Beast, Part Two (The Church #5)

Ladies Man

chapter Twenty-eight

Albany

“ Alright, Angel. It’s all on you now. We’re right across the street if you need us.”

Taking in a deep breath, I roll my eyes. Turning my back to my mark, I fake a sip of the Bourbon in my glass.

“Lucien, I can handle myself. Will you please stay out of my ear?”

Numerous chuckles come through my earpiece.

“Yes, ma’am,” Lucien jokes.

I appreciate the way the guys have rallied around me these past few weeks. God knows I’ve needed it.

As soon as I think about him, my eyes burn and my throat feels as if it’s closing. I have never had a pain like this. Knowing that the man you love, the other half of you, will never hold you in his arms again. The person you dreamed about growing old with for most of your life has left you here alone.

Clutching a hand to my heart, I take a few deep breaths. The only thing that has got me through this is the fact that I have Charlie. My baby boy needs me. Plus, I know for a fact if I were to end up on the other side with Nathaniel, leaving Charlie here alone, he would kill me all over again.

Shaking off the melancholy feeling, I lift my head and swallow my emotions. I have a job to do. I put my attention back on Archie. He’s sitting three seats away from me. He’s been flirting with two gorgeous blondes for most of the night.

From what I’ve gathered from the brown-haired guy with blue eyes and a chiseled jaw, I’m definitely not his type. He hasn’t looked back at me since his initial assessment when he first walked in. He likes his women young, blonde, bubbly, and white. I can fake young, blonde, and bubbly, but my deep brown skin could never be white.

Getting him alone will take a little extra work. Thankfully, I’m always up for the challenge.

The handsome businessman in the white crisp shirt that has been eye-fucking me since he walked in stands up and makes his way over to me. He leaves his friend sitting alone at the bar.

“Do you mind if I sit?” Mr. crisp shirt asks with a charming smile.

Holding my hand out toward the empty chair, I say. “It’s vacant.”

He takes the seat, flashing his Rolex at me. His gaze rakes up and down my body. I’m wearing a red wrap dress that cuts low in the front and showcases my milk filled breasts.

“You are stunning,” he hums.

“Yes,” I reply glancing at him briefly. “I know.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He places a black Amex card down in front of me.

“How about I buy you a drink?”

Glancing down at the card, I turn in my seat to give him my undivided attention. Tapping the side of my still full glass, I say, “Don’t waste your money.”

The guy winks. “Trust me, I have enough to splurge on you.”

Keeping my eyes glued to him. I smile wide. I reach into my purse and pull out the same card he has and place it down on the bar.

“Would you like to measure dick sizes next? I don’t have one, but I’m sure it could still rival yours.”

He frowns, grabs his card and stands to his feet. He quickly makes his way back over to his friend. I chuckle at his quick departure as I place my card back in my purse.

“I told you not to try it,” the business guy’s partner says in a supposed whisper. “She shot James down two weeks ago. No one’s bagging her.”

When I look up, Archie’s eyes are on me for the first time tonight.

I smirk at him. “Your attention seems to be lost. You may want to stick to the easier targets.” I glance at the girls around him.

Archie rolls his bottom lip between his teeth and smirks.

“Don’t even waste your time,” the businessman snorts. “She must be a lesbian.” He glares over at me. He and his friend quickly grab their things before tossing a few dollars on the bar and leaving.

“Alright, the game is set. It’s all up to you now,” Stuart, the businessman says in my earpiece. He looks over his shoulder and winks at me before he walks out the door.

I’ve been watching Archie for three days. I’ve had different members of D.O.E go to bars where he would be just to record him. I knew his preferred type the first night they recorded him. The next two days I spent trying to figure him out and my best chance at getting him alone.

I knew that if I were to show up to the same bar as him three days in a row, he would be suspicious. Which is why I had to get Kyra and other agents to help. Even Stuart and James, the other fake businessman, are on the payroll for the DOE.

Archie stands from his seat, tugs at his shirt and walks over to me. I watch every move he makes until he pulls the vacant stool out and takes a seat.

“I’ll save you the trouble,” I say. “My pockets are deeper, I don’t have daddy issues, your dick size will not impress me, and I hate flowery words.”

