Chapter 4 Take Note of Your Surroundings

Jenna's POV

I woke up to the sound of Levante putting on his shoes. I stretched satisfactorily, surprised that I slept soundly in a stranger's bed, an assassin's bed nonetheless.

He finished and stood up to look at me. "Shower and let's have breakfast before I leave for work." He said quietly and walked to the door.

"Wait, what am I wearing?" I called out.

He pointed at some jogging clothes in the chair across the room. "Take note of your surroundings. It's very important." He said quietly and walked out.

"Take note of your surroundings, it's very important." I mimicked him as I climbed out of the bed while rolling my eyes. I looked up to see him at the door, staring at me with squinted eyes. Obviously he had heard and seen me mimic him and he wasn't happy about that. I swallowed and folded my fingers in front of me innocently.

He sighed out, shook his head and closed the door.

I let out a deep sigh and rushed to the bathroom to take my shower. I then wore his clothes he picked out for me and went downstairs to join him.

He was reading the papers as he waited for breakfast.

I stared at him quietly as I sat next to him. He really was a beautiful handsome man, and I couldn't help but admire him. I looked at the curves on his jawline and I just wanted to hold them and kiss his perfectly shaped lips. I wanted to run my fingers through his curly hair and twirl them around my fingers. I rested my cheek in my palm as I subconsciously stared at him.

He frowned when he noticed I was staring. "What?" He asked softly without taking his eyes away from the papers.

I stuttered. "You're pretty." I said quietly.

He squinted his eyes as he continued to look into the papers. "Thanks." He said casually.

"Is your girlfriend going to be fine with you keeping me hostage and sleeping in the same bed with me?" I asked him.

He looked at me coldly, then he looked away as he folded the papers and put them aside.

Just then the househelp brought the meal. I thanked her softly and started eating.

Once again, he ate quickly and quietly.

I ate while stealing glances at him.

After eating, he looked at me. "One of the guards will take you shopping. He'll pay for everything. Don't keep too long out there. And don't try anything funny. I may not hit women, but other men do." He said sternly.

I stared at him blankly.

"Am I clear?" He asked sternly.

I swallowed. "You do know how hostaging works right? You maltreat them, not spend a fortune on caring for them."

He frowned at me. "Point of correction, I called you a liability." He said sternly.

I frowned back. "So what do you want with me, Levante?" I asked and I felt my anger building up. "You snatched my dream away from me and now you're keeping me from trying to catch it. So what do you want with me?" I spat out with a shrug.

He looked away and stood up from his chair. "Nothing." He said and turned to leave.

I stood up and followed him.

The guards moved on alert, just in case I tried anything.

"Oh you want me to offer myself to you for my grad school fees, huh? And then you'll keep using me for sex, isn't it?" I spat out with a frown. "I will not be your sex slave!" I screamed at his back with my eyes wide open.

He turned to look at me sharply. "I never asked you for sex." He said sternly as he walked back towards me, his shoulders high and his chest broad.

I was startled and moved back a little, but I quickly regained my composure. "Well if you do, I will not give in to you!" I screamed.

He sighed out. "Look here, Jenna, you couldn't seduce me even if you tried. No woman can." He said confidently but calmly. He turned to leave again.

I watched him go with my mouth wide open. "Are you gay?" I called out to him.

He stopped. Then he continued walking.

"Oh my God, you're gay." I said. "Why are the pretty ones always gay?"

He turned around sharply. "No, I'm not gay. I'm just tired of talking to you. Why do you talk so much?" He said in frustration.

I ignored his question. "Then why did you say no woman can seduce you?"

"Because no woman can. Okay? It's just how I'm built. End of story." He yelled and turned to continue walking to the door.

"Oh but I can, and I will." I said seductively.

He stopped walking. Then he continued again.

"See you later, sexy." I called out.

One of the guards opened the door for him but Levante froze when he heard me say that. He ignored me and walked out.

I went back to my chair to continue with breakfast. I had a mission: buy skimpy clothes to drive Levante crazy, till he gives in.

