Warning: mentions of inappropriate actions. Slight mature content.
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You were uncertain on how long you could hold on anymore. Your patience was well spent, your smile strained and fingers grasping the wine glass you held so hard you were afraid it would crack anytime. The only thing you were grateful for was the exquisite diamond-rimmed mask you wore over your eyes so no one could see your twitching eye.

'I did not sign up for this shit,' you cussed in your thoughts as you desperately peered around the deck of the luxurious yatch filled with the more affluent of the society, all dressed in elegant clothes and masks to suit the masquerade theme while they ate and chatted. With the gentle sway of the waves below and the romantic candlelights onboard, one would want nothing more than to just relax within the opulent comfort of the atmosphere. However, you had a mission to accomplish tonight, and you could not afford to waste time.

And it didn't help matters that you were now stuck with an oblivious bastard who wouldn't stop talking your ear off.

"You keep looking around. Are you that anxious?"

That question pulled you out of your thoughts and you had to once again face your current merciless reality. You realised that your lips were now turned downwards, and you quickly attempt to pull a fake smile, one that you've been trained to do flawlessly and instantaneously as you turned your attention back to the man in front of you. Given he was quite handsome, despite the inability to see his full face behind the gold mask, you could tell he was quite young too, with his light brown hair gelled neatly in place and his crisp black suit. With the way he courted you and flirted with you, you could tell he was quite the womaniser.

And despite him saving you from another creep before that, it took every fibre in your being to stop from flinging your glass of wine at him.

Finally, you replied his question as politely as you could, trying to suppress the tremor of irritation in your voice. "Um, no. I'm actually looking for someone."

It was true. When you were assigned an assassination mission, your boss, Irina Jelavic, told you that the top dogs had assigned you a partner for the attempt, before the busty blonde took off to her "romantic trip to Paris" with your original partner, Nakamura Rio. You were still pissed about that, and swore to give them a good beating when they got back. You had spotted your target, but your supposed "partner" was nowhere in sight. It didn't help that you knew nothing about him aside from his gender.

In short, you were having a pretty shitty night.

The man quirked an eyebrow, obviously interested. "Oh? And who might they be?"

You open your mouth, ready to throw an excuse you had prepared for questions like this, when he suddenly nudged you backwards. Your back hit the cold railings and you soon found yourself trapped in between his arms. You noted that when you had a closer look at him, he was actually quite toned, and found yourself unable to control the bit of blush that coloured your cheeks.

It was even worse when he leaned in, sweet aroma of lavender cologne entering your nose and his breath at your ear, as he whispered: "It doesn't matter, does it?" he murmured, trailing his hand up your arm. "It's just you and me now."

You could continue this charade all night if you were willing to. Under Irina, you bet you could toy with the man even more than he had hope to do with you, but now you were exasperated, and you were losing sight of your target -a buff man with a gross beard and black mask. Partner no partner, you would have to attempt it alone. You had no time- and patience- to spend playing around with the womaniser in front of you. So you took matters into your own hands.

With an innocent smile,you raised your foot and cruelly crushed the man's shoe with your four-inched heel.

He yelped and immediately withdrew, whimpering as he limped backwards. Still with the innocent smile plastered on your face, you slightly nodded to him. "I appreciate your offer very much, but I need to go now." Without waiting for his reply, you slipped off into the crowd, not bothering his pleas for you to wait.

Now, finally free from any nuisance, you trailed after your target, weaving in and out of the crowd. The wheels in your brain turned, almost instantaneously formulating a new plan.

Screw your partner.

You both were originally supposed to meet up, then go separate ways. The plan you had was perfect: you acting as a mistress for your target, distracting him while your partner split to search his bedroom in his suite for any sort of clue that was wanted by your clients. Your partner would then have to hide and wait for the both of you to enter the room, your target seduced and drunk. With the help of a truth serum, you would force the poor unsuspecting guy to spill another secret you were supposed to obtain. Once it was out of the bag, you would then excuse yourself to the bathroom, where your partner would reappear and finish the job.

It was perfect. You didn't even have to break a sweat, nor stain your hands with blood. Until bastard decided not to show up.