Archie shrugs. “I don’t buy women, I have enough daddy issues for both of us, it’s not my dick size you have to worry about, and I don’t know flowery words.”

I stare at him with a smirk on my face.

“Aurora Monroe,” I say, holding out a hand to him.

He takes my hand and shakes it. “Archibald Corbyn.”

Sitting back in my seat, I cross my arms over my chest.

“Just because you got my name, Mr. Corbyn, does not mean you have my attention.”

He shrugs. “Well, I’m just appreciative of the name right now.”

A beat of silence floats between us. His eyes roam over my body. I don’t miss the sexual desire I see in his gaze, but I also spot the challenge there.

“You look like a woman that likes excitement.”

I chuckle. “Considering your eyes have not strayed far from my tits, I find it hard to believe you read me so quickly.”

He grins. “You do have nice tits.”

“They are average at best. Not as full as your young friend over there.” I point to the taller blonde that’s now giving me the evil eye. Turning back to Archie, I grin. “You’re missing your chance to get lucky with your little friends.”

He looks at the girls and then back at me. “I think I’ll be luckier here.”

Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I shake my head. My goal is to give him the illusion that I am softening toward him. I can’t give in too fast. Most of his attraction is due to the chase. The moment I make it easy he will lose interest.

I roll my eyes. “You’re cocky. That’s not really a turn on for me.”

He grins. “Not cocky, beautiful, just confident.”

I take a beat of silence to look him up and down as if I’m trying to get a better read on him. I didn’t really need to read him. I knew everything I needed to know about him. “Tell me, Mr. Corbyn.”

“Archie,” he says cutting me off. “Mr. Corbyn is my father.”

His eyes gleam, and his chest lifts as he speaks of his father. Everything I know about the siblings aligns with his actions. Twice he’s brought his father into this conversation. Just then, when he mentioned him, pride filled his face. He is in awe of the man.

“Does Mr. Corbyn know his son is out here trying to pick up unattainable women?”

A huge smile lifts his face. He leans closer to me. “My father would be very proud. We both like challenges. He has never met one he could not conquer.”

“Is that so?” It takes everything in me not to react to that statement. Even mentioning Corbyn in a roundabout way makes my trigger finger itch. The day we put a bullet in his head can’t get here soon enough.

“It is.”

“Your father sounds like a very interesting man. I wonder if his son is anything like him?”

Archie’s eyes light up. Giving Corbyn even that simple of a compliment has Archie nearly drooling. I imagine his dick got hard.

“How about we head to my place, and you can find out?”

I give the appropriate amount of hesitation, allowing him to sweat it out a little longer. I’m keeping up the facade that I’m hard to get.

Without responding to him, I raise my hand to the bartender. He walks over to me with a grin.

“Close out my tab,” I say but don’t take my eyes off Archie. “And James,” I turn to face the bartender. “Remember his face. If I’m not back in here at my regular time tomorrow night, call the cops.”

Archie chuckles beside me. If he had been paying attention, he might have noticed the confused look on the bartender’s face. Considering this is my first time coming here, and I knew his name without him telling me warranted his confusion. But I wasn’t worried about him ratting me out. He knew I was using him as a precaution, like many women do when going home with a stranger. I needed Archie to think that I was a regular woman worried about regular stuff, like being raped or murdered.

Picking up my purse off the bar, I stand and run a hand down the front of my dress. Archie stands as well, holding a hand out for me to take. I keep him on my left side so that he won’t notice the earpiece tucked down in my ear.

We walk out of the bar, side by side. The conversation remains light the entire ten-minute walk to his apartment.

We take the elevator instead of the stairs. He stands across from me, his back pressed to the left side. His gaze is intense as he stares at me.

“I’ll have you know; I’ve never fucked a black chick before.”

I smile, even though it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Depending on how the next ten minutes go, you still may not.”

He chuckles, before running a hand down his face. “I got you this far. I’m sure it won’t take much longer to get you out of that pretty red dress.”

I don’t comment. The elevator dings and the doors slide open. He steps out first. I follow behind him. He stops in front of his door and looks back at me with a smug smile. When he opens the door, he allows me inside first.

