Naomi dressed to kill, p.1
Naomi (Dressed to Kill), page 1
Naomi
DRESSED TO KILL
BY ALISHA WILLIAMS
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 by Alisha Williams
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of quotations in a book review.
For more information, please address: alishawilliamsauthor@gmail.com
Book Cover Design: Jodie-Leigh Plowman of JODIELOCKS Designs
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
CONTENT WARNING
AUTHOR NOTE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
BOOKS BY ALISHA
THANK YOU
ABOUT ALISHA
CONTENT WARNING
This is over all a light read. How ever Naomi’s past and the thing’s the big bad has done can be triggering to some. Here are some things with in the book.
*Murder
*Blood
*Mention of child sexual assault
AUTHOR NOTE
Naomi is a book with in the Dressed To Kill shared world but can be read as a standalone.
Naomi’s story is a short reverse harem where the characters fall quickly. One of Naomi’s lovers is a female. If you're looking for deep plot and world building, this is not the book for you.
Check out some of the other Belladonna’s.
Harlow
Selena
Ivory
Royal
Raven
Karma
Darcy
Tabitha
Chapter 1
Naomi
Never thought I’d say I’m starting to get tired of taking a life, but here I am, re-thinking my whole damn life.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my line of work; ridding the world of all the sick and evil monsters was what I was born to do.
But things are different now. As time passes, each Belladonna is finding their happily ever after, moving out, starting new lives.
And now my twin sister, Ivory, has gone off to be all in love with her partners while I’m alone. I’m happy for her, truly. After surviving all the fucked up shit in our lives, she deserves this more than anyone.
But all the girls I had any sort of friendship with are also gone. I’ve always tried to keep to myself, not wanting to get close to anyone.
In our line of work—even though we’re pretty damn good at our job—you never know if a mission could go sideways. Getting close to them could lead to loss and heartache, and I had enough of that in my life.
Still, I find myself wanting out. The high of killing only lasts so long, then at the end of the day I go home... alone. I might only be twenty, but I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime already.
“You are such a sweet little thing, aren’t you?” the creep I’m talking to asks, running his hand up my thigh. I try to hold back the bile in my throat and the urge to tell him to get fucked as I give him a saccharine smile.
“Sometimes.” I force a giggle, playing with one of my bright red curls, twirling it around my finger. “But I can be naughty for you, just for tonight.” I wink. Barf.
He gives me a heavy-lidded look, licking his lips and loving that idea. Barf. Come on, Naomi, kill the man and be done with it. There’s a hot bath calling my name at home.
“Just for me? I feel like a lucky man.”
I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one just yet.
“You are indeed,” I purr, running my hand up and over his hand, stopping where I have my dagger strapped to the top of my thigh. Slipping it out of its holster, I continue my way up my body as if I’m feeling myself up. The fucker is so blinded with the need to get his dick wet, he doesn’t see what’s in my hand. “Because of all the people in the world, you have the honor of having me take your life.” I grin as I bring the blade up and flick it open.
It takes a moment for his mind to catch up with my words. But by then it’s too late. I’m already gliding the blade across his neck before he even has a chance to say or do anything. His eyes widen, and he starts to make a gurgling sound as he chokes on his own blood.
Standing up, I take a step back and watch the blood pour down his torso as he claws at his neck. I smirk, knowing he feels a little extra pain while realizing that he’s dying.
It only takes seconds before he passes out from the blood loss. A minute later, his heart stops. Grabbing his wrist, I check his pulse just to make sure he’s gone. Satisfied that he’s dead, I bend down and grab the bag I brought with me.
This mission, I was to play the role of a prostitute. Gregory Baker had a thing for hiring girls. Only thing was, they never left once they visited him. Turns out this sick fuck would hide their bodies in the basement of his company’s building. I’m talking freezers full.
I’m sure his wife and son, who he would beat on a regular basis, won’t be mourning his loss.
Who could have guessed that this is what my life would turn out to be when The Man found my sister and I, and brought us to the mansion? That’s where we grew up, becoming some of the best female assassins to ever walk the face of this planet.
It wasn’t easy, far from it. But the things we had to endure before starting our new lives fueled the fire to be the best. After all, we ended up with one of the best jobs.
Grabbing my signature red rose, I tuck the thorn-covered stem into the top of his shirt before grabbing the handkerchief from his pocket.
I use it to wipe the blood off my blade before tucking it away. Grabbing the bottle of bleach, I pour it over his hands and body, removing any DNA I may have left behind. I made sure to avoid as much contact with his skin as I could, but, you know, just in case.
