“Why did you not tell me? What were you thinking?” said Marvin.

“I tried so many times to but I had to protect you. You are all I have got Marvin,” I said with a face of pleading guilty as charged.

“She has been using you all along,” Ken said.

“Shut up, Ken!” Marvin shouted.

I knew Ken was only doing this to get back to Marvin and also to ensure I was not as close to Marvin as I used to be. It could be Uncle Jonah at play. I could have denied it because it looked like they did not have all the information necessary to make their story true. But I was not ready to play a shadow of myself any longer. It was a shadow of deception and it should end now.

I also knew not to bring up the issue of pregnancy. It would look like I was being desperate to get Marvin’s validation and to tie him to something. Not even when Ken was present. I do not know where his loyalty was. It was too risky.

“I want to know who you really are and why you were sent to kill Marvin?” Ken asked.

“You are not in the position to ask me that, and whatever gives you the impression that I am here to kill Marvin is unfounded,” I said, trying to fight back so that I could have Marvin’s listening ear.

I wanted Marving to know that I had been his protection. He may be annoyed with me now, but he has to give me a chance to explain to him. I could see that Ken wanted me gone and that might expose Marvin. They are unto him and he needed to know.

“Why are you here Cassie, that’s your real name, right?” Marvin asked.

“You know it is my name, I have not hidden my love from you and if you think my love is not real, I have nothing to prove to you.” I said.

“Don’t listen to her, Marvin,” Ken said.

“Ken, thank you for your information, I need to speak to Cass, alone,” Marvin said.

“Her name is not Cass but Cassie, I have told you,” Ken said.

“And that is the only thing you got right, and Marvin already knows that,” I said.

“Please Ken, you can leave. I do not want to repeat myself anymore,” Marvin instructed.

Ken sighed, he could not believe what had just happened. What he did not know was that Marvin had grown to love me and, in the shadow of my deception, I had made and turned things around from where he was my target to where he is now my asset. It was a very obvious and calculated move.

Ken left the office and I could see the disappointment on his face. He was not happy with the way things had turned around. He thought bringing the information to Marvin would at least get him closer to him.

“First of all, Marvin, I am truly sorry if you felt betrayed. We both knew that there was more to us than what we had shared and we did not bother,” I said.

“Look Cass, there is nothing you would have asked me that I would not have given or told you, so please stop,” Marvin replied.

“I was only saying that to say this, you have to promise me that what I am about to tell you would only stay with you. For your ears only,” I said.

“I have no obligation to keep whatever secrets you have, and more so when you were sent to kill me,” Marvin said.

“If you believed that, why are you alone with me? Why are you not taking precautions? Why did you send Ken out?” I asked.

“I only did that to give you the freedom to express whatever you want to say,” Marvin replied.

“No Marvin, but because you know the truth in your heart. I am not going to kill you, rather I have come to save you. If you believe me or not, I do not care, but for our love’s sake, I hope you do,” I told Marvin.

Marvin, this is me. I told Marvin about how I was an assassin and how I came to love him from afar and decided to be his cleaner. At least this was my version, though not entirely true.

I told him about the part he knew, my training, and when I was in the Marines. I told him my employer was the one that sent many of his attackers and they did not succeed because of me. I also let him know that even though I had killed the top-rank assassins, the Contractor would employ more to get the contract done.

“What about Lisandro, how does that connect to all this?” He asked.

“I killed Zach and Sanchez, they were hired to kill you and Lisandro was Zach’s son, he was coming for revenge. I could not let that happen,” I said.

Marvin was surprised at the extent I got to in other to keep him alive. “Why are you doing this? And what about the gang, won’t they come after me?” he asked.

“No, they won’t. I had to make myself their deputy and install a figurehead as their leader,” I said.

Marvin inquired whether I had done all this for love or whether there was any time I planned on killing him. I wanted to stick to my initial statement but I thought the father of my unborn child deserves to know the truth about his mother.

“Things have changed, Marvin,” I said.

“What do you mean by things changed? I am asking if there was any time you planned on killing me?” He asked again.

“Yes! But I grew to love you and that is why I have protected you ever since. I am sure you know this,” I said.

“I know the Contractor, he would not stop. What is your plan?’ He asked.

“I am sorry, Marvin. I cannot tell you. It is better you do not know and until I receive his call or contact him, I cannot tell,” I said.

“How do you want me to believe anything you tell me?” was his next question.

“You know the truth in your heart,” I said.

“I was going to marry an assassin, I cannot even believe that myself,” he said.

“I only came to tell you to protect yourself adequately. I know revealing who I am would resort to unwanted consequences and I am willing to accept them,” I said.

I could not bring myself to tell Marvin about his child in my womb. I felt he was not ready as he was not certain about so many things about me. He ordered me out of his office. He was not comfortable with many things I said and most of all the lack of emotion to carry a plea or forgiveness really hurt him.

During the conversation, I lost my emotions. I felt it made me weak and I wanted him to see me from a stronger position. I could not beg or cry, it was like my tears were all dried up.

As I left his office, Ken was waiting somewhere outside the office. He looked at me fearfully and he should because I was going to come for him soon and when I did he had better be clean of what had been happening to Marvin.

I called Larry to explain to him that my meeting with Marvin did not go too well. He asked if I was able to tell him about the pregnancy. I told him that I was not able to do that because I felt Marvin was not in the right frame of mind to receive such information.

Larry advised that we should keep a tab on Marvin as he was in danger, whether Marvin liked it or not. The Contractor would come for him immediately after he learned that I was no longer going to kill Marvin.

When I got to the Mansion, I gave a brief to the guards to be on high alert and that I was taking a break. I packed my things and left for my apartment. I knew my apartment was not very safe but I needed my weapons.

“Larry, please meet me at the apartment,” I said.

“Are you sure that you would want us to meet there?” Larry asked. He understood that my apartment was no longer safe.