A Gift from the Goddess

"Rae...I do believe this guy is alive," Zac said.

The two of us were peering into the cupboard, looking at a very tied up and very terrified looking Noah.

"Yep," I replied.

"Right...right....And, just to make sure we’re on the same page here, you are aware that normally I don’t see this part, right? That I come in afterwards?"

"I’m aware."

At the sound of the conversation, Noah immediately started to squirm and plead to Zac with his eyes, hoping that he would help free him.

Not that it would do him any good.

"So, what's the hold up?" Zac asked, still confused.

"Isn’t this just another Thursday for you? I’ve seen you do worse."

He was right.This really wasn’t that abnormal of a job for me to do.

But I gritted my teeth at his question nevertheless, hating how I had ended up in this situation.

"I...can’t," I said, deflating in defeat.

"I can’t do it."

"You can’t...do it...," Zac repeated slowly.

"And why is it—."

"Look, I just can’t, okay?" I said, cutting him off, irritated at all the questions.

"I’ve tried.I even tried again before you got over here.I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it.End of discussion."

"...So why am I here? Just tell your dad that —."

"No."

Of course, Zac would suggest that.He didn’t know about every dark secret my father was hiding, only ever seeing as far as he needed to.

"No, I can’t tell him," I said.

"...And you can’t tell him either."

"Rae, the boss is expecting this guy dead," he said, taking a step back to look at me.

"I’m not really sure what’s going on, but you do realise he’ll find out sooner or later, right? You can’t just keep him locked up in a cupboard forever."

"Okay, fine! Fine...," I sighed in frustration, before slowly locking up to meet his eyes.

"...Then you do it."

Immediately, his face paled.

"What?! Rae, no! No," he blurted out.

"I don’t do that."

"c’mon, Zac," I whined.

"It’s not that different from cleaning up.Both have a lot of blood.I can talk you through it.Here...just grab this dagger like this...and then hold it in your hand facing—."

"Raven, stop!"

I'd been trying to get him to wield the weapon but he immediately held his hands up and stepped away.

"Just...chill," he said.

"I’m not going to kill someone."

"Argh! I spun around and angrily started pacing the room, beginning to get more worried as every second passed.I didn’t understand why this had to be so difficult.It shouldn't be this hard.Any other day, I could have done this job with my eyes closed.Why was I struggling to kill one random man? Who even was this guy? A small brown wallet then caught my attention as it sat on top of a table, and I walked over to inspect it.

doesn’t this guy look sort of familiar?"

as I went

reward one...a rental shop...a membership

finally, I found his driver’s

looks like

Zac continued.

a

reading the name on

Kennedy.Wasn’t he the guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly

is this guy’s last name," I

"Noah Kennedy."

turned to look at

Miles was an

a fast one

relating to him? But...‘clean up’.That’s how this job

whatever Miles had been up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me? Because of m

pulled out the cloth I’d stuffed

that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I

go, please,"

do anything.Just...don’t kill

to Miles?" I asked, disregarding

face blanked for a

"What about Miles?"

not answering my questions plainly.I’d already had my fill

and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head, causing him

hissed, pulling the knife back out to

repeat myself for the last

huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing up

"Howe"

m-my brother," he

my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to

was the last

at the bar on

swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

was something that held my curiosity and yet

already asked was already

job wasn't to investigate my father’s dealings,

of me wanted

not his death

so I asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles involved

"Rae—."

interrupting Zac before he could

an idea this was, just as I

under the same orders to not

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

rare goods from all over.The best at what he does, in my opinion.Even better

stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn’t have wanted to keep going....But I couldn’t seem to

I

if I were stupid for

Reid, of course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to need

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been a goddamn

or a rivaling businessman.He was

...I killed an employee*.

all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my father? ...Did

my father? Someone who would know better than most

pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end in

regardless of the why, I was now left with a very important ‘what’; As in, what the hell was I going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up

like the jobs I’d