Removing my silk gloves that match my black dress, I place them in my bag. With one last look at his lifeless corpse, I leave.
The building’s security cameras are already down, so I don’t bother with trying to be too discreet as I take the back stairs to the parking lot. Knowing that there’s no one left in the building, it’s no surprise that it’s completely empty.
My heels click against the ground, echoing around me as I send a text to my driver to meet me a few blocks over.
As we drive back to the mansion, the thrill of the kill starts to dim.
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, looking out the window. This was one of my shortest missions yet.
Before, I would have been eager for The Man to call me in and give me a new mark, to see what scum I get to take out next. But all I want to do is go home, take a hot bath, and sleep for a week.
Mark after mark, none of them are the ones I’ve been hoping to receive. The one monster that haunts my dreams.
Ivory is under the impression that all of the men who harmed us in our past are dead. I haven’t had the heart to tell her that Ivan is still alive.
Ivan Parson is one of the most famous attorneys serving some of the richest and most twisted people in the world.
He also happens to be one of the bastards my former foster father pimped me and my sister out to, alongside a few more of his vile friends.
We were five. We should never have had to endure what we did. While Ivory got her revenge on the person who targeted her, I never got the chance to take a shot at mine. Not yet.
Maybe it’s my mind repressing memories, but I don’t remember much from that time. All I know is what I see when I have one of my rare nightmares. Him, what he did to me. But when I wake up, it’s like a foggy dream and I can’t remember any of the details. My sister wasn’t as lucky.
Every time The Man hands me the file of my next mission, I pray that when I flip it open, it’s Ivan’s photo I see. It never is.
The car pulls up to the mansion, snapping me out of my inner thoughts. Making a loop around the fountain, it comes to a stop.
“Thank you, Raymond,” I tell the driver.
“Any time, Miss Naomi,” he says, looking at me in the rearview mirror with a grin.
Smiling, I give him a little wave before getting out. As soon as I shut the door, Raymond takes off, leaving me standing there in the night’s cool spring breeze.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath of the crisp, fresh air, allowing myself a moment before heading inside and up to my room.
As soon as I step foot into my room, my mouth opens wide with a yawn, and my hand comes up to cover it. “Fuck, I need sleep,” I mutter to myself. “But first, a bath.”
Stripping out of the dress, I toss it into the fireplace. My heels are the next to go, but those get placed on my dresser before I pad barefoot into the bathroom.
Needing to get the feeling of that sick fuck’s hands off me, I run a hot bath. I toss a few bath bombs in, turning the water red and making it look like a tub full of blood. I smirk at the irony.
I turn to the mirror and take a look at myself as I rid myself of my bra and panties. Not to much blood on my face or chest.
“Fuck, that feels good,” I moan as the hot water hits my skin.
I’m not sure how long I sit there before the water starts to turn cold, but when the warmth is gone, so am I. Finishing up, I clean my body and get out, walking wet and naked into my room. Grabbing a pair of panties and a shirt, I get dressed and slip into my king-sized bed.
As soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out. I don’t typically dream. But tonight I do. The cold, cruel eyes of Ivan stare into the set of my childhood self.
“Darling, you are quite divine,” he purrs as I step back with a whimper. He reaches out and tugs on my crimson locks. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.”
“MISS NAOMI.”
Turning around from where I was admiring the butterfly sitting on a deep red rose, I see one of our maids, Marie, standing beside me. “The Man has sent me to fetch you.”
I know what that means. This has been the longest amount of time between kills. It’s been two weeks since I’ve sunk my blade into a monster.
Once upon a time, I would have gone mad going so long between missions. But now I find myself dreading the next mission. Whatever it is, I’m no longer going to take any job that involves the target having access to my body.
With a nod, I follow her through the rose garden and back into the mansion. I head down the stairs into the basement where The Man’s office is.
Knocking on the door to let him know I’m here, I step inside and head right to the chair that faces opposite of him.
He gives me a nod as he slides an envelope toward me with my next target inside it. I’m dreading what it is, but I do as I’m supposed to and take it.
I go to leave, taking the papers with me, when he shakes his head. My brow rises in question as he nods toward the papers in my hand.
I guess he wants me to open it up in front of him. Odd, but alright.
My fingers grip the opening of the envelope and pull it up before dipping my hand in to grab the papers. Removing them, I place them in my lap, my eyes finding the photo of the next life I’m contracted to take.
And that’s when my heart starts to pound wildly in my chest, my body breaking out into a nervous sweat as the air whooshes out of my lungs.
It’s him. The person staring back at me is Ivan Parson.
This has got to be a dream. After all these years, is he really finally mine to kill?
