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.

this guy look sort of familiar?"

I went digging through

reward one...a rental shop...a membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those

finally, I

looks like that

Zac continued.

a few days ago.You

said, reading the

days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now racing

guy’s last

"Noah Kennedy."

both then turned to look at the man tied up in

to him? I’d thought that Miles was an underground

tried to pull a fast one over

documents relating to him?

into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that mean Noah’s death sentence today was because of me?

out the cloth I’d

murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were

let me go, please," he immediately started

do anything.Just...don’t

Miles?" I asked,

a

"What about Miles?"

my questions plainly.I’d

m y dagger into the wall directly next

questions," I hissed, pulling the

myself for the last

out a ‘yes’,

"Howe"

brother," he

closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing

was the last time you heard from

on Saturday.I think he’s missing,"

is, I swear! I’ve been looking for him but it’s like he’s just disappeared....Is that why you’re here? Does this have something to do with

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

something that held my curiosity and yet

had already asked was already way too

to investigate my father’s dealings, it

part of me wanted to

whether or not his death

I asked the question I

business was Miles

"Rae—."

Zac

would know how bad of an idea this was, just as

all, he was also under the same orders

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

goods from all over.The best at what he does, in

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

businessman?" I

he looked at me as if

course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to need a

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

been a goddamn

random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the

...I killed an employee*.

or snitch on my father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn’t have? And those documents allegedly pertaining

who would know better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far too many answers left unknown

and stop tunnelling down a thought

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 and stepped away,

like the jobs