Secret Killer (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 9 Someone Worth Staying Alive For

"I was wondering when you would get here," he said in a maliciously calm voice.

That's when I realized it had been too easy. But now I was trapped in this small eggshell white office. I looked around; gripping the machete until my knuckles were white. There were pictures of people on the walls. I quickly scanned the photographs for a familiar face, and I had to do a doubletake. It was him, after all these years it had to be him. We had a silent mutual agreement to avoid each other.  I was pretty sure he didn't want to see me as much as I didn't want to see him. I don't even know why I was on the verge of a panic attack. It was just a picture. Or at least that's what I was telling myself. I obviously wasn't telling myself that he could walk into this room at any moment.

~~

Her breathing shallowed as she did a doubletake. Something about the man in the picture made her breath catch, and all of a sudden I had a surge of unknown jealously. 

"I want facial recognition ran on the guy in the picture NOW," I yelled making the tech guy in the limo jump.

I heard him furiously type on his keyboard, it should only take him one or two minutes to find out exactly who this guy is. Whoever he was I didn't like it. She was still looking at the picture. There was something about just his picture that screwed with her senses, and Hunter didn't like that someone could have that kind of power over her. 

~~

" Father I was-"

I snapped my head toward the door, and there he was. Standing casually and then stiffly when he caught sight of her. She hated it, the way he noticeably stiffened just at the sight of her. She hated how uncomfortable just the sight of her put him in. How as their eyes met his words abruptly ceased. But then all at once he found his voice again, and with his voice they lost eye contact.

"What is she doing here," he said; the word she pouring with venom as he said it.

" She is here on a mission to kill me. She's from the agency, a rookie," The old man used just as much venom in the word as his son.

 Then he turned and looked at me. Actually looked at me. Slowly his gaze wracked my slim frame and I resisted the urge to shiver. As he took in my appearance I took in his. He still had the same well built frame, his muscles seemed to be more developed since the last time I saw him, and his dark brown hair seemed to be in the disheveled state he always seemed to keep it in. Then his gaze met mine again, his grey eyes piercing mine. This time I broke eye contact and faced Ray. 

"You sold one of our rookies fake cocaine. I'm here to collect that debt," I deadpanned.

I was tired of this game, and honestly I could no longer stand being in the same room as him. There was a window above Ray's desk and finally a plan started forming in my head. Right before I lunged he spoke," I know what you're thinking, and it won't work," he said with just a hint of desperation.

It was always easy to read him. He couldn't hide his emotions very well. He could have the poker face of a pro, but the second he spoke you could see right through him. Honestly I didn't have anything to lose. My family believed I was dead, he hated me, and I wasn't ready to think of Hunter as someone worthy to stay alive for. I wasn't ready to think of him as an option