when I was hired on, I was taken to the headquarters of whatever organization had requested my services. When I needed sleep, I made do with whatever accommodations I could find, did my thing and got out. I was one efficient bitch that way. This, however, was something completely different and even though he had told me where we were headed, I couldn’t help but swipe at my chin, in case I had drooled.
The white stucco structure in front of me was… a home. I’ve been to houses before that had been converted for different uses, and none of those had any sort of impact on me. They were buildings, places of business for the nasty underworld we crawled through on a daily basis. Hell, for all its size and grandeur, the England house I lived in was that. This place was different. There were spidery looking plants hanging from unseen supports attached to the outer wall and lit by large ornamental lamps that dotted the top. A large oak bench sat comfortably near the aged plank door. The seat was covered with brightly covered pillows that were oddly tempting. Various flowering shrubs, roses and the like, were vying for attention in the small expanse of well-manicured lawn leading up from the driveway. A pair of small bicycles lay willy-nilly in the darkened grassy area before the stone path, and I briefly wondered at that. The house itself was one-story but enormous, surrounded by this outer wall and very reminiscent of a Spanish casa I had once visited. I didn’t know all the terms and phrases to use to describe it, even to myself. In the moonlight, it was just… beautiful. I felt a small ache in my chest, but immediately squashed it down and steeled myself as Carlisle opened my door.
“Welcome to our home, Isabella. I hope that you will be comfortable during your stay with us.” He was eyeballing me critically. Why, I have no idea. It wasn’t like I couldn’t be polite when the situation called for it.
“Thank you. Your home is lovely.” I couldn’t help but look over the back of the car, toward the drive from which we came. My gaze skimmed over the surrounding area to make note of one of the things I did know very well – how to get the fuck out.
The gravel wended its way back through the soaring palm trees and wild vegetation that shielded the house from view of the road. Listening intently, I could hear the occasional car moving along the motorway in the distance, probably about six miles or so to the east. From the west, I could hear the sound of crashing waves. Turning toward the sound, I was surprised to see that the house sat practically on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Nocturnal animals foraged through the underbrush. Someone moved within the house, coming towards us, quietly opening and closing doors along the way. A normal person might not be able to discern these things, and I was almost certain that unless they were hiding something from me, the Cullens certainly wouldn’t be able to hear what I could. It was crucial that I knew all my options, no matter how genuinely nice these people seemed. Situations could change at the drop of a hat.
It took me barely more than ten seconds to mentally map the terrain, and as I turned back towards the house I realized that Carlisle had grabbed my suitcase, my tote and my silver bandbox. I rushed forward, knowing that he needed no help as far as the weight of the items were concerned, but taking the shiny tote from him anyway.
He said nothing, almost as if he knew.
Looking once more at the band box with a bit of disgust, Carlisle reached toward me with one loaded-down arm while waving at the house in a welcoming gesture. “Come, let’s get you inside and settled. Then, once everyone has awoken and gone about their business, we can go over the details of your assignment.”
*****
Having won that small battle, I loosed my grip on the case and carried it by its handle toward the wooden door nestled in the wall. Carlisle reached it first and pulled it open. I was surprised that he did not keep it locked, although I suppose with the wall being only seven or eight feet in height, that a locked door would do little to deter an intruder.
As we entered the dark courtyard, I took in my surroundings. The house itself was L-shaped, with its sides meeting to form the corner forward and to my right. The deck area was actually comprised of terra cotta tile, giving way to cedar decking here and there. The area was sleepily set for outdoor dining, with furniture comprised of cedar, as well. Tables were topped with dormant umbrellas, their colors matching those of the bench pillows I had seen outside.
The real feature of the courtyard, however, was the infinity pool that comprised the greater part of the area. Almost black in the darkness, the quiet shush of the water over the edge of the pool was relaxing. I could see that this family loved this area and made the most of it.
I briefly wondered who’d get the property when they were gone. I certainly wouldn’t mind living here.
While I had been musing and taking in the darkened scenery, Carlisle had walked on ahead of me. As he neared the corner of the courtyard that led to the entrance to the house, the wide, glass-paneled wooden doors opened, and a tiny figure in an old-fashioned nightgown stepped out. Seeing that she greeted Carlisle with a kiss, I assumed this was Esme, the remaining Platt sister. After greeting her husband, she promptly scooted him aside and came towards me. Gliding gracefully around the edge of the pool, avoiding furniture and potted plants, she was suddenly right in front of me. From a distance, she had looked small, but once she was next to me I could see we were similar in height. Much to my surprise, she reached toward me with both hands. I offered mine in return, having no idea what to expect, and was surprised for the millionth time that day when she pulled me forward and down to plant a kiss on each cheek. I’d never had more contact than a handshake with anyone other than Kate and my trainer for as long as I could remember, and it took everything I had to keep my breath from hitching. A minute in this woman’s presence brought out feelings I hadn’t had in a long time and I wasn’t sure I liked it much.
“Call me Esme, dear. Why don’t you come inside with me and I’ll show you to your room.” Still grasping my free hand, she pulled me forward and we started towards the house. “Carlisle, bring Bella’s bags.” She winked at me as Carlisle sighed and smiled at her. I dutifully followed Esme indoors, feeling silly and completely childish as I still held her hand. We turned left as we entered the house and she led me down the dim hallway to a door directly at the end that sat slightly propped open. Pushing the door wide, she stood aside and allowed me to enter first.
