The Target That Stole Her Heart

Niki put blue jeans on that hugged her ass and thighs tightly, a snug plain black t-shirt, a mop hat and her boots. She sunk to her knees in front of her open closet. She raised the carpet and opened a hidden safe the sales representative showed her. She put her nine millimetre pistol and holster away locking the safe again. She wouldn't need her weapons anyway; she was much deadlier without them.

She went over to her laptop enabling her encryption program. She couldn't believe what she was going to do.

SpanishKitty:

-I can't deliver the package. I don't do these kinds of deliveries anymore. Sorry. Find someone else.

She walked over to Jesse's house fighting with her own conscience. Niki felt nervous and anxious standing in front of Jessica's front door. She raised her hand to knock then pulled back turning around to go back home. As she stepped down the stairs the door opened. Niki spun around on her heels looking straight into a red headed, hazel eyed beauty that looked ready to kill; figuratively speaking.

The young woman wore a long flowing black dress and black high heels with straps wrapped around her ankles. Her full luscious lips were painted glossy red. Her fiery red hair was brought back from the sides and pinned with a butterfly hair clip.

"I suddenly feel a bit underdressed. You look... amazing." Niki said stunned trying to swallow.

"Why... thank you Niki, you look amazing yourself. But if you really feel uncomfortable about it, I might have just the thing to suit you. Hold on for a moment."

Jesse turned to her left opening a door; a small closet she used for jackets and coats. She moved a few coat hangers around then pulled a black suit jacket out, handing it over to Niki.

"It's my brother's jacket; it won't fit him any more but it should fit you perfectly." Jessica watched the older woman's face turn softer. Niki took the jacket from Jesse, their fingers brushed against each other. Dark blue and hazel eyes locked onto each other making time seem to stand still.

"Thank you Jesse..." Niki looked at the jacket then put it on over her t-shirt, the jacket fit her perfectly like Jesse said it would. "This is the first time ever anyone gave me anything."

'Oh my God, why did she just tell her that? What was happening to her? She's going soft for this woman.' Niki couldn't understand her sudden openness, especially with this woman.

"No problem at all. Shall we get going?" Jesse asked pointing to her vehicle.

The two women drove in silence to the club constantly stealing glances from each other. Niki knew this red headed hazel eyed bombshell was up to something. The young woman had a smug smile on her full luscious red lips.

'This young beautiful woman doesn't know her at all. The woman could get hurt or killed if in a relationship with her. She had to put a stop to it now. This was the first time in fifteen years that she had broken her own rules by making herself known to a target. Was she falling in love with this woman? Could she protect this woman if the time came?' Niki thought to herself. Her train of thought continued as her conscience tried reasoning with the better half of her soul.

"We're here Niki." Jesse got out of the vehicle before Niki could protest.

The young woman was already at the door when Niki got out following in her foot steps. It was a two story building with a neon sign above the door reading; Club Electron in rainbow colours.

Niki walked through the door past the bouncers. The inside was impressive; neon tube lights along all the corners of the inside walls, flashing lights built into the floor and roof of the dance floor and smoke machines all in sync with the music played by the DJ.

Niki stood at the door looking around the place. The bar stood against the far wall in the middle of the floor. At one side there were tall tables and chairs surrounded by people. On the other side of the bar was the dance floor with people surrounded by flashing lights, smoke and loud banging music.

Nikki could feel Jesse's presence next to her and looked at the woman. They headed toward the bar in silence. The two of them ordered their drink and sipped in silence. Jesse tried to get the woman to open up to her but failed miserably. Jesse took the woman home with a disappointed look on her face. She couldn't understand why they didn't speak one word to another.

The weekend and following week went by quickly. Jesse made a point of it to visit Niki at her home everyday after work, telling the woman more about herself in the hopes of getting her to open up. Niki did start opening up about her parents and childhood before she came to the states. The coming Friday Jesse invited Niki to the club again. They decided to meet each other there.

