With Friends Like These

He watched her return to chair and noticed how tense she remained. He reached out and patted her hand that rested on the table. "Relax my dear. Your confusion over my proposition will be clear soon. Now that I know the proof you need, I will refer back to not leaving a mark on your record, should you choose to accept my deal."

Stephen leaned back in his chair and called for Derik. He immediately came into the room and stepped up to Stephen. "Yes Mr. Duckett?" Stephen turned to him. "Derik, go to my quarters and you will see a suit laid across my bed. You should dress in that suit and return to me."

There were no questions asked. Only a quizzical look from Derik's eyes as he turned and left. Stephen turned back to Catalina.

"Now, my dear, you shall see how committed I am to my word once it is spoken."

Catalina's pulsed raced faster as his hand rested on hers. Eyes flicking to his and away. Her eyes drifted over him once more stopping at the stretch of skin between his shoulder and ear. She suddenly had the urge to lick and bite at that bit of skin, to see how he'd taste. She pushed down the feeling, pulling her hand away and awkwardly fiddling with her fingers in her lap. Catalina's brow furrowed in confusion at the order he gave his guard. Wondering what in the world he was up to.

Catalina nodded and admitted albeit reluctantly "everything you have said so far has been true and you've followed through, so much as I hate to admit it I believe you. But I don't see why you would double my salary and help me keep my name and then let me go. I don't understand what gratification that would give a man such as you. So you see why I'm so wary of this...proposition."

Catalina eyed the bottle of wine on the table. She wasn't a big drinker and the first glass had given her a slight buzz. But the tension and the attraction she seemed to be building towards him was making her nervous.

Stephen simply smiled at Catalina as she expressed her concerns over his proposition. Then his face went solemn for a few seconds until he started to laugh. "Oh my dear. I'm afraid you do not understand. In no part of my proposition did I ever mention that I would be letting you leave. No no. I will be doubling your salary and assisting you in keeping your record unblemished, but you will remain here and work for me."

He stopped speaking to let what he just told her sink in. A couple minutes later, Derik returned to the dining room and Stephen stood from his chair and walked over next to him. He placed a hand on Derik's shoulder and looked at Catalina.

"A striking resemblance wouldn't you say? But now, onto my assistance. You see, Derik has always been my most trusted assistant, but nothing as trivial as that will ever stand in my way of living up to my word."

There was a swift movement of Stephen's arms and Derik dropped to his knees. He stayed there momentarily and then fell face down onto the floor. There was Stephen's knife embedded to the hilt in Derik's back.

"Now my dear. You may gather your required proof."

Catalina's mouth dropped open in shock. Work for him?! What did he expect her to do? Clean his floors and run him baths? No. Unless he wanted to use her skills as an assassin in some way, but this she doubted. Why hire her to do that when he surely had men already who did it for him? Although she was the best, she'd heard of other who weren't far from her skill.

Catalina's eyes followed Stephen as he got up when Derik entered the room, looking from one to the other in confusion. She could see there was a slight resemblance but what did that have to do with anything and why was he wearing... The realisation of what was about to happen sunk in a mere few seconds before Stephen's knife sunk into Derik's back. And Catalina's hand flew to her mouth in surprise. Catalina felt the guilt flood her body, this wasn't what she'd wanted. Catalina did not kill innocents. The people she'd killer had all done terrible things... This was different and it left a bad taste in her mouth. It also showed her that she had not been afraid enough of Duckett... She did now.

Catalina's eyes flicked from the pool of blood now forming on the floor and back to Stephen. "I-I did not want you to kill someone for me... He was an innocent..." Catalina felt an overwhelming urge to run. And her fingers dug into the wood of the chair, ready to push it back at any second and bolt.

Stephen watched her reaction as Derik's body fell to the floor. Her mouth fell open and her hand went to cover it. 'Hmmm, such a strange reaction from an assassin' he thought to himself. He stepped around the lifeless body and resumed his seat at the table.

"Ahhh, my dear Catalina, I do not kill innocents either. You see, it had just recently come to my attention that he was entered into agreements with a rival of mine. Whom I have yet to reach and convince of the seriousness of his mistake. But that is a conversation for another day."

"Now, onto my deal for you. It would seem that a position just recently opened up within my detail. Double your salary, free reign of the grounds and any contract that comes along, you will receive first choice. The decision is yours."