2 Chapter 1.

Quite a few hours later I was sitting in the store beneath the room I lived in.

GLORIA'S HOUSE OF PSYCHICS.

One of the few places where the psychics were actually real. But so are other things. Psychic in this case, is a term that is used lightly, because it basically covers almost everything that is 'human with abilities'. Except for witches. They are as equally rare as we are but it is extremely rare for one to be a witch and a psychic.

I sat in the back room with my eyes facing the door. My view was blocked slightly by the beads hanging in the doorway, but, it was good enough that I could read without being paranoid that someone was here, and the owner and my landlady - Gloria - could potentially get hurt... Even though she was telekinetic.

Sometimes when we were particularly empty she would speak to me from the store while I remained in the back, surrounded by the bookshelves with many different covers. As it was now, she was not very impressed with me teleporting in, dripping with another person's blood this morning while she had her morning coffee with her hair rollers in. I smirked as I remembered how I made her spill her coffee all down the front of her night gown.

She knew when I had been dealt with 'jobs' by those who allowed me to live in this country. She did not appreciate me "going off all willy nilly". But left me alone due to my foul mood.

I would have to remember to make it up to her later.

Like Luca's family, she did not know much about me, but she knew a bit more about my "profession" - as she liked to call it - as it pulled her out of chronic debt.

Apparently, creating a home for those that are psychic is not cheap.

The bell above the door, lower in tone than that of Luca's, chimed. A familiar young man stepped in, followed by a harsh stranger. Both wore expensive clothes that screamed 'I'm a civilian, honest!'

I found it more than a little amusing when those who usually wear suits pretend to seem like regular people. The air around them breaks the facade. Easy smile rising, I steeled my spine, put down my book, and walked over to greet them.

Like a real life mechanical doll.

"Joey. Welcome back to Gloria's House of Psychics. How may we help you?" The larger, older man – greying slightly – stepped forward first and flashed a badge at me. Nearly blinding me and clocking me on the nose.

"Step aside. We do not have time for pleasantries." I looked past him to the one I called Joey, and gave him a Look. When my eyebrow raised, he looked away sheepishly. "Excuse me. I'm the one talking and paying for your services." My lips lifted up into a smirk despite my mind still thinking about Alexei.

I should not have killed him. I should have calmed down and waited.

"The usual that Mr Joey acquires?" The man nodded, a permanent scowl etched into his face.

Well aren't you a cheery old man.

Approximately twice my age, he stood proud. A slight beer gut under his well pressed shirt.

"The one called Scarlet." I nodded slowly, clasping my hands together. I could feel Gloria's warm gaze on my back. By now I am sure she knew that I was going to "be Difficult" as everyone liked to call it. Inwardly, I grinned.

"For the two of you at the same time it will be $350 minimum with an extra $50 for any time over an hour." Turning, I gestured towards the back room. "Now if you would like to follow me upstairs, I shall find Scarlet while you two undress and get started." The man guffawed and began choking as what I uttered registered in his mind.

"We are not here for-for-for prostitution!" Joey snorted a laugh that he quickly hid as a cough. Even Gloria was slightly amused.

"Then I am afraid you are in the wrong house. Joey, if I may." I gestured him towards the love seat and began striding away towards it as the older, scowling man searched for his breath. Sitting down gently, I patted the seat. Joey sat close to me. My look turned serious as I murmured to him. "Since when are you babysat?"

"This is important Scarlet. They want to renegotiate your... Immigrant status. They know you went after an... Old enemy today." He whispered to me quickly. My shoulders immediately tensed. "I know. I wanted to talk to you about it myself but they think I have gotten too close to all of you and am open to manipulation." I snorted and leaned back a little. Of course they do.

"Trust me. The one open for manipulation is Richard over there." Joey chuckled as 'Richard' sat down across from us. On the other side of a glass table.

"Joey! What is going on? This is supposed to be the freak house!" Joey and Gloria flinched as my gaze hardened. All pretence and amusement gone.

"You wanted me, Richard, here I am." He frowned. God, is this man really as high ranking as he believes he is?

"My name is not-" I held up my hand stopping him from saying another stupid, offensive, or derogatory word.

"It is per negotiation that your true names are not known so that nothing may come back to you. As shorthand your given name will be written down in our books as "Dick Jnr". Understood?" He began to open his mouth when my eyes glowed a bloody red. His teeth snapped together with a hard CLICK. "I, am the one you are looking for. No, we are not a house full of 'escorts', that was a test."

Yeah. Sure. Test. I muttered to myself in my head as I tried to suppress a sarcastic giggle.

No sound was made as Richard tried to internally collect himself. While I, tried to calm myself down. All these years and people like him still affected me in a bad way. But, his employers were in control of my residency status. And I would like to have another year or so before I am shipped off for another 'independent contractor agency' - or country - to use.

The chime of the door bell rung, echoing in the tense silence.

I have just gotten comfortable here. I hope I do not have to move.

I did not consider it home; I have not considered anywhere home in a long time. I also doubted I ever would.

"Our supervisors would like to renegotiate the terms of your immigrant status here." The familiar female figure who walked in just stopped dead. It was one of the other psychics that lived here as well as I did. It would be a lie to say that we got along under the same roof.

"You're an immigrant?" Anastasia gasped, standing, her obviously forgotten purse now hanging from frozen hands.

"Yes. I was allowed to come to this country if I worked for the people these men work for... For special tasks." Eyes level, I stared her down, feeling the hard crease between my eyebrows deepen.

