The Long Run (Prequel to Time Loop)

Chapter Fifteen

The next day, we ventured onward through the treacherous weather and managed to get a ride straight over to Moscow. Erik and I stayed over at a hotel, deciding it'd be best to share a room just in case something went awry.

"I have something to admit," Erik said as he got out of the shower in nothing but a pair of sweats. I couldn't help but blush as he dried his wet, scruffy hair with a small towelette.

"You have six toes?" I laughed.

"What? No," he laughed as well, taking a seat across from me. He looked down at his hands, the laughing dying down. "It's a much more serious matter."

"Alright," I braced myself, "What is it?"

"I'm not just on the run. I'm actually looking for someone," he started off, "The man who killed both my parents when I was a young child."

"Earlier, you told me you were from Germany...did this happen during the war?" I asked.

He nodded slowly, not bearing to look at me. "Look if you want to leave, I'd understand."

"What are you going to do when you find him?"

"Avenge the deaths of my parents."

I sat silent for a moment, not really sure how to respond to that. All the time I had spent with Charles taught me to give people second chances; to use my powers for the good of humanity. And here I was, sitting across a man who was willing to wash that all away to avenge those he loved.

But I wasn't with Charles anymore. I ran away from that. And this was a new me. "I'm not leaving you," I muttered.

"Hmm?" He glanced up at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"I said, I'm not leaving you," I repeated louder with determination. "You helped me, so I'm going to help you."

~The Next Day~

"First person we are meeting is Sergei Abronkovich," Erik said as he adjusted the collar of his button up in the mirror. "I'll need you to stay close to me at all times. He's a malicious man and his employers are not to be trusted."

"What's so important about him?" I asked as I walked over to my bed to see that a silky red dress laid flat on it with black pumps beside it.

"He's made deals with Klaus before. So he most likely might have information as to his whereabouts at the moment," Erik explained. Klaus Schmidt, who I had learned about just the night before, was the man who killed Erik's parents. He spent practically his whole life trying to find this guy.

I nodded, turning my attention back to the dress. So we were really doing this. I was so deep in thought, I hadn't noticed Erik come up behind me.

"Do you like it?" He asked, his breath practically brushing past my ear.

"I love it," I smiled down at the dress, sliding my fingers across the silky fabric. "I'll go put it on." I took the dress and walked back into the bathroom, clinging hard onto the towel wrapped around me so that it didn't fall.

After a few seconds, I got out and walked to the mirror to see how it looked. The dress complimented my curves well and I hadn't noticed that it was backless till now.

Erik walked up beside me, holding a small black rectangle. "You look beautiful," Erik smiled at me through the mirror and opened up the box, revealing a shiny gold necklace with a ruby dangling at the end. "May I?"

"Yeah, sure," I nodded and lifted my curled hair up. He slipped his hands over and wrapped the necklace around my neck. As he latched on the necklace from behind, I tended nervously at how close he was.