Jesse was standing beside the door in the club watching Niki from behind as she came in. It was the first time she truly noticed how tall the Spanish woman was, standing at about 5'5" to Jesse's 5'3". The Spanish woman still looked secretive and hard. It looked as though she was fighting an inner battle with herself. Jessica was sure that she could get through that unbreakable shield that Niki had put up around her. Underneath that hard shell had to be a person worth loving.

Jesse walked forward resting her hand on Niki's shoulder. Niki spun around looking straight into hazel eyes. They stood nose to nose, their eyes locked onto each other's gaze. Jesse bit her lower lip looking at Niki's lips then licked her lips looking back at her dark orbs. For a brief moment it seemed that the Spanish beauty's shield dropped.

The Spanish woman licked her dry lips struggling to hold back the urge to kiss the woman in front of her. She stepped back a little to put some space between her and the red head.

"Why exactly do you want me here Jesse?" Niki asked crossing her arms; her face hardening again.

"Why did you save me Niki? You weren't just passing by like you said." A smile consumed Niki's lips while uncrossing her arms. Jessica grinned at her from ear to ear.

"Touché, you got me there. Let's have that drink. We have a lot to discus."

They walked to the bar and sat in a dark corner ordering their drinks. The Spanish female took a sip of her drink to wet her dry throat when it arrived.

"Why were you watching me?" Jesse took several short sips of her drink.

"This might come as a shock to you. Before I tell you why I'm here, you need to know what I do for a living." Niki gulped half her drink away and set the glass down.

"Okay, so what is it I need to know?" Jesse asked taking several more sips waiting impatiently for the truth.

"I am a professional killer for hire. Your husband hired me to kill Andre Vivier. He asked me to kill you too. It didn't feel right to me so I started watching him instead. I needed to figure out what he was up to. I couldn't bring myself to kill you."

Niki finished the rest of her drink. She looked at Jesse's shocked face setting her glass down. Jesse drank her drink slowly, letting the shocking words of her hero sink in. New questions raced through Jessica's mind. 'Was he getting greedy? Was he seeing another woman behind her back? Was he doing this for her life insurance?' She asked herself.

She looked into the Spanish woman's eyes. Her expression was that of truth, concern and... something else; something Jesse longed for everyday.

"Okay, I..." Jesse faltered.

"I know you're telling me the truth. I can see it in your eyes. I also know that Charlie is up to something but I couldn't find out what it is. How does he want you to...?"

Jesse cleared her throat not wanting to finish her question.

"He wants it to look like an accident. He wants your life insurance to pay off gambling debt he made with loan sharks. This is the first time I ever broke my own rules; never get personally involved with a client or target. The thing is... I don't see you as a target at all. I see you as a woman who got handed the short straw in life, a woman that needs help to stretch that straw."

"Do you work for a company or organisation? I'm sorry... you probably can't answer that anyway. When I first looked into your dark eyes I saw danger... but I also saw excitement, security, compassion and... love. That's why you saved me, isn't it?" A knowing smile grew on Niki's lips.

"Yes it is... I fell for you these past two weeks that I was watching you. I just felt this need grow in me to protect you. I left Charlie a message last Friday that I don't do that kind of work anymore."

Niki looked at the empty glass in front of her taking a deep breath. "I will do anything to protect you Jesse. I won't let him hurt you. I have been protecting you all week. If it wasn't for me you would have been electrocuted on Monday. You could have died of poisoning on Wednesday. If I didn't break your bathroom window on Tuesday you would have slipped on the oily stairs." The young woman had a loving glare in her hazel eyes.

"I remember now, my radio fell into my bathwater. He bumped it and said it was an accident. You put the power off. After you broke the window, I found the baseball and thought it was the kids next door. If I didn't have that ball in my hands I wouldn't have seen the oil spill on the top step. Tell me about the poisoning?"

"You're diabetic; he always refills your prescription for you. You asked him to get the pills instead of the syringes. He filled your capsules with crushed rat poison. I broke into your house and changed it while you two were sleeping. You almost caught me that night. He cut your break lines yesterday. I replaced it for you before you left. I'm the one that locked you in your room, not him. I needed time to fix it."

"How do you know about every move he makes?" Jesse's face was filled with curiosity and wonder.