Go ahead. Say something to piss me off.

"Hi, Anastasia." Joey turned and waved to her, our knees hitting. "Would you mind sitting down with us too?" Anastasia opened her mouth to speak when Gloria intervened.

"Why whatever for, gentlemen?" She strode until she was in line with the other psychic. Poised to protect, like the maternal figure she was. To everyone.

"We would like her to aid Scarlet to gain some... Information from a source." I cast a wary glance to Gloria. We seemed to share the same cautious expression. Minus confusion on my end, unlike her.

"Sure. I don't see why not? Do I get paid for it?" Anastasia sat down next to Richard and grinned at him. Joey's shocked eyes met mine when the smile was returned. We shared Significant Looks as the two people that both did not like me seemed to hit it off straight away.

Perfect.

"Handsomely." While the two were distracted my handler and I leaned in close. My previous 'transgression' temporarily forgotten. He smelled different today, he had bothered to put on some kind of cologne, and I approved. It smelt... Clean and a little like the woods at night.

"What is going on?" As I stared into his eyes a crease formed between his eyebrows. "So I am not the only one who has an odd feeling about this." Joey looked down and away from me before mumbling one word.

"No."

He obviously did not have any answers and I could not trust Richard to tell me the truth. It seemed my handler was well and truly in deep water with his bosses to the point where they would not even tell him anything anymore. Because of me. "After your - our - last mission they believe my emotions might cause me to disobey." As images reeled before my eyes I sat back and faced forward.

Blood dripped down over my eyes temporarily blinding as I felt a shotgun press into the back of my head.

"Scarlet!" I heard Joey scream as he leapt out of the car he was ordered by his bosses to be waiting for my target and I in. I stiffened seeing him, all thoughts and plans of how I was manipulating the situation leaving me.

No! Joey! I'm doing this on purpose!

He raised his own standard issue gun, aiming it up at the large woman behind me. I failed to form any thoughts on how to stop the escalation of what was about to go down. The only thought on my mind was his face. My heartbeat sped up in my ears as my hands stayed frozen in the air.

Joey.

Without hesitating he shot three times, I felt a bullet whip past my face, grazing my ear, to plant itself deep into the person behind me.

I let go of a deep breath as I hardened my spine and my face closed down within itself. Because of my arrogance and inherent boredom, we had failed our mission and now, he was paying the price.

"When will we be briefed on the specifics?" My hollow voice brought Richard's attention back to me. He looked old enough to be a father of someone my age or younger. If only he seemed like the fatherly type. "I am willing to take responsibility of Anastasia's safety and actions." I did not have a choice, it was just what Richard wanted to hear and while I was on thin ice, I would have to play nice.

It is a bad idea to involve a civilian. They know that. They also know I refuse to work with a partner except in situations where retrieval is required. This is surely a test.

"Thank you. We are aware this is her first time and you will stop her from..." Richard's face scrunched as he searched for the right words. A dark glint moved through his eyes as he whispered.

Here it comes.

"Getting her hands dirty." I nodded slowly, attempted to push back the warmth that came before my eyes glowed.

I was no idiot; I knew that before he even said it. The intensity of Joey's gaze hardened on the side of my face until a soft sigh passed through his chapped lips. They were always chapped... Not that I had noticed. Would that make them scrape when he- My ears burned as I pushed the thought away. I avoided Joey's green gaze as I stood.

"If there is nothing else...?" Dick stood as my question tapered off, clearing his throat and nodding. My hand met his apprehensively. Unsurprisingly, it ended quickly with the older man rubbing his hand on his thigh. I could just see the thick wad of slime he was imagining. If I wanted to, I could have made some for him.

As I expected, the handshake he shared with Anastasia was much longer, no hand wiping included as their gazes still met.

Lovely.

Joey was the last to rise. I could feel it as my skin warmed. Stepping in front of me, he wrapped my right hand in both of his, the dagger tattoo on my arm twisting.

He was so warm, as most guys seemed to be compared to females and his eyes held a fierceness unlike any I had seen within him. Something cold and whispery scraped against the ridges of my palm. I could understand what he was trying to say as loudly as if he was screaming at me.

"I don't expect to see you any time soon." Voice clear and determined. If it were not for the shaking of his hands I might have believed his performance.

He's scared.

That thought struck me, almost pushing me backwards.

His eyes darted to my lips and lingered before his throat cleared and he dropped my hands. I was left standing, a deep red rising to cover the tips of my ears as he walked out. A numbness flowed then, through my veins, tickling my fingertips.

It was odd watching him walk away in that moment. I do not know why, but seeing his face turn to look at me one last time... It struck a strong chord of foreboding. As well as worry.

The paper. He mouthed.

Looking down, the paper scratched the the marks and calluses on my fingers. It was thick, like art paper. A single address was there in his small, messy hand writing. Joey's place. It just had to be.

The sound of the doorbell still rung in my ears as I stared at the paper, seeing Joey's eyes, and the way they had stared at my lips. As if it was the last time he was seeing them and was regretting never-

I scrunched up the paper into a ball in my hand, my heart thumping loudly in my ears.

Stop it.

A deep shaky breath whispered through my lips as I straightened my spine and shoved the piece of paper into my back pocket.

I could feel a gaze on me and turned to see that Gloria was watching me. Her face showing the same foreboding I felt.

Back then I did not know what was to come, but I should have.