It was fortunate that Nikita did not need breath, because if she did she was certain that she would waste a good deal of it sighing with exasperation every time she interacted with Missy. She was not used to having people in her life that questioned her – all her employees jumped the moment Nikita said so – but Missy (and even Silvia) was teaching her to practice patience in vast, overwhelming amounts. A part of her wondered if it was making her soft. What would it mean for her business if she suddenly became more willing to listen and understand the other party? Had she not been preoccupied with Missy’s consistent defiance, she would have rolled her eyes at the thought. That she would suddenly become warm and touchy-feely with grubby criminals was laughable. “If I was going to a meeting with tenants to sign a lease or making sure the cleaners left the new condo spotless, I would not expect you to come with me.” Even Nikita found her job as a landlady incredibly boring from time to time. For every interesting tenant that she took on, there was another that was terribly boring and normal. They were the type that called you in the middle of the night because their fridge was making an odd sound or a light fixture wasn’t burning as brightly as they thought it should. Nikita was not type to tolerate being nagged by anyone and she often made sure that those types of people did not have a long stay at Cherryblossum Place.
“You may not be able to claim being a Rose, but you are one nonetheless.” Nikita’s gaze hardened and she tightened her jaw, as she watched Missy carefully. “And it’s time you learned the family business.” She had wondered many times since the hunter had been turned just how well Missy would take to being treated like the rest of the Roses. Would she flourish on the streets? What criminal world would call to her, if it even did at all? Knowing Missy, she would no doubt buck the system just for the hell of it. “Have you never wondered where all of this comes from?” She lifted her hands as she spoke, signifying the house around them. If she lived on landlord wages alone, she would be stuck in a condo with the rest of her tenants. It was a disgusting thought. “We’re leaving now, so come on.” Nikita turned away from Missy and began walking toward the car that was parked outside. She didn’t fully expect the other woman to follow her like a dog on command, but she hoped – as she always did these days – that just this once Missy would make things easy. “Don’t make me send someone to fetch you.” As she called out up the stairs, Nikita wondered if her statement would make her more or less cooperative.