Top Assassins Call Me The Lady Boss-Chapter 168: "Say it again"

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Nine

He looked at her again. Really looked.

Not the guarded glances he had been throwing her way, not the controlled distance but straight into her eyes, as if he were searching for something and hating himself for needing to. Confusion flickered there, brief and unwelcome, clashing with everything he’d decided about her.

She held his stare, unblinking.

"What are you saying?" she asked finally, disbelief cutting through her tone. "Are you implying I sleep with him too?"

Something inside him snapped cleanly.

"I don’t care," he barked. The words tore out of him before restraint could catch up. "Whether you do or not. Whether you did or wished you did." His voice dropped, sharp and final. "Get out of my sight."

The room went still.

Her eyes flashed. Whatever patience she had dragged in with her was shattered.

"I have been patient since you stepped in here," she snapped, stepping forward instead of back. "I came here for answers about my father, about things you started and this is what you reduce me to?" Her chest rose sharply. "How dare you accuse me of sleeping around?"

Ahmet’s mouth twitched, not with humor. With something colder.

He tilted his head, studying her the way one studied damage already done. "Do you really think you’re any different from the women who warm our beds?" he asked quietly.

The words landed softly. Too soft.

Her breath stalled. He didn’t care whether he was spewing nonsense.

He took a step closer, voice still level, still controlled. "You think Demir looks at you and sees something sacred?" His gaze cut through her. "He will discard you the same way he does the rest. When he is bored. When you stop being convenient."

Her lips parted. No sound came out.

"Whatever you think makes you precious," he continued, relentlessly now, "it does not exist to men like us. It never did."

Something broke behind her eyes.

It wasn’t tears. It wasn’t fear.

It was sharp, sudden, and violent.

Her hand moved and Ahmet saw it the instant her fingers brushed the grip of her gun, the tension in her shoulder, and the shift of her weight. Instinct took over. He moved just as the weapon cleared its holster.

The shot cracked through the room.

He twisted sideways as the bullet tore past where his head had been a second earlier, smashing into the wall behind him. Plaster exploded and dust filled the air.

"Asli..."

Another shot rang out.

He lunged forward, knocking her arm wide before she could steady her aim. The gun skidded across the floor, clattering loudly as it slid out of reach.

They both froze.

Breathing hard. Too close and too charged.

Her eyes were wild now, chest heaving, fingers curled like she still held the weapon. She did not regret this one. Neither was she shocked.

He only saw one thing in her eyes. Pure fury.

Ahmet stared at her, pulse hammering, something dark and undeniable settling in his chest.

She had tried to kill him again.

And this time, there had been no hesitation. If he had not moved as quickly as he did, she would have shot him in the head.

Footsteps thundered from upstairs.

Markus took the steps three at a time, gun already in his hand before his mind fully caught up with the sound of gunfire. He burst into the room to a cloud of dust and the sharp smell of discharge.

"What the—"

He stopped short.

Ahmet and Asli were barely a breath apart.

They were too close, too wrong, and too... dangerous.

Asli’s hand was empty but still raised, fingers curled like she was gripping an invisible trigger. Her chest rose and fell violently, eyes locked on Ahmet with a fury Markus had never seen on her before. She didn’t even look this way when she was killing her opponent, not even when she was on a mission.

What could Ahmet have said to make her this angry?

Ahmet stood rigid, jaw clenched, shoulders tense, as his gaze fixed on her like he was daring her to finish what she’d started.

Markus didn’t think. He moved.

"Asli!" he barked, stepping between them and grabbing her wrist. He dragged her back hard enough to break the invisible line crackling between them. "Enough!"

She resisted for half a second, just enough for Markus to feel how charged she was before he shoved her behind him, placing his body squarely in front of her.

"Are you out of your mind?" he snapped, turning briefly to her. His voice dropped when he saw her face. Not shaken nor remorseful.

Then he spun on Ahmet.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Markus demanded.

Ahmet’s eyes never left Asli.

"She aimed for my head," he said calmly, almost detached.

"Yes, I did! Ask him why."

Markus clenched his jaw. He bent down, kicked the gun farther away with his boot, then straightened, shoulders broad, blocking Ahmet’s view of her completely.

"You’re both done," he said sharply. "Right now. Can’t I leave you two alone without one having the urge to kill the other?"

Asli laughed once and, brokenly. Markus felt it vibrate through her.

"Move," she told him quietly.

"No," Markus said, not turning. "You do not want to do this."

Ahmet finally shifted his gaze to Markus. His expression was unreadable now, rage compressed into something dangerous and cold.

"Get her out of here," he said. "Before I forget why I didn’t put a bullet in her myself."

"Bullet through me? You should be thanking me for not killing you the first time. I should have killed you! I should have shoved your manhood into your throat and see if after you are done with me, you’d have something to move on to another woman with."

Markus’ eyes widened. Did he hear right? For a second, he honestly hoped he had misheard her.

"What did you just say?" Markus asked slowly, disbelief threading his voice as he looked from Asli to Ahmet. His grip on her wrist tightened, not to restrain her now, but to anchor himself. He hadn’t imagined this. He couldn’t have.

Asli leaned around Markus’ shoulder, her gaze locked on Ahmet, unrepentant.

Now, he wanted to hear what exactly Ahmet told her. He hadn’t imagined this. When he told Ahmet to make sure they didn’t do anything to his freshly bought carpet, he had meant something else.

"You heard me," she said, voice shaking only with rage, and not fear. "You don’t get to talk to me like that and then act like I’m the monster for pulling a gun."

Markus swallowed, regretting putting the two in the same room alone.

He turned his head just enough to look at Ahmet. "What," he said carefully and again asked since he refused to answer when he first asked, "did you say to her?"

Ahmet ignored him and he didn’t expect anything else from him.

What in God’s name did Ahmet say to push her this far? Besides, while he was upstairs, he only heard their quarrels, though he didn’t hear everything. Until the first gunshot.

"I will never go for a woman as powerful as myself," Markus whispered, though loud enough for the two to hear.

"I would love to watch you try," Ahmet said. "That is if I don’t kill you first."

Markus stiffened but didn’t move aside. "You won’t touch her."

Ahmet’s lips curved, slow and bitter. "Then you better pray she doesn’t try again."

Behind Markus, Asli stopped laughing.

Her voice came out low but steady... deadly calm.

"I won’t miss next time."

Markus closed his eyes for a fraction of a second.

This wasn’t what he imagined. He thought he’d men’s this two lovers back together so they’d name their son after him.