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I smile, even though it feels awkward to have everyone happy and welcoming when they don’t even know me. Maybe it’s easier to impress hit men than most families.
Once we finish eating, the guys start cleaning up and I move over to Cashmere. “Do you have a second?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Um, I guess, I wanted to know…” I pause and blow out a breath. “I’m not sure what to ask.”
“Come here.” He leads me into the hallway away from the guys. “You and Whisper are dating now?”
I shrug. “I think so. We’re not sure what to call it, exactly, but we’re together.”
“That’s awesome. He’s a good guy.”
“Seems like it, yeah.” Leaning against the wall, I collect my thoughts. “I guess I want to know what it’s like living with hit men. And being married to one.”
“I don’t really have a comparison, but my life is pretty normal except my husband’s work hours are random. He goes out late at night sometimes or doesn’t return until the early hours of the morning. But when he’s home, we’re just a regular couple.”
“Don’t you worry about him?”
“I try not to. He’s very skilled and has been doing this long enough that I’m able to regulate my emotions now. At first it was hard. He got shot once.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, but he was fine.” He puts his hand on my arm. “So you know about Whisper. How does that make you feel?”
Could I tell him? He’s obviously accepting of this lifestyle. I know I could trust him.
“Whisper suggested maybe he could talk to Shadow about me.”
Cashmere raises an eyebrow. “What about you?”
“About me working with them.”
“You want to be a hit man?”
“Well, not want, exactly, but, um… the reason Whisper told me about his job is because he caught me doing the same thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“He caught me, uh, killing someone.”
I brace for Cashmere’s shock and judgment, but there is none. “Oh. You’re already a hit man?”
“No. I just find predators and deal with them. Sex offenders, abusers, bullies. Shit like that. Whisper followed me one night and found out.”
“I see.”
“But I don’t get paid or anything. I wasn’t hired by anyone. I just do it sometimes.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Whisper offered to take care of me, but that seems gross. So then he mentioned maybe he could get me work with them. I guess I’m talking to you because you might be able to tell me more about what it’s like here.”
He nods. “As you saw this morning, it’s pretty nice. The house is huge and we all have plenty of space. You saw the rec room before. That and the kitchen are our main gathering spaces. We usually have breakfast together and Rue does almost all the cooking. As they get more comfortable with you, they guys will speak freely and you’ll get to know their personalities more.”
“Okay. Are they nice, I guess?”
“Nice?” He waffles his head back and forth. “Not sure that’s the right adjective but they’re cool and honest and always have everyone’s back. You’ll never be in danger with these guys looking out for you.”
