15The car came to a screeching halt in front of an old mansion. Caroline glanced at Vincent and nodded over to James who was somewhere between sleep and awake. He had asked for water and since he had been fidgeting too much, they had put some sleeping pills into it.
Vincent and Jake, who had been driving pulled up the black van and got out, their six foot three inch frames coming out of the car in such a way that Caroline was sure they would trip. But they didn't much to her disappointment and instead came to the back of the van and pulled James out of the car.
"Ugh...he's heavy!" grunted Vincent as he dragged James up the stairs of the house. Jake grunted in absolute agreement
"Muscle is heavier than fat." muttered Caroline and silently followed them into the mansion.
They dumped James on the first couch the saw which was in the middle of a gigantic drawing room.
"So...we're off!" said Vincent heading towards the door. Caroline stepped in front of him.
"Oh no you're not!"
"Oh yes we are!" said Jake, dragging Vincent and side stepping her. "The boss says you handle him meantime. We had to carry him, now you do the rest!"
Caroline looked at him in disbelief. The dusty old hallway they were standing in suddenly felt a lot dustier and she narrowed her eyes at the two good looking men who were also her closest friends.
Sometimes.
"Hold on one sec. He never mentioned this to me!" She looked at both men in absolute horror. She didn't want to be stuck taking care of a Viscount for god's sake!
She looked around the dusty old mansion. There were cracks in the walls and dust all over the place...A good cleaning would make it shine as before... Glancing upwards, she saw the chandeliers and the long forgotten traces of a home that once contained children and joy.
It was said to be haunted.
Fairytales...she didn't take kindly to them.
"How long are we staying here for?"
"A few days...four at most...then we get on the jet that's reserved in the harbor for us. And we get the hell out of here and go to India."
Caroline nodded. "Stop stating the obvious and tell me how am I going to get food?"
Jake chucked a rucksack at her.
"Everything you need is in here. Cook it, make sure he doesn't get up to any tricks, make sure no one comes to know you're living here."
Caroline looked at them in absolute frustration. Crossing her arms, she stood back in defiance.
"There is no WAY you two are leaving me to COPE with some ARROGANT S.O.B. son of an Earl and COOK for him! I know I ENJOY cooking but I'm not COOKING for someone who is used to GOURMET Food! It's not happening! It's JUST NOT HAPPENING!"
Caroline scowled. The old kitchen held ample equipment to leave a creative mind to do all the work. The stove worked well enough and she had found a clear little silver pot in one of the cupboards.
James was still asleep, drugged as he was from the pills.
She decided to make soup and some hot garlic bread to go with it...
The night was cold and they only had a small electric heater to keep them warm.
Pulling out some mushrooms and a carton of milk from the rucksack she started up the fire in the stove and put the baguette into the oven. Meanwhile she made the garlic butter.
Cooking was something she enjoyed and she laughed at herself for enjoying it. Whoever heard of a trained assassin who enjoyed cooking?
Still lost in her thoughts she poured the soup into a set of cups and sliced the baguette, smearing the garlic butter on it.
Leaving the kitchen she walked into the drawing room, she looked at the sleeping man's face while it was still twilight...
"You really are as beautiful as they say you are..." she murmured against his ear before getting up and going over to her own rucksack. Putting the food down on the floor, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a blanket and a larger pair of handcuffs. Within two minutes she had lit about five candles around them and set up the heater in such a way that they could both get warmth without having to come too close together.
Striding back over to him, she pulled the rope away from his legs and clicked on the handcuffs onto legs near his feet...the links on his legs jingling as he stirred...
Quickly she opened up his handcuffs and gently placed the blanket over him.
"Hello?" murmured James still half asleep from the drugs. Unconsciously he grabbed her hand and immediately she wrenched it away. Feeling the sudden movement, he instantly got up, the chains on his legs jangling wildly.
"I'm sorry...Did I do anything to offend you? I'm so sorry..."
She shook her head slowly. "It's quite alright."
She handed him his food. "Nourishment."
He wolfed it down as she looked on torn between amusement and confusion at his sudden hunger.
"Did you make this?" He asked her as she smiled and then gave a nod.
"It was delicious. Thank you."
She replied by tossing him an apple.
Quietly he munched away at his apple looking at her from the corner of his eye. She had finished eating and now she drew out an extra blanket and a book from her rucksack.
"Go back to sleep." She muttered as she saw him continue to watch her.
So he lay back down again and suddenly he felt something hard in his pocket. Reaching down he realized it was his MP3 player... He usually carried it with him wherever he went...he must have put it in his jeans previously when he was in the car coming back from the rugby game.
Putting the headset on, he pressed the play button and almost instantly started chuckling at the song...
And when she walks Cause she's watching wrestling It's like a bad movie
All the wind blows and the angels sing
She doesn't notice me
Creaming over tough guys
Listening to rap-metal
Turntables in her eyes
She's looking through me
If you were me, then you'd be
Screaming, "Someone shoot me!"
As I fail miserably
Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want...
She's the girl all the bad guys want...