hired assassins

His hired assassins guard him from his own people and from the revenge of the thousands whom he has injured.

Now, if he hired assassins, he could not trust them; his purse was again empty.

Hired assassins were called in, and a Russian ruffian named Romanetz stabbed the unfortunate duke.

In Venice he imagined himself safe; but his powerful foes hired assassins to "remove" the obnoxious author.

Meantime she saw the hired assassins pass beneath the windows, their bare arms covered with the blood of the slain.