You grumbled. Now you had an extra job to do. And all you wanted that night was just to go home quick and sink in the soft duvets of your bed.

Taking a sip from your glass, you straightened yourself and smooth invisible creases on your dress, making yourself presentable before approaching the man. Before that, you secretly slipped on your earpiece- a small skin-tone device no bigger than your pinkie. If your partner wanted to contact you he damn well better do it.

"Oof!"

You crashed into a broad stature. The wine in your glass rocked, spilling out from its confinement. You gasped when the alcohol splashed onto an expensive-looking tuxedo. The owner immediately turned around, eyes blazing and nostrils flaring, but the glare melted upon spotting your watering eyes and trembling lips.

"I-I'm so sorry, Sir!" You stuttered. "I-I didn't see where I was going! O-Oh my gosh, let me help you with you tux-" You were about to leave to get some serviette when a hand latched onto yours and pulled you down. You were soon face to face with a wrinkly face and greasy beard.

Your target grinned, flashing his yellow crooked teeth. You internally cringed at his breath that reeked of tobacco and alcohol. "Where are you going, gorgeous?" He breathed in your face.

You forced a smile on your glossed lips. "To get some serviettes and help you," you replied as sweetly as you could. A devious smirk soon crept up his lips. "Oh, don't worry about it, my dear. It's no big deal," he purred, but his actions contrasted his words as you could feel a hand brush against your lower back.

This was your chance.

"Then," you lowered your voice and fluttered your eyelashes flirtatiously. "What can I do to make amends?" He stroked his beard. "Hm. I would like one as pretty as yourself to drink with me in my private suite." It was more of a command than an invitation. You flashed him another charming smile. "Of course, it's an honor, Mr..."

"No need for formalities. Just call me Connor." Connor waved over to two men in black nearby, before hooking your arm over his and dragged you off. "What's your name, Miss?"

"Just call me Kelly," your alias flowed out from your mouth so naturally, you almost believed it yourself too. You nodded in thanks when Connor held the door off the deck open for you, and you both made light chat all the way to his room.

Passing through the pristine whitewashed corridor (his bodyguards trailing behind), you both stopped at one of the steel doors aligning the walls. Connor flung it open with a flourish, ushering you into a palatial suite. To your surprise, his guards remained outside, which only made your job easier.

Also, hinted his intentions.

He invited you to sit and poured a glass of wine for you. You gingerly held the glass in between your nimble fingers, swirling the red liquid inside in a hypnotising motion. "You're too kind, Sir Connor," you mumbled before sipping a little, making sure his lewd gaze was watching your every mover as your tongue darted out to lick at your lips seductively.

Connor smirked and poured his own glass, before taking a seat too close beside you for your liking. "Just Connor, and it is my pleasure to treat such a beauty like you too." You let out a fake giggle when he played with a loose strand of your hair.

The two of you continued flirting, subtle touches exchanged and you poured glass after glass of wine for him, adding a slight dose of alcohol booster and truth serum at his fifth glass. Soon, he was a slurring mess, spluttering incoherent jokes and doubling over himself.

He wiped a tear from his outburst of laughter and swung a hand over your shoulder, pulling you close to his face. "My, my~" he slurred and reached out, "you sure have pretty skin! I would love to take a look at your beautiful eyes unmasked too..."

Your fingers latched onto his hand lightning quick. His fat index finger barely skimmed the edge of your mask, before you pull it away with a polite smile.

You had enough of this.

"Oh my, Mr. Connor, you don't look too well. Shall I take you to your room to rest?" You hastily asked, dragging him to his feet with his hand over your shoulders. He leaned onto you, well spent from the alcohol as he let out a laugh beside your ear. You gagged at his breath.

"Yes, yes, room! Bed!" A hand shamelessly groped your ass, causing you to freeze momentarily.

You were so going to kill him.

You tugged his hand back up onto your shoulders, smiling through gritted teeth as you opened the door to an extravagant bedroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and a balcony overlooking the ocean. "That's right. You're going to rest."

Forever.

With a grunt, you threw the heavy man onto the soft linings. Before you could straighten, a strong grip pulled you down, and under the heavy figure.

