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 heard Zac say behind

I went digging through his

membership to a laundromat? I didn’t even know those

finally, I found

of looks

Zac continued.

one from a few days ago.You

said, reading the name on the

Kennedy.Wasn’t he the guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to look at Zac, my mind now

this guy’s

"Noah Kennedy."

to look at the man tied up in

I’d thought that Miles was an underground

tried to pull a

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

up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn’t that

Noah and pulled out the cloth I’d

agreed that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I could ever do...but I felt we were already past the

go, please," he immediately

do anything.Just...don’t kill

I asked, disregarding

face blanked for a moment before becoming

"What about Miles?"

for people not answering my questions plainly.I’d already

into the wall directly next to his head, causing him to

the knife back out to point

me repeat myself for the

squirmed in fear but managed to huff out a ‘yes’, his head quickly bobbing

"Howe"

m-my brother,"

the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going

last

showed up at the bar on Saturday.I think he’s missing,"

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

That caught my attention.

‘Business’.

my curiosity and yet I knew

had already asked was already way too

wasn't to investigate my father’s dealings, it was just to carry out his

part of me

his death sentence today was

I asked the question I knew I shouldn’t

was Miles involved with?" I

"Rae—."

Zac before

bad of an idea

under the same orders to

"Smuggling," Noah answered.

that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods

*definitely*

businessman?" I

as if

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

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

An employee.

had been

or a rivaling businessman.He was on the freaking

...I killed an employee*.

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

better than most in this city what going against him entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far

a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had

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 and stepped away, my brain swimming with a million different thoughts as for what

the jobs I’d had