Agent 13 (Book 1)

Chapter 5

Thirteen's POV

In all honesty, poker bores me to no end. I mean come on it's not that hard to look at the other players and figure out their cards just by their facial expressions. I don't know why this game is considered fun, but then again that's my opinion. Of course, I was also winning so that could be another reason I hate this game, it's just too easy, though I might just be playing against the suckiest people in the world. Suckiest, is that even a word? Oh well.

"Flush, ace high," Alexander speaks up after the cards have been dealt. Over the past two hours of sitting here I had come to learn a lot about this guy aka Alexander, one major thing being, he had a thing for women. I have a feeling none of his past 'relationships' went well, for the girl.

I internally smirk before I speak up "Four of a kind." A chorus of 'I quits' echo around the table. Not surprising really, considering this was like the eighth set of people we had been playing with. He seemed to refuse to leave and I was becoming more and more convinced he wanted something other than money, but that's just me. At this point I don't think he even realized how much money he had lost.

"I like a woman who knows how to play her cards." He whisperers as he places his hand on my thigh. I turn to him with the same stone cold expression I've been using since I got here.

"I don't like you," I state simply while roughly grabbing his hand and removing it from my leg. Sorry dude but I have a strict no you, policy. Besides I was technically supposed to be stealing all his money anyway, maybe if I just grabbed it and ran off he'd finally wake up. I was getting closer and closer to slipping something in his drink, but the voices in my ear continuously reminded me we needed to speak to him while he was still breathing. So killing him was not an option...yet.

My fist clenches as he leans other his hot and smelly breath fanning over my face as he begins to whisper to me all his perverted thoughts that I would rather not hear.

"Thirteen we need him alive." Chase's voice sounds off in my ear jolting me out of my thoughts.

"He's pushing his luck," I mutter quietly through gritted teeth. "He does one more thing and you'll be trying to get answers out of a corpse."

"Calm down."

"Yeah that'll happen when I cut off both his hands and jab a knife through his vocal cords." I hear Devin laugh loudly through the earpiece in response to my statement, and Chase, knowing full well I mean it, has finally graced me with his silence. Cody though has not.

"What part of we need him alive do you clearly not understand?"

"All of it," I answer back honestly. Seriously between this guy and Cody my attention span and ability to listen have gone out the window.

"Both of you knock it off," Chase interjects before this turns into the third argument that I'd win.

"I'm sorry I thought I was in charge," I say sweetly and he groans.

"You're going to keep throwing that in my face for everything aren't you?"

"I would say no but that'd be a lie." Honestly, he may think I'm used to giving orders and I kind of am but not to people I don't get along with. I mean that's like trying to tell a dog with rabies to sit and stay in an amusement park, does not work. How do I know? I had a friend who tried it...brilliant idea, it'll only put sixty-two people in the hospital (mind you this was a small amusement park), and close down the park with people still in it to catch the dog, not mention all the people who were terrorized and never came back to the park ever again, yeah real smart. So basically there are two things you can learn from this;

One: don't do what my friend did.

Two: The boys are the rabid dogs and I am the one telling them to stay, this is not going to work.

I mute my earpiece just as Alexander leans in yet again, I put my hand up to stop him.

"I have a boyfriend," I state trying hard to keep the grimace off my face. Not easy I'm telling ya.

"Oh really," he says "I don't see him. Where is he?" I open mouth to reply, ever so nicely (not), only to be cut off.

"Right here." I whirl around to face Cody.

"I take it back I'm single."

Cody glares at me and I stare blankly back, he's funny if he thinks I'm going to even just pretend to be his girlfriend, yeah not happening in my lifetime.

Alexander raises an eyebrow at our little exchange before opening his mouth again.

"He said he's your boyfriend."

"He's delusional. You know, one too many drinks." I reply. Cody...looks ready to shoot me, but hey that's his problem, not mine. Though if I take my time to put myself in his shoes, I would have already stabbed someone, especially if I was alone on this mission. I hate to admit it but Zero may have been right, doesn't mean I like him though. Actually, I hate the guy with every fiber of my being, but that's a different story.

"Well why don't we go back to my room so you can decide whether or not you're single." His breath fans down my neck.

"Yeah we'll do that as soon as hell freezes over," I reply sweetly, a murderous look on my face. "Oh look another game's starting," I say as I turn my full attention to the dealer, trying desperately not to make eye contact with Alexander or Cody, who has decided to stay and participate in this game. I take my time study the rest of the players who have joined us and noticed most of them happen to be Alexander's guards. Great, this wasn't going to end well.

I feel him lean towards me again and prepare to give this guy a knockout punch, I was beyond done with him and this was the last straw.