“This will be your room while you are staying with us. I hope that it will be alright, as the other spare bedrooms are in use at the moment. Everyone has sort of convened for your arrival.” She smiled sweetly, obviously pleased to have a full house of people to look after.
I stood just inside the doorway, taking in the air and light that made up this space. I’d worked in many places, from the lowliest of slums to the grandest of royal houses. None of it impressed me, and after my little meltdown earlier, I felt like I should have expected to be moved by this room. The floor to ceiling double set of curved French doors that made up the entire exterior wall was incredible, bringing the dark ocean outside into the bedroom. The furniture was handsomely made and the light, sandy color of the wood made me wonder if perhaps the Cullens had commissioned someone to go collect the materials from the beach below the house. It all matched, perfectly. The walls were a soft creamy color that glowed in the light from the bedside lamp, and the bed itself was covered in a fluffy cover the likes of which I had not ever experienced myself. It was a cloud of my favorite shade of green, all hazy and welcoming. I’d never, ever had the urge to flop, but I wanted to now. Badly.
This place was doing fucked-up things to my psyche.
I turned back to Esme, placing my case on the foot of the bed. Need to lock that sucker up right quickly. She was watching me expectantly, waiting for my response. I actually had to clear my throat to speak. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”
She beamed. “It’s no problem, my dear. You are more than welcome to anything here. She floated past me and began pointing out the various features of my current home-away-from-home.
“You can place your things in your closet, which is here.” She touched a doorknob as she passed by it, indicating the closet. “Your bathroom is through this door here, and it is fully stocked. Let me know if there is anything you need.” She pushed the door to the bathroom open enough for me to garner a glance at a glass shower enclosure, and again, more windows than I would possibly be comfortable stripping in front of. Sensing my unease, she gestured towards the windows in the bathroom. “All of the windows here are one-way glass. You can see out, but no one can see in.” She smiled. “We like our sunshine here.”
Esme made her way back around the bed and to the door of my room. She turned and studied the room absently, as if to check that she had covered everything. “I am sure you’d like some time to freshen up and rest after your trip. Carlisle and I are planning on heading back to bed, but I usually rise around seven or so to make breakfast. Do you need anything?”
I wasn’t prepared for this level of hospitality, but I assumed that she would know that so I didn’t mention it. “No, thank you. I think I can manage. I’ve definitely endured worse than this, Esme.” I smiled, intending the statement as a joke but sobered as I saw her face fall momentarily. She’d been so kind to me, but surely Carlisle gave her some sort of credible explanation as to why I was here without being too grandiose. I wasn’t here to be pampered as an honored guest, or even a close family friend.
I was here to kill.
*****
Esme had recovered her composure enough to smile convincingly as she quietly closed the door to my room behind her. I quickly walked over and silently turned the lock on the knob. I needed time to arrange my things, but did not want her to hear me locking them out. I, however, could hear the hustle and bustle of nighttime around us. The waves continued their rhythmic cadence against the shore, and I could still hear an animal outside. It sounded as if it were about the same size as the one I’d heard outside the courtyard, so I thought nothing of it. I checked to make sure the outer doors were locked, then went to the door Esme had indicated lead to the closet. Flipping on the switch outside the door, I was pleased to see that there was solid cherry shelving suitably high enough for my equipment. Unzipping the suitcase Carlisle had left on my bed, I pulled my small weapons case out from underneath the clothing. I checked the toggle to make sure it was still properly locked, and slid the entire monstrosity onto the very highest shelf. I assumed that the small bikes outside belonged to children who were frequent visitors to the area, and I didn’t know what kind of access they had to the house. I hadn’t known I would be in the presence of wee ones when I was preparing to come, and even though I really couldn’t relate with the need to have little ones of my own, I would feel terrible if something happened to these unknown children because of my negligence. I stepped back into the bedroom and placed one hand on the bedspread in order to reach the other side of the wide bed for my case. My body immediately sunk a good ten centimeters into the bedding, and I gasped as I nearly lost my balance. Grabbing the case, I pulled it toward me, rustling the covers in the process. I lifted the case, hugging it to my chest once again; all the while staring at the bed like it was pure evil. I was so torn between doing what I needed to do and just giving in to the urge to jump on the bed like a loon. With a resigned sigh, I turned back to the closet and went inside, sitting the metal case on the small cabinet to the left of the door. Checking my watch, I noted that I had completely missed my last dose, and that it was actually time for the next one. I fished a tiny silver key out of my pocket and inserted it into the lock on the front of the case. The mechanism inside quietly snicked, and the lid popped slightly as the pressure from the lock was released. I pushed the top back on its hinges and removed the top layer of black foam padding. Multiple pre-filled ampules of medication lay inside, as well as vials of saline and a package of syringes. To the unknowing outsider, this might look like a narc addict’s dream. To those in the know, it was something entirely different. It was my lifeline.
Grabbing clean black yoga pants and a black t-shirt out of my duffle, I slid my travel-worn clothing off onto the hardwood floor and picked up the first amp of medication. Filling an empty syringe first with saline, then with the medication, I shook the capped syringe to mix the two and popped the cap off with my teeth. I sighed and jabbed the tiny needle into the flesh of my outer thigh, thus beginning my daily ritual.