"Where are you going, darling~?" Connor murmured, beginning to rub himself on you. Nausea immediately churned in you, but you swallowed the taste of bile. You needed to complete your objective, no matter what.

With great effort, you flipped him over and pinned him down. "Tell me about the File," you sneered, no longer in the mood to play. Your thoughts immediately went back to the handsome stranger on the deck. You would give anything to be in the room with him now instead of this asshole.

A disgusting grin made its way to Connor's lips. You stiffened, feeling fingers trailing down between your shoulder blades and fiddled a little with you dress' zip. "So this is what it's about," Connor snickered. "Sure, I'll tell you, if you give me something in return."

You narrowed your eyes. Forcing him was not going to work. You took a deep breath, calming your nerves, before your sneer finally melted into a smirk. "Baby," you purred, your finger tracing slow circles on his chest. You then leaned in and blew in his ear. "I would love if you helped me. Please tell me about the File, contents and passcode."

You slipped off his mask, staring into his dilated pupils with an alluring smile. "I will help you after you help me."

Connor's eyes turned hazy, indicating there was not much time left before he slipped into unconsciousness. "Th-three..." he struggled to keep himself awake. "3... 5...b...8...o..."

He trailed off, voice getting softer and softer as he spoke that you had to lean in to listen. "The File... escapees' profiles..." then a mumble that failed to reach you ears. You scowled. "What?"

Then his body jerked upwards.

With a yelp, you were pushed into the covers so fast and sudden you didn't have time to react. A crushing weight held your body under his as Connor's lips slammed against yours for a sloppy kiss. His hands clumsily grabbed at your thighs, constraining them to spread open as he squeezed himself in between your legs.

You struggled, thrashed, clawed- but to no avail. Panic rose in you like a wave. Trepidation was not to be allowed when carrying out missions, but trapped underneath the bulky man, fear struck you right in the core, especially when clinking of metal belt registered in your ears. Your world collapsed under you, every alarm going off in your head. Your mind screamed for your partner's appearance, begging him to appear any time now. Dread seeped into your skin like a ghost as realisation hit you.

You were going to be raped.

Suddenly, time seemed to stop.

First Connor's eyes went wide, a sudden fear evident in them. His whole body tensed up, movements coming to an abrupt halt. Crimson dribbled from his trembling lips. Then, he went limp and his full weight flumped onto you.

Gasping, you wiggled yourself out from under him, desperate to get away from the disgusting man. His corpse was suddenly pushed away with great force, and you managed to slip out from under him. Tears blurred you vision as you curled into a tight ball, hugging your shivering self.

You failed to be aware of the other presence in the room, until someone kneeled in front of you and cupped your wet cheeks, a clothed thumb gently pushing your mask away. You were soon staring into honey-brown eyes that swirled with concern in them. The man let out a breath and ran a hand through his light-brown locks in frustration, and despite your trauma, you couldn't deny that you found the action hot.

Until your hand cracked across his face not-so-gently.

Shocked, your victim whipped his head back towards you, eyes wide as he cradled his reddened cheek. Your face was contorted in rage, cheeks flushed from both anger and humiliation. "Y-YOU BASTARD!" you screeched at him, grabbing a pillow and slamming it into his face without allowing time for him to react, earning a muffled cry. You shoved him away and stood up, storming towards the exit as you furiously wiped your tears away.

"H-Hold up! Hold up!" Your apparent-partner crossed the room in long strides and slipped himself between you and the door. "Where are you going?"

You jabbed you index finger against his (toned) chest. "Oh, now YOU ask where I'm going," you spat, your temper boiling. "First, you abandoned me to flirt with other ladies, and when I get assaulted only you decide to show up oh-so-heroically. Is this another one of your tricks to court a woman?!'

The said man winced at the venom (and truth) in your words and let out a sheepish grin. "Well, I didn't know who was my partner, and I had to guess randomly. Who knew we were fated to be together?" He sent you a flirtatious wink, further adding oil to your fire.

In a spur of anger, your knee slammed into his stomach. The poor guy immediately doubled over, clutching his stomach and wheezing. You bent down and searched his pockets, and turned up with a key, phone, and a small manila card. You were about to straighten yourself when the man suddenly smirked.

