𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚 | ✎

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐢

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𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐬
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We searched the rest of the warehouse but found nothing left behind. Everyone who had been occupying the building was now gone. They cleaned up quickly. The men fighting us were clearly a distraction in hindsight and I cursed myself for not realizing it sooner.

Phoenix was clearly not pleased with how the whole situation played off at all. Looking at her, your probably wouldn't be able to tell. She just looked numb. No expression on her face. Knowing her, there's so much going on in her head that she doesn't know what to feel so she simply won't.

We even went back to the file room to see if they happened to leave any behind, but the whole room was cleared.

The whole ride back was silent. We were all feeling the same failure. Aziel tried to lighten the mood about half-way through our drive back by claiming that at least we got a lead for Andrey's other clients. I gave him a small nod in the mirror for trying but it went back to silence after that.

We're back at the hotel and Aspen is organizing all the files into the agency's database for Cole so he can see on his end but also for us to easily access each of the clients' information. Phoenix left immediately to go to her room, probably needing to process things. I don't blame her but it's been an hour. We have to start talking business.

Seeing that Aziel and Aspen were both busy still sorting through the files, I decide to go check on Phoenix. I walk down the hall and see the door to her room closed. I give it a knock but there's no response. After knocking again and still getting no response, I open the door and walk into her room.

Noticing that she's not in the room but seeing the bathroom light on I walk towards the door to find her. But I the moment my eyes land on her a stop, anger flooded my emotions.

Bruises. Everywhere. She has her back to the mirror with her shirt lifted above her back allowing me and her to see the splotches of blacks, blues, and purples. There's even some small cuts around her body.

Before I can even speak, Phoenix catches me in the mirror and quickly pulls her shirt down. Her face morphs into an angry look but I can't even process that.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She asks.

I don't say anything. My eyes keep staring at the place where her bruised back was. My mind flits back to when I pushed her to the ground to avoid a bullet to her head.

I barely register the words leaving my mouth before they're even out, "Did I do that?"

Her face immediately morphs to confusion. "What?"

My gaze finally moves to her face and her confused expression falls at seeing something in my features. I step closer to her but she takes a step back, the threshold of the door separating us. "Did I do that?" I ask again, more firm this time.

"Not entirely." She murmurs.

"How?" I demand.

She stares at me a long moment before answering. "One of Andrey's men knocked me to the ground while I was taking out a guy that was on Aspen." I start to connect the dots. Me knocking her to the ground and landing on top of her only made her bruises worse.

"Let me see."

Her lips part. "No."

"Phoenix."

"Hayes."

"Let me see."

"No."

"Phoenix I swear to-"

"Why does it even matter?"