The Assassin's Silence: Wren and Trace

Chapter 2: Listen

Wren

Ellora continues talking as we step into the elevator. As soon as we do, my eyes clash with beautiful blue ones. I’ve seen him around the building a couple of times, but I’ve never spoken to him. However, it doesn’t mean that I haven’t noticed how hot he is. He’s very tall with a lean, muscled frame, golden-brown hair and a trimmed beard. However, other than his predatory aura, what makes my mouth water are his beautiful blue eyes and high cheekbones. The man looks like a model, and his tattoos and piercings make me think very naughty thoughts.

He was all that everyone would talk about when he moved into the building. I don’t think he knows, but most of the women and some of the men in the building went into a s****l tizzy when they saw him. Ainsley seems wary of him, which is not out of the ordinary considering she’s autistic and is uncomfortable around adult males. She doesn’t even want to be around her father, which is mostly his fault for being a total douchebag.

I met Ainsley’s father, Ray, while bartending at a biker bar. All I can say is that I was eighteen and stupid. Once Ray learned of Ainsley’s Asperger’s diagnosis, he moved out and would only come around whenever he needed money. I haven’t seen him since I moved out of my mom’s house nearly a year ago. Thankfully, I have a successful career that pays me well enough to not need his financial help.

Every few months, he’ll call me and threaten to fight for custody if I don’t give him money. Regrettably, I can’t go after the bastard for child support because he gets paid in cash, and I can’t prove his income. Since his obnoxious behavior scares Ainsley, I’ll send him a check and continue to pretend that he doesn’t exist. Losing a couple of hundred dollars is better than dragging my daughter through Ray’s drama.

Unfortunately, Ray’s attitude made Ainsley wary of most men. My mom’s boyfriend, Sal and his two best friends are the only men she trusts enough to be near. The first time she saw our neighbor, she hid behind me. I felt so bad because I could tell he noticed. However, he didn’t comment or make us feel uncomfortable. Instead, he moved and looked away, making me feel even guiltier.

“You know he’s deaf, right?” Ellora mutters, snapping me out of my thoughts as we enter the elevator. I look at my friend and back to the beautiful man standing before us.

“Jesus, Ellora, what the hell?” I reprimand her.

Ellora and I have known each other since kindergarten. I love her dearly, but sometimes she can be too much, and I have to reel her in. It has pretty much been that way throughout our long friendship. Ellora was the wild trouble maker, and I was the serious bookworm. But our friendship is priceless because we’ve stuck together through the good times and the bad. Regardless of her rough edges, she’s an incredible friend.

Ellora shrugs, “What? It’s not like he can hear me. Anyway, the other day, I saw him using sign language with the doorman and Mrs. Goldfield. Tory Applembaum and Melissa Gutierrez from 4B confirmed that he’s deaf.”

I shrug, “Okay, so what?” I retort.

Ellora runs her gaze across the man’s muscled frame and sighs, “Man, he is freaking hot, and he can’t talk─he’s the whole package. You should go for it.”

I give my friend a disbelieving glare, my face heating with embarrassment even though I can see that the man hasn’t noticed.

“Seriously, you need to stop,” I growl at my best friend.

However, Ellora is not one to stay quiet, “Come on, Wren. When was the last time you got laid? I mean, you’re probably growing cobwebs down there.”

I look down at my daughter and see that she’s distracted with her phone before I look back at my soon-to-be ex-best friend, “I’ve dated.” I reply weakly.

Ellora sputters, “Yeah, like two years ago. I mean, Ainsley is eight, and Ray left seven years ago. Maybe it’s time you give her daddy,” she wags her eyebrows and gestures to the gorgeous man standing silently beside us, “And he’s definitely your type. Look at all those tats, and his hands are huge. You know what that means?” she mutters slyly.

I look at the man in question, my gaze traversing to his big hands. Like the rest of him, his hands are perfect with their tapered fingers and trimmed nails. “I mean, he’s hot, but you know how guys are around….” I nudge my chin toward my daughter. “…and I wouldn’t bring someone who can’t accept everything about me.”

Ellora shrugs, “Then just sleep with him. He looks like he would be amazing in the sack.”