My eyes flick up to The Man in disbelief as I question him without words if this is really happening right now.
He says nothing, his face a stone mask, but I’m almost positive I see a twitch of his lips before he looks back down to his computer, dismissing me.
With shaky hands, I tuck the papers away and stand to leave. I feel like I’m on autopilot as I walk up the stairs to the main level, then to the next set of stairs, never stopping until I’m in my room.
Needing to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, I pull the papers out again and place them on the desk. Yup, it’s his ugly mug, alright.
No way, no fucking way!
Is this the universe’s way of telling me that my time as a Belladonna is done?
This was what I was holding out for. And now it’s here, in my hands. The go ahead to rid the world of my monster.
A smile slips across my lips as I climb on my bed. “Yes!” I whoop, jumping on the bed like a little kid on Christmas who just got the toy they’ve been wanting for so long.
Unable to process all the emotions filling me, manic laughter slips free, as I fall backward into the mountain of pillows.
No longer am I dreading going on another mission. These next twenty-four hours can’t come fast enough.
Knowing there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done before starting this one, I get off the bed and take a seat at my desk. I spend the next few hours reading the papers over and over again, doing my best to memorize everything.
If there was ever a mission I refused to let go south, it’s this one. There’s no way in hell I’m letting this fucker live any longer than he has to.
And if anything or anyone gets in my way, so help me god, I pray for their souls.
Chapter 2
Naomi
I CAN’T HELP THE SMILE that takes over my lips as I stand on the balcony of the beach house I’m renting.
The sun is starting to set, pretty pinks and yellows painting the sky as the sea breeze brushes against my skin. It’s quite a difference in scenery from what I’m used to, that’s for sure.
The last few missions I’ve been on have been pretty close to home. I know this isn’t meant to be a vacation, but it sure feels like one. I mean, I get to kill the man who fucked up my life and stay in a house that’s on the beach. It’s a win-win, if you ask me.
Taking a sip of my red wine, I take a seat on the deck chair. Grabbing the packet of information that I’ve gathered on this case, I look it over again.
I already know a whole lot about Ivan. During a dark time, I became a little obsessive and spent weeks searching everything I could about him. Even went as far as to hack into his cameras at his office and home.
Every time his ugly, twisted face would pop up on the screen, I would feel sick.
“Stop obsessing,” I mutter to myself as I close the file and look out at the sea. The waves crash against the shore, and I have the urge to go down there and play in them.
When was the last time I really got to enjoy myself? I don’t know if I ever had more than a few days to just relax.
I’m going to enjoy this while I can, because tomorrow I start my first day of work at Parson’s Law Firm. The Man set me up with a job there as Ivan’s new receptionist. This way I’m able to get close to him—easy access and all that jazz—but don’t have to be around him too often.
My phone dings and I look at it. Smiling, I see that it’s Ivory. She’s letting me know she’s okay, and she can’t wait to see me again. I miss talking to her, but since she went away on her last and final mission, her whole life got turned upside down. Although, everything ended up better for her.
A pang of guilt hits me. I hate lying to her. We never keep secrets from one another, but this one... this one is big, and I need to know he’s really gone from this earth before I tell her.
I send her a quick text back, telling her I love her, before grabbing the papers and my glass of wine to head back inside.
This place isn’t very big. A one bedroom with a small living room and kitchen. All that matters to me is that the tub is big enough to soak in. And thankfully it is.
Downing the rest of my glass, I put the bottle away and stick the glass in the sink before stripping down to nothing but my panties.
I’m not used to this heat. I could use the air-conditioning, but I want to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the ocean, so I open my bedroom window and climb into bed.
My mind won’t shut off as lie here in bed, trying to go to sleep. I’ve never been this worked up over a mission before. But this isn’t just any mark.
And the idea of being in the same room with him, having to resist the urge to stab him then and there pisses me off.
But I know what I have to do. I won’t fuck this up by letting my personal feelings get in the way.
TAKING ONE LAST LOOK in the mirror, I make sure everything looks good. I have on a black pencil skirt and a green blouse paired with some black pumps. It’s not really my style, but I have to play the part of a receptionist in a prestigious law firm.
My hair is down and curled, making me look sexy and classy.
Ivan’s thing is redheads. It’s why he picked me all of those years ago. A pretty little red-headed girl with curls that bounced with each step I took.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, refusing to allow the past to creep in. I’ve worked long and hard not to allow someone like him to mess everything up.
I’ve never had a personal connection to any of my marks before, making it a lot easier to do my job. That’s what I have to tell myself. This is a job over anything else. Do it right, and he’s gone.