I walk down a narrow hallway until I enter a wide-open room with an open floor plan. The large, picturesque windows give a clear view of the New York city skyline.

“Have a seat,” Archie says right behind me.

I take a seat on the white sectional couch that faces the fireplace. I keep my eyes on him. Archie goes into the kitchen. He takes a bottle of wine down and pops the cork. He pours two glasses before coming back over to us. He hands me one glass. I take it and have a sip. His eyes follow the movement. He then tosses his back.

I place my drink down on the coffee table in front of me.

“The longer I’m in your presence, the more attractive I find you.”

Raising a brow at him, I say. “And the more you talk, the less attractive I find you.”

Thank goodness this man is a mark, and I wasn’t actually interested in him. He’s a completely deplorable human being.

He chuckles. “Then let me find a better use for my lips.”

He leans in and kisses me. His lips are gentle at first before they become more demanding. I bite into his bottom lip, gaining a moan from him. He eases his way from my mouth down to my chin licking and biting. He sucks my neck and runs his tongue over the pulse point there.

“You taste fucking amazing,” he groans. He licks back up my neck toward my lips, but this time I turn away from his kiss.

He narrows his gaze when our eyes connect. He goes to speak but stops suddenly. Leaning back, he brings his hands to his lips.

“My lips are tingling.”

“Oh my goodness, are you okay?” I ask placing a hand to my chest.

He leans further away from me. His brows furrow even more, as his breathing becomes faster and more shallow. His eyes widen and his face flushes red. He’s panicking.

His mouth drops open and he starts to claw at his chest. He gasps as he shoots to his feet. However, after three steps he falls flat on his face.

I pick up the glass of wine off the coffee table and finish it before I stand up.

“I spent three days watching you fuck every girl you brought to this home.” I make my way over to him. Using my foot, I flip him over on his back. “You always start with the neck.” I roll my eyes. “Very predictable, Archie. I don’t think daddy would be pleased with that.”

His eyes widen. It’s about the only thing on his body he has control over.

I take a seat on top of the coffee table. His head is right by my foot.

“What…” he tries to get out of his mouth. I’m assuming he’s trying to figure out what’s happening to him.

“It’s a body butter. The women at D.O.E created it. You can wear it without any harm, but if you ingest it, it causes paralysis. It’s a slow and painful death. First your body goes numb, then your organs slowly stop working.”

I couldn’t walk into the bar with a weapon. Archie is trained to spot gun and knife holsters. He would have been on high alert had he noticed a weapon. Maksim told us that they were all taught to hide weapons around their homes. However, I couldn’t guarantee that I’d be able to get to one without him noticing. The poison was my best option.

Archie makes a gurgling noise as if he’s trying to talk. He has about thirty more minutes for the process to be completed.

“Why shoot them in the head?” The old conversation between Nathaniel and I pop up in my head. I shut my eyes to fight back the tears.

“Because taking a person’s life isn’t easy. Even when you think the person deserves it….. Giving out quick deaths helps maintain some of your humanity when this lifestyle tries to rip it from you.”

Placing a hand over my heart, I take deep calming breaths. Every time I think of the man I lost, I get a pain in my chest. Opening my eyes, I stare down at Archie.

“I had planned to watch you suffer,” I admit. “But he wouldn’t want that for me.” Sliding off the coffee table, I get down on all fours and look underneath the table. Just as I suspected, a Beretta is attached to the underside of the wood table. Pulling the gun out, I climb to my feet and stand over his body.

I look him in the eyes as I pull the trigger, ending his life with a shot to the forehead.

“Call the cleanup crew,” I say out loud, knowing the guys in my earpiece will hear me.

“Zel’s calling now,” Beast says. “Are you alright?”

I shake my head as tears fall down my face. I’m broken, and until I can finish the job of getting rid of Corbyn, I will remain this way. But I’m thankful for the distraction, because if I ever sit down long enough to think about the fact that Nathaniel is never coming back, I won’t survive.

“No,” I answer honestly. “But we’ve got work to do.” I toss the gun on the floor beside Archie. I’m not worried about evidence because the cleaning crew will wipe everything down.

I walk out of the apartment building the same way I came in. I don’t worry about the cameras either. Lucien will scrub them clean.

Two down, six more to go.