"I installed my own cameras in your house. I have been watching you two for twenty four seven. He is getting desperate now. The last thing he will try will be much more drastic and much more dangerous."

The young woman put her hand on Niki's hand. The older woman looked at their hands. She turned her hand around entwining their fingers looking up into the young woman's eyes. The older woman listened to the next song playing. It was a slow song; the words seemed to explain exactly what both women felt for one another.

"Would you like to dance Jesse?" Jesse stood up nodding and followed Niki to the dance floor. The older woman put her hands on the young woman's hips looking into her eyes. Jesse wrapped her arms around the Spanish woman's torso resting her head in her hero's neck.

She felt the Spanish woman's arms slide from her hips around her waist resting her tender hands on her lower back. The young woman's body shuddered at the touch. They moved slowly to the music holding onto each other.

"Come away with me Jesse. I can make both of us disappear. Charlie will never find you." Niki asked resting her head against Jesse's head.

Jesse looked up into Niki's dark orbs. 'Niki's offer sounded great but she couldn't do that to her family. She has fallen head over heels for this woman.' She thought to herself.

"Oh Niki, I would love to but I can't do that to my family. It wouldn't be fair of me. There has to be something else we can do. I have thought of divorce but after what I heard I doubt that will work."

"Don't worry about him Cara Mia. I will take care of him." Jesse furrowed her brows at the statement.

"No, I won't kill him. I have something else in mind for him. I'll show you later. Let's just enjoy the night out for now." They danced to a few more songs together. Niki brushed a lock of hair behind Jesse's ear then walked to the bar towing Jesse behind her.

"You are so beautiful Jesse. What do you say we have another drink?" Niki signalled the bartender for two more drinks as they sat down at their previous spots then returned her attention to Jesse when she felt the woman put her hand on her leg.

"Can I ask you something Niki?" She asked smiling shyly. Niki nodded and watched Jesse intently waiting patiently for her question.

"There is so much I want to ask you, so much I don't know about you. First of all... you look half Spanish and you're taller than any other Spanish women I know. Is one of your parents...? I'm sorry, that sounds very rude." Niki covered Jesse's hand on her leg.

"It's okay; I get what you're asking. My father is American. He worked in Spain for a mining company. He met my mother there. They fell in love, got married and had me. The company hit a dead end. Everyone that worked there lost their jobs. They used the money they had saved up for me for university to get me here for a better future. I was supposed to live with an aunt but she died two days before I got here. I was ten at the time. I lived on the streets for five years. At the age of fifteen the organisation found me and trained me. After ten years of service they tried to kill me. So I took out the whole organisation. I have been working freelance for five more years since then."

"It sounds like you had a rough life. Are your parents still alive?"

"Yes they are; I have been sending them money every month. I only know half of you. I want to know all of you. I don't know what I am doing. I never had friends or girlfriends before just a one night stand here and there."

"I have a feeling that we will have the time to get to know each other more. You said you have things you need to show me. What do you say we head home and check it out? I'm curious to see what you have."

The two women walked hand in hand to their vehicles after downing their drinks. The drive home was quiet and felt alone. The radio played music echoing softly in the cabin. Jesse was thinking about everything Niki had told her. Why would this total stranger risk being caught by saving her life so many times? Different emotions played over her sweet Irish facial features. She had a secret of her own. A secret not even her husband new about at the moment. She pulled into her driveway and walked over to Niki as she pulled into her driveway. She waited for Niki to get out of her vehicle.

"How did you know that I was watching you?" Niki asked staring at the woman. Jesse turned her head staring into Niki's dark blue orbs smiling shyly, her dimples melting Niki's ice covered heart.

"I have been watching you as well. I saw you everywhere I went. From that first morning I saw you, I would find myself thinking about you at work. At home I would watch you through the windows as you came and went. I saw your vehicle outside the clinic every day before I head home. I was kind of scared but I felt safe. I knew that you weren't going to hurt me." Jesse felt heat rush through her body from her core. Her cheeks flushed over, her hazel eyes glistened with lust and her lips portrayed a whimsical smile.