I roll my eyes at Ellora’s careless tone, feeling mortification creep up around me, “I’m not speaking about this with you, okay? This conversation is over.”

Ellora arches a brow, “Okay, but you’re missing out on what I assume would be amazing orgasms. Just saying.”

I shake my head with exasperation and breathe a sigh of relief when the elevator doors open to my floor. Taking Ainsley’s hand, I step out and turn back to my friend, “Call me when you get home so I can make sure you’re alright.”

Ellora shakes her with exasperation, “Okay, mom, I’ll make sure to do that. Bye!”

I don’t comment back. Instead, I sneak one last look at the silent adonis before I turn and walk to my apartment.

Ainsley walks ahead of me, carefully laying out her jacket and backpack on the hallway shelf before removing her headphones and placing them on one of the hooks.

My lip quirks as she inspects everything before she moves away. Ainsley has Aspergers, which means she’s on the milder side of autism. She’s a gifted student with many talents and has an identic memory that can be great and awful sometimes because she doesn’t understand social queues. The teachers in school adore her. Unfortunately, the students do not feel the same way about her. I love her to death, but she can be very literal and blunt to the point of rudeness, making it difficult for her to make friends. But that doesn’t bother her, so I try not to get in her space too much.

Moving closer, I push strands of her hair from her eyes and ask,

“What do you want for dinner?”

Ainsley looks around, her gaze steady as she searches the room to ensure everything is where it should be, “I want a grilled cheese, no crust and tomato soup. Make sure the soup is not too hot. Last time it was too hot.”

I nod as I put away my jacket and bag, “Alright, one grill cheese with no crust and a tomato soup coming up.”

Ainsley gives me a stiff nod as she walks to her room, “I’m going to get Jinxy, so she can eat. She hates it when I’m late to feed her.”

I nod and smile.

After learning that Ainsley was not doing well socially, I spoke to her specialist, who recommended getting Ainsley a pet companion. That same day, I took her to the local shelter, where we found the most adorable black and white kitten. Now, Jinxy is five years old, slightly overweight and seriously sour. The cat is grouchy and standoffish with everyone except Ainsley, who adores her and spoils the little meanie incessantly.

I’m about the take out the bread for Ainsley’s grill cheese when Ainsley rushes over and calls out, alarmed, “I can’t find Jinxy.”

I drop the bread bag on the kitchen island and rush to her spotless room. Ainsley makes up her bed before she goes to school every morning and keeps everything in its place. Her white walls are bare, but she does have an easel with her art near her small picture window. I get down on my knees and raise her bed skirt, “Are you sure she’s not under your bed?”

Ainsley shakes her head as she calls out, “Jinxy, where are you? I’m home now. Please come out.”

Her eyes tear up, and her chin wobbles as she desperately searches the apartment.

Ainsley is not the emotional sort, so I instantly go on alert as I help her search.

It’s only when I see that the bathroom window is cracked open that I realize what has occurred.

I swallow hard before asking, “Did you leave the bathroom window open?”

Ainsley’s eyes grow wide, “Yeah, I wanted to make sure Jinxy got some fresh air.”

I cringe at my daughter’s reply, “I think Jinxy escaped through the window, baby.”

At my words, tears spill from her eyes, and sobs escape, “We have to find her mom. Please, look for her.”

I look out the window but see that the cat is nowhere in sight. We’re on the seventh floor of a building with over a hundred apartments, so the cat can be anywhere, “I don’t see Jinxy anywhere.”

Ainsley grips my hand tightly and cries, “What do we do? I can’t lose her mom. Jinxy is my best friend, and she’s probably scared and alone.”

I want to reassure my daughter, but with so many places the cat would have gone, I’m not sure what to say, “I…I’ll ask the building manager to see if she has seen Jinxy, and we can ask her to send a picture to the other tenants.”

Ainsley nods, “Okay, and we’ll go outside and look for her too, right?”

I nod helplessly. The odds are the cat is long gone, but I’m not saying anything until we’re sure.

“Okay, let’s go and talk to the manager.”

Rushing to the elevator doors, Ainsley follows behind me, her eyes full of hope. I don’t think I can bear it if my daughter’s little heart shatters over the cat’s loss. As the elevator descends, I pray to the heavens that Jinxy will somehow appear.