Levante's POV

I stared straight ahead as I asked myself what I was going to do with Jenna Deborah Brown before she made me lose my mind. I sighed out, got out of the car and walked into work.

I saw Chrissendo waiting for me in my office.

"Aye, bro." He said. "Did you sleep well or was fierce Jenna as loud as a bird?" He teased.

I chuckled. "Interestingly, she was quiet."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Intimidating." Chrissendo joked as I sat in my chair.

I shook my head. "She's not scared of me. Have you seen how she talks to me and hits me?" I said.

Chrissendo laughed. "That's because she knows you won't hurt her."

I looked at him quietly. "She watched me kill George Wong. She knows I'm an assassin." I reminded him.

He nodded. "Yes. But women are intuitive. She can sense your energy. She'd be scared of you if she thought you'd hurt her." Chrissendo said.

I swallowed as I looked away.

"But hey, what are you going to do with her?" Chrissendo asked.

I sighed out deeply. "I don't know." I said.

"Well she's got a good body on her. You can make her your sex slave." He said.

I squinted my eyes at him. "No, I'm not interested." I brushed him off.

"Aye, Levante, how long has it been, 5 years? You need to take someone and casually fuck her for a long time. Get it all out of your system." Chrissendo said.

I ignored him.

"Jenna almost has a masters." Chrissendo said.

I looked up at him. "So?"

"So fuck a girl who almost has a masters!" Chrissendo said and laughed.

I sighed out and looked at my table.

"Think about it, man." Chrissendo said.

"I wonder what she's studying." I thought out loud.

Chrissendo frowned. "Not that! Think about fucking her!" He said in frustration.

I looked up at him. "I don't want to fuck her, and that's that." I said just as the phone on my desk rang. I took down the details for my new assignment and hung up.

"I need to get to my next target, Chris." I said casually as I got up to walk out.

Chrissendo shook his head at me with a smile as he watched me leave.

Jenna's POV

I got both skimpy and decent clothes when we went shopping. I obeyed Levante and didn't try anything funny with the guard. I also pleaded with the guard to take me to the salon where I got some braids and my nails done.

When we got back to the house, I got dressed in a white crop top and blue hot pants, and went to the living room to watch some TV. I saw my school in the news for the graduation ceremony for last year's graduates. I crossed my legs and hugged the couch pillow as I thought of how I could be graduating this time next year if I were in school now. Tears flowed down my face and I gently wiped them.

I heard someone sigh out and turned to see Levante standing to my right with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were cold, as usual.

I was startled. "What the hell?" I screamed at him as I turned the TV off.

"This is my house, remember?" He asked me. "And I told you to take note of your surroundings." He added sternly.

I rolled my eyes at him and looked away as I continued to wipe my tears.

"I thought you said you were done crying." He said coldly.

I sniffled. "I just saw my school in the news. Of course I'd be triggered." I said and let out fresh tears.

He sighed out again and came to sit next to me. "What are you studying?" He asked softly.

I sniffled. "Child Psychology." I said quietly.

I looked at him when he didn't say anything. His eyes were unreadable.

"Why do you want to work with kids?" He asked softly.

I swallowed. "They have a fascinating way of thinking." I said.

He looked into my eyes deeply without saying anything. Then he got up and walked towards the stairs.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You're driving me insane, Levante." I said in a croaky voice.

He stopped.

"You're keeping me locked in here when I could be gathering money to finish school, get my license and then begin practice." I added.

He continued walking as if what I'd said was not important.

I got angry and threw the pillow at his back when he ignored me.

The guards rushed to hold me back this time.

He stopped and turned to look at me, his eyes very cold. He majestically walked back to me and I could sense he was very angry.

I began to weep and tried to break free from the guards, but they held me stronger.

Levante got to me and stared at me as I cried. His face showed no emotion, but he exuded extreme anger.

"I'm sorry," I heard myself apologizing. "I'm sorry," I said again as I bowed down my head and cried.

He stood there for a while. Then I saw his feet turn to walk away.

The guards held me back till he walked into his bedroom.