CROFF

Trouble within the estate. Or at least, trouble within Croff. He just left a meeting with Idris and a couple other partners of his. He left as soon as it ended because he knew Idris would try speaking to him. He would try engaging in some conversation, and since he's been avoiding him, sticking around would defeat that purpose.

Now he wanders the halls of the estate, trying and failing to push the guilt to the back of his mind along with the memories of that kiss. Croff regrets it. He was foolish. He acted on pure impulse. He'd been so blinded by what was in front him that he'd forgotten about what was behind him. His loyalty to Idris. His trust. The same trust he shredded over Josi. Years of friendship tarnished over one foolish mistake.

He has to get things back in order. He has to sever these feelings he's developed for Josi before it escalates any further. He rounds a corner on his way to the book study, hoping to find some calm for his mind. What he doesn't expect to see, however, is the very temptation he's been trying to avoid.

Josi lays against a couch, legs bare and flung over the armrest, with a book she reads leisurely from. For a split second, Croff's resolve goes flushing down the drain, and he has to fight just to prevent himself from falling deeper into Josi's trap. Well, not so much as a trap as it is his own yearning. But that same yearning stems from the bear trap Josi set herself.

"What are you doing here?"

"Reading, Croff." Josi waves the book in her hands, but stops when she sees how dispirited he is. She gives him another one of her smiles, this one much more goading. "Well, that's not a happy face."

Croff frowns. How can he be happy when all he's been trying to do is reject these so-called "feelings"? When he can't even look his own friend in the eye anymore? He's trying so desperately to piece his mind back together, to listen to the last remaining rational part of his brain. But even his heart has lost control, so how can he expect his mind not to follow suit?

"Stay away from me." Says Croff, a reply that is more for himself than it is for Josi.

Josi sets the book aside and sits up in her seat. "I've been here all day, Croff. You came to me."

Cue the damned memories from that night. Chasing her into that room is the biggest mistake Croff now regrets. "How can you be so calm? What about Idris?"

Josi sighs, as if the mention of Idris is futile. She leaves her spot by the couch and heads for him, and with each step she takes, Croff stiffens up and even begins backing away. Then he realizes this action makes him look weak, so holds his place firmly, hoping that he hasn't already given himself away.

Josi comes to a stop in front of him. "This is not about him, Croff. This is about you and what you want. You can't deny the feelings you have for me."

What disturbs Croff's mind most is the fact that he can't deny the accusation. So he avoids it completely. "This can't happen. For Christ's sake, you're in a relationship with him."

"Then why haven't you left yet?" Josi asks. "If this can't happen, then why do you look like you want to kiss me?"

This catches Croff off guard, and his posture goes limp. Is he truly so transparent? How pitiful that the front he'd tried so hard to put up shattered so easily at the sight of Josi. And she's provoking him, prodding him into casting that pointless front aside with that same smile. She straightens out his collar, then begins unbuttoning his shirt slowly, all while keeping him under a hypnosis through her eyes.

"You're worried about what Idris will think if he finds out his trusted bodyguard fell for his girlfriend. He'll never find out. Because I'll make sure of it. It'll be our little secret."

This doesn't make things any better, though Croff suspects that wasn't her goal. It isn't until she's past his chest does she stop loosening the buttons, which Croff had somehow failed to realize, as he'd been so transfixed by her eyes. How easy it was. And she must be aware of this, because she looks his chest over and once again, smiles at him. A smile so cheeky. A smile that tells him he has no power.

Josi pats his bare chest and heads for the exit, leaving Croff all alone with his ley line of consuming thoughts that don't allow him time to rest. He truly is trapped.

~《¤》~

JOSI

"So how's this gonna happen?"

"Easy. We'll start big and work our way down."

The assassin, who Josi now refers to as Dami, chuckles. Unlike Josi's original deductions, she's in the same appearance as the night of the ball. Short curly black hair, dark eyes, cheekbones. Somehow, Josi had thought she would appear enclosed in a different identity, but as the assassin explained to her, this image she sees of her currently will be the one she retains for their meetings moving forward.

And their first meeting has been scheduled in a cafe. Dami's idea. Josi suspects it may have something to do with the desert menu, seeing as their table is toppled with cake slices of different flavors.