The Spanish woman looked briefly at the young Irish woman. Seeing the expression on the woman's face made her take in a sudden deep breath. It felt like she couldn't breathe. Her abdomen felt warm, her core was tingling, her skin portrayed a light sheen and her face flushed over with desire.

"Oh my God, I thought you'd be threatened by all this. It actually looks like you are turned on by the imminent danger that you are facing." Jesse's face turned a darker shade of red at hearing Niki's observations spoken out loud.

"I have always been turned on by danger. I never faced danger like this before. I almost got into an accident a few months ago. When I got home I was so turned on by the sudden rush, I actually had to... uhm... you know." Jesse looked down at her hands blushing furiously. Her ears felt hot and her core tingled with anticipation.

"Okay, so what happened last Friday had the same effect on you?" Niki asked grinning from ear to ear.

"Mmmm hhmmm, I actually had an orgasm in your arms. Oh my God! I have no idea why I am telling you these things."

Jesse covered her mouth with her hands looking shocked into those big dark eyes. For a moment the Irish woman's eyes seemed to be smiling, reminding the Spanish woman of a song she heard as a child named 'When Irish eyes are smiling'. The two women broke out into a fit of giggles staring at each other.

Their giggles subsided leaving them staring deeply into one another's eyes. They both shivered as a gust of cool wind blew between them. The two women walked to Niki's front door hand in hand.

"Come on in, would you like something to drink before we get started?" Niki asked closing the door behind them once inside.

"Some tea would be nice please... or coffee if you have." Jesse answered looking around the living room and kitchen. "Are you planning to stay here?" Jesse asked looking hopefully at Nichole while standing against the door frame with her arms crossed. Nichole looked at the Irish woman while taking two cups off a shelf.

"Actually... yes I am. I have decided to settle down. I have a steady income through other houses I own and I have enough money set aside to do what I always wanted to do."

Niki returned her attention to the kettle and smiled to herself when she heard a sigh come from Jesse. It sounded like a sigh of relief. To be honest, Nichole has been thinking for a long time now to quit her way of living and live a life where her conscience won't haunt her very existence. Going to bed every night and seeing the faces of every person she killed just to get by in life was starting to get to her.

Seeing their pleading eyes in her dreams every night turn to cold dark holes filled with depression and a lifeless longing to live, made her think of the time when she almost were in their shoes. The trick to killing another being was to never look them in the eyes when you pull the trigger. Nichole learned that the hard way. Jessica's voice snapped her out of her train of thought.

"Sorry... you were saying?" Niki asked shaking her head clear.

"I was asking you about what you wanted to do before all this happened."

Jesse could see in her Spanish beauty's dark blue eyes that what she did for a living was becoming too much for her to handle. She had a look of depression, pain and sorrow on her face a few seconds ago. Jesse saw another emotion flash in this beauty's eyes, an emotion that would destroy her soul if she didn't do something about it.

This woman needed to forgive herself for what she had done before she could move on with her life, before she could find peace for her darkened soul.

"I always wanted to become a private investigator. I have the skills to do it. I just needed the certificates to prove it." Nichole answered facing Jesse with two full cups of tea.

Jesse followed Niki to the living room. Niki set the two cups down on a sandal wood coffee table. The young woman sat on a leather couch while Niki ran up stairs to her bedroom to retrieve her laptop and the disc. The Spanish woman stood in front of the mirror with the disc and laptop in her arms. The person staring back at her looked like a stranger. The last two weeks had changed her into someone she hasn't seen since she was ten years old. The person in the mirror gave her an unforgivable expression. Niki watched as her reflection turned into the red headed, hazel eyed Irish beauty sitting in the living room. The expression in the reflection turned into a warm smile and a loving glare. At that very moment Nichole knew that she had to protect this woman, no matter what the cost. He will try to kill Jessica himself again.

She had to stop him somehow. Niki grabbed the envelope with the information Charlie had sent her and headed down the stairs to the living room. She set the laptop down on the coffee table flipping it open and pressed the power button. After it logged on she put the disc in and sat down next to Jessica on the leather couch.