"I would come with me if were you." he whispers in my ear, only this time it's threatening instead of his usual 'sexy' voice.

"Now why would I do that?" I ask innocently, I feel the barrel of a gun press into my side.

"Because if you don't your little partner over there will die." His gaze lands on the, oh so oblivious Cody. I was kind of wishing I hadn't muted my earpiece at this point. Oh well you live you learn. Thanks a lot Cody, this was going so well till you decided to show up, now he knows something's up. Cody, have I ever told you I hate you.

"Well since you asked so nicely." I retort. I stand from my seat and oh so innocently nudge Cody to get his attention, of freaking course he chooses now to ignore me and pretend I'm nothing but a pesky fly. What wonderful teammates I have.

I'm guided, by gunpoint might I add, to the elevators and taken to the top floor. Ten of his men surround me each holding their guns discretely at their sides while Alexander kept a strong grip on my upper arm with his gun pressed into my back.

I resist the urge to make a smart arse comment. I mean come on this doesn't look suspicious at all. It's perfectly normal to see a guy man-handling a girl while being 'guarded' by ten more. That's not at all out of the ordinary. Cue eye roll.

He stops long enough to swipe his room key and open the door. I' m shoved roughly into the room shortly afterward. I scan the room, of course, it happens t be the biggest suite this damn hotel has, you could literally fit like three full-grown elephants in here.

"Nice place." I comment "how much money did you have to steal to get it?"

"Hilarious." He retorts dryly.

"I thought so."

"I have to admit it's been a long time since I've seen you." he states "it's been what two years?"

"Something like that," I respond. Was I going to tell the boys I knew him? Hell no. "Though I do believe you tried to kill me...what is it, Alex now." He stalks towards me and shoves me back into a chair, one of the other men begins to tie me down.

"You could always call me by my real name and I yours."

"Not happening."

He lets out a sigh, "And here I thought you just came to see me."

"Where's Tony?"

"Tony?" he asks. "I thought you'd be asking about someone else."

"You thought wrong, but I know you don't know where he is anyway."

"Always the smart one."

"Always the stupid one." I mock.

"Tell me Thirteen," he pauses "Why are you working with a team? It's not like you."

"Always liked trying new things." He nods thoughtfully before reaching his hand up and removing my earpiece, well crap. He smiles as he holds in front of my face.

"I hope they aren't too attached to you," he says and proceeds to drop the earpiece on the floor and smash it.

"They aren't" I retort hotly, "now you tell me what I want to know, or I'll hand you over to Zero." His face visibly pales, "I'm sure he'd love to see you again, you know since you killed so many of his agents."

"And what will you do? You're tied to a chair."

"Well since you asked, you have two choices here, one: I hand you over to Zero if you don't talk, and if you tell my temporary team anything you think you know about me, same thing. Two: you tell me what I want to know and give you a quick, slightly painless, death."

"As tempting as those two offers sound, I'm going to have to pass. In case you haven't noticed you're at my mercy right now." He smirks and holds up a gun pointing it at my head, my eyes level with the barrel.

"You know," I start, "in movies this is always where it goes really wrong...for the bad guys." I finish.

"This isn't a movie Thirteen."

"Damn well is close." I snap. "How did you survive? If I remember correctly your plane exploded." His face noticeably darkens.

"That was your fault." He spats "you killed my fiancé."

"Hey I only ordered the strike how was I supposed to know your slut-" my sentence is cut off as his hand shoots out like a cobra strike, slamming hard into my jaw.

"Put a little more power into that punch and might actually have an effect on me." I grit out. He glares menacingly at me as I stare blankly back, two can play at this game psycho.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you, nice and slow." He hisses.

"Good luck with that one."

"What is that supposed to mean." He questions annoyance seeping into his tone.

"It means." I pause as I lean towards him slightly. "You should have searched me." Within seconds I cut through the ropes and am on my feet. I begin to throw knives in every direction, each hitting its mark right in the throat. Can't say I didn't warn him.

Bullets lodge themselves into the wall behind me, could these guys have any worse aim? I run towards the remaining four as they continue to fire off their guns. As soon as I'm close enough, I drop to the floor using my arms to support my weight as I swing my legs out knocking them all to the ground.

I jump up quickly as they struggle to breathe seeing as I knocked the air out of them, and quickly s***h their throats. The sound of a gun being loaded turns my attention to Alex.

"Well done." He says "But try getting your way out of this one."

"No Lucas," I reply "You're the one stuck." I lift my hand holding up a gun I stole from one of the guards seeing as how I couldn't seem to locate my purse at the moment.

He lets out a humorless laugh "So you do remember my name."

"Remember your two options?" I ask, he glares, "I think it's time you start choosing. Option one or option two?"

"Neither." He states as he pulls the trigger.