"How easy is 'easy'?" Dami asks with a mouthful of cake.

Here comes the fruits of all her labor. "Easy enough with the plan I have. And with the plan I have, we'll start with Ramsey, the underboss. Once every year, he visits a chapel out in Newburgh. We'll take him down that way."

Dami laughs. "I've seen more religious people in hell."

Josi agrees. "He goes there to pay respects to his father who owned the chapel before he died."

"And how exactly do we corner him?"

"You'll find his little lap dog, James Beckham." She brings from her bag a file and lays it flat on the table. "James is deputy chief in the NYPD, but overnight serves under Ramsey. He's the reason the police department hasn't caught wind of Ramsey's crimes. Sweeps it all under the rug like he was bribed to do."

Dami studies the file, nitpicking each and every information on this good cop gone bad.

"You'll do what you do best-beat him up, threaten him, get him to confess. Then when all is done," Josi brings out another file. "You'll pay a visit to Christopher Miller, the Chief of police. And you'll lay all the evidence you got from Beckham flat on his desk, which means he'll be losing all his authority within the NYPD.

And to make sure we cover our tracks, we'll need a scapegoat to keep the Verdonnis from digging too much into the matter." A third file is revealed. "Kasper Morton, Idris's favorite gunsmith. You'll play nice with him, steal one of Idris's favorite guns, and turn it in to Christopher, along with the rest of the evidence.

By the time Ramsey gets a sense of the situation at the chapel, it'll be too late. He'll be arrested and thrown deep into the trenches. Idris will find out what happened, but it won't be us he'll come after. It'll be Kasper."

Dami slowly nods, eyes still glued to the files. "And why am I not at said chapel killing Ramsey instead?"

"Because I don't want them on your tail just yet." Josi tells her. "You kill him and they'll do everything they can to track you down. And I'm not saying they'll be able to take you out, but we can't exactly make this work if they take precautions against you. I need Idris to believe it's an inside job. At least, for now."

Dami takes some more time thinking, perhaps trying to find any possible loopholes to this plan. "From my understanding, these men have world class lawyers at their beck and call. What happens if they just dig him out?"

To this, Josi merely smiles. "Do you know how Al Capone landed himself in Alcatraz?"

Of course, the possibility of Idris's lawyers interfering never left her mind. How does one make sure an insect stays dead? They have to squash it out completely. And in this case, the evidence Josi dug up of Ramsey's tax evasion will land him in places other than just the heel of her foot.

Dami, now unable to suppress a grin, leans back into her seat and begins to chuckle. If there were any doubts left over her partnership with Josi, they have now completely shriveled. She fixes her baseball cap and takes one last sip from her milkshake.

"You're well prepared."

Josi shrugs. "All thanks to the Verdonni family."

Dami's chuckle soon turns into laughter, which, in turn, sparks Josi's curiosity. "Who would have thought Idris Verdonni's girlfriend would be his number one enemy?"

"That means I'm doing a great job acting." Which has helped her up until this very moment, and will continue aiding her until the last moments of Idris's demise.

"Josita?"

The stranger that visits Josi is a face she hasn't seen in months, and had only seen a few times before her relationship with Idris. If her memories serve her right, her name should be Ella. Or Elle. No, definitely Elly. The same girl who was by Idris's side the first night they met. The same girl who had tried taking out her anger on Josi once the news of Idris and Josi's relationship met her ears. She's grown quite . . . different since then. Seems to be a case of botched surgery. Or botox. Josi isn't quite sure.

"It's been a while." Elly says all cheery, like the past has been scrapped off her memories.

Josi returns the energy. "It has. You look great."

"No, she doesn't." Says Dami. "Don't lie to her, Josita."

Both Josi and Elly turn to her, stupefied. "Excuse me?" Says Elly.

"The name's Dami." She smiles. "Just Dami."

Elly looks her over, perhaps sizing up her appearance. Hoodie and cargo pants. Baseball cap and sneakers. It must not be worth her time, however, because she turns back to Josi. "It was great seeing you again. Greet Idris for me." Then she leaves.

What an anticlimactic meeting. Dami unwraps a lollipop. "Who was that? She seemed nice."

Josi sighs. "It's a long story."

Enough of the past. The future should be where her focus lies. And with a plan this thorough, it has never looked any brighter.

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