"Nice view."

Looking down at your v-line dress, blood filled the veins in your cheeks. You raised a hand to slap some sense into the pervert again, but he was ready this time.

His hand caught yours and in an instant, you both had switched positions. His body pressed yours against the door, your hand pinned above your head, and he leaned in dangerously close. The addictive smell of his cologne filled your nose once again. A shiver ran down your spine when lips dragged themselves across your jawline and down your neck in a pleasing method.

So much for being under the Irina Jelavic.

"I saw everything," the hot breath against your ear sent chills throughout your body. The pure body heat against your figure was enough to make your legs go weak, and when his free hand rubbed circles against your hip through the fabric of your dress it took you all you might not to moan. "I saw everything, how you seduced him, and how he defiled you." The grip on your wrist tightened, and the predatory look in his eyes sent your heart palpitating.

"So...?" you made a weak attempt at a retort.

"I didn't like it," he mumbled, lips grazing against yours. "So I stole your prey. But even if he's dead, when I think back on it," he caressed your cheek, hazy eyes staring into your clouded ones. "I feel the need... to purify you from his touch."

Unable to hold yourself back, you leaned into him and ran your fingers down his neck and across his shoulders as you whispered: "And I need you to do it."

There was a glint in his eyes, and he leaned in-

BRINGGG!

You both jumped at the noise. Hastily, the brunette fumbled for his phone and answered it. "Nagisa-kun!"

"Maehara-kun!" a voice blared from the speakers so loud even you were able to hear it. "Are you okay? Why didn't you answer me?"

Confused, the man now known as Maehara tapped at his earpiece, and an embarrassed smile spread across his lips. "Sorry, Nagisa, I forgot to turn it on."

You facepalmed. No wonder.

"How in the world- It doesn't matter. I saw a few guards leaving the deck just now, so I called the helicopter. Are you done there?"

"Yeah, we just about wrapped up and are about to get out of here."

"We? Oh, your partner. Good thing you found her. Anyway, the helicopter should have arrive. I'll see you at Base in 15 minutes."

Your could only stare in puzzlement when Maehara hung up. "Helicopter?"

He grinned at you. "Yup. A.K.A our getaway ride."

He strode towards the glass panes and opened it. Without warning, he climbed over the railings of the small balcony and jumped.

A screech of horror tore from your throat. Has that guy lost his marbles?! But your answer revealed itself when wind tore into the room, snatching your hair and dress as a looming black rose steadily. The steady pounding of blades chopping against air boomed in your ears, overpowering a shouting figure at the entrance.

Maehara.

Behind you, there was rapping on the door. Multiple muffled voices were heard, and soon slamming on the door in an attempt to break in the room (Maehara had slyly locked the door during your "moment" with him). Looking back at Maehara's outstretched hand, you knew what you had to do.

You slipped off your heels, and sprinted towards the balcony. Your hair whipping madly against your face. You scaled the metal bars and leaped into his arms.

As the chopper took off into the night sky, you sat in the back with Maehara, his arm wrapped protectively around you. Both of you had only met for a night, with him annoying you for most of the time, but there was a certain bond of trust. He had trusted you with your target, and you had unconsciously trusted him on finding the paper, and both of you had enough faith that you will jump with him there to catch you.

Fingers skimmed your thighs. You slapped his hand away, earning a yelp from him. You let out a chuckle.

Okay, maybe not so much yet.

However, you were certain a special bond would form in the near future between the both of you. For now, you were okay with the raw and tender emotion barely sprouting in your heart for the perverted brunette.

You will wait.

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Author's note:
Hey everyone! I know, it's been a long time since I last updated. I haven't been active on Wattpad for a long time either. Life hasn't exactly been easy with school being the biggest source of my lack of time and motivation.

Anyway, a big THANK YOU for everyone that commented and voted on this book. We have managed to reach an astounding 45k reads and 1.16k votes! I can't thank you all enough! I also apologise if I've missed any of your requests under my piling notifications due to my inactivity. Feel free to request again or tag me under your comment!

This is a long oneshot, but I do hope you enjoyed it. :) Critisms and feedbacks are much appreciated.

*unedited*