BLOODHOUNDS #2: THE TAKER

Chapter 23 - FRIENDS

Tatiana Knight

I ditched Kayden because he's not letting me write my statement. I went to the cafeteria by following the directions on the signs. I even ordered some food to accompany me there.

I noticed a lot of things when I was writing my statement there.

Kayden has so many people who are working with him. Some people were wearing lab coats, some people were wearing combat suits, some people were wearing regular work attire, some people were wearing scrubs, and I was just so confused but also so fascinated.

I was leaving when I saw Clyde walking in with a beautiful blonde woman. Her arm is linked around him, and he smiles while talking to her. It was obvious that they both loved each other. Clyde never really had a woman around him.

They ordered some food, and while waiting, he kissed her repeatedly. It was like he'd obsessed with her. She was busy talking about something, but he only stared at her like she saved the world.

"You only wrote two paragraphs, Mon Avenir," I screamed, grabbing everyone's attention. I turned to Kayden, who chuckled and sat down beside me.

"You scared me!" I hissed as I turned to my laptop, closing it. My eyes then landed on Clyde and the woman walking towards us.

"Luna." Clyde greeted her, and she smiled at Kayden. She turned to me, and she looked a little bit nervous. Clyde sat down across from me, and Luna sat across from Kayden.

"Hi, I'm Tatiana." I introduced myself, and she smiled awkwardly at me. She turned to Clyde, and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"This is Tatiana, Butterfly. She's Kayden's fiancee." Clyde said, assuring her, and she nodded.

"I picked up your call one day, but I didn't say anything." She turned to me, and I smiled.

"It's okay. I remembered that day. I was double-checking the escape plan." She nodded and turned to her food.

"Luna is a painter. She's talented," Kayden said, and Luna smiled shyly, which caused Clyde to glare at Kayden.

"Well, what do we have here?" We all turned to see Ares, who was looking at the four of us, amused. He sat beside Luna, and Clyde did not have it.

"So... are we still down next week, Butterfly?" Ares smiled at Luna, and Clyde threw a water bottle at him, causing Luna to laugh.

"If you call her Butterfly again, I'm fucking beating you up in the lobby!" Clyde was not happy at all. Luna patted his chest, giggling, and turned to Ares, who ignored Clyde's remarks.

"We're close, Nielsen. She will paint me naked and put it in your office so you'll be more humble." Luna laughed so hard while Clyde got up, grabbing Ares's collar. Luna stopped him by pulling him back, which he backed away.

"I'm doing it for free. Tatiana can join me." My jaw dropped when Ares turned to me.

"If you want to live, fuck off." Kayden hissed, but I was still in shock.

"Are you okay?" My attention turned to Luna, who looked at me very concerned. "I'm sorry?" I'm so confused.

"You have some bruises on your neck and your upper arm." Luna then turned to Clyde.

"A fish bit her," Clyde commented, and Luna turned to him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, a fucking tuna," Ares said, groaning in pain. I saw Kayden kicking him from under the table.

"I gave her that." Kayden turned to Luna.

"That's a hickey, Butterfly. Kayden gave her many of them because he's just that weird." Clyde explained to Luna, and she smiled nervously at me.

"Sorry. I thought..."

"You don't need to apologize. Let's move. You won't be able to eat in peace." Clyde grabbed her tray and moved to another side of the cafeteria.

"My baby brother has grown up," Ares said dramatically, and Kayden chuckled.

"I'll be going then." Ares walked away, and I turned to Kayden.

"Did you hit his leg earlier?"

"Yeah, he deserved it." Before I could ask him more questions, Hugo came to us. He gave Kayden an unreadable look.

"I'll be right back." He said, and I nodded. I went back to writing, which surprisingly went well for the next three hours. When I was half done with my writing, I decided to take a break by going outside.

I just realized how beautiful Kayden's headquarters is. There are two buildings, a short taxi way, two helicopters outside, and a racing track, and I even saw a horse earlier.

"I've never seen you before." I turned around to see a brunette-haired woman leaning on the glass window behind me. She has brown eyes and shoulder-length hair. She's wearing a black combat suit and weird-looking glasses that shut one of her eyes.

"I'm Tatiana Knight. How about you?"

"Anastasia Creed, are you new here?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as she walked towards me.

"I'm n-"

"I need a little help. Do you mind helping me?" She cut me.

"Help you with what?" She looked intimidating, especially with her combat suit and her one-eyed glasses. She gestured for me to follow her as she led me to the back of the building where shooting practice was.

"I'm not intere-" She gave me a gun and taught me how to load it.

"Anastasia, I never shoot anything in my life. I do-"

"Shoot me." What?

"No! I'm not shooting you! Are you ridiculous?!" I put the gun down, and she looked at me coldly.

"I said shoot me." Anastasia pointed at her heart.

"No." I threw the gun to the ground, and someone picked it up. I turned to see a tall, jet-black-haired man who grabbed the gun from the ground, shooting the gun right at Anastasia. I screamed at him when he shot her several times and then turned to her.

"Fuck you, Asher." She held on to her shoulder, and when I wanted to run towards her, the man stopped me.

"Why? You thought I wouldn't do it?" His eyes were glued to her, and then he turned to me. "Kayden is waiting for you inside, Tatiana."

"You shot her! We need to get her a doctor!" Before I could protest, two guards brought me back in. Kayden just got out of the lift, and I ran towards him.

"Kayden! A man called Asher shot Anastasia! She's outside, and he shoots her straight to her shoulder!" I was going insane, and Kayden looked so calm. His expression was almost dull.

"Let me go, you bastard!" We both turned to see Asher carrying Anastasia on his shoulder with blood dripping down to the floor.

"Let them be, Princess. They kill each other for sport."