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The kitchen is spotless, as I would expect it to be.
The foyer, dining room, and formal living area are just as pristine.
Greta looks like a goddess on the marble stairs, hair fanned around her shoulders like a blonde halo.
With her eyes wide open, I wonder for a brief moment what her last thoughts were, what she saw before being taught her final lesson.
Did she beg or accept her fate for breaking his rules?
Did she wish she’d kept going after dropping the little girl off at the hospital, or was she grateful that her education was complete?
I pull out my phone, my teeth grinding as I type out the message.Wife dead, transaction refunded.
My skin crawls with irritation as I go through the steps of sending Henry Murphy his money back, each second spent hating the bullshitsatisfaction or your money-back guaranteepromise that comes with each of my jobs.
What kind of educator would I be if I didn’t suffer from my own mistakes, if there wasn’t punishment for my own errors?
Sunlight from the expansive windows casts Greta in a radiant glow, glinting off the knife sunk deep in her chest.
There’s a certain kind of beauty in death.
The silence.
The splashes of red were a magnificent contrast to the gray of her skin.
Pretty blue eyes open and knowing.
“Women will never learn,” I mutter, before turning and walking out the front door.
Chapter 2
Lauren
I’ve perfected the art of being who people expect.
I’m an excellent FBI agent for my handler and those at the Bureau above him.
I’m skilled at my job, impressing those around me.
Terrified and fearful? I can be that woman in the blink of an eye, trembling with tears running down my cheeks.
All it takes is channeling memories from my past to make me a little insane and emotional.
A hard-ass who won’t take no for an answer? Step back and watch me work.
Somber and grief-stricken?I’m so sorry for your loss.
All of it is easy as pie.
What I struggle with is misplaced pity. People with opinions they’re too couth to speak out loud.
The only problem is their eyes can’t hide it as well as they think they can.
Several pairs of those eyes watch me as I mingle around the Cerberus clubhouse. Of course, they have smiles on their faces. Tonight is a celebration, after all.
Cheers to a new year, new me.
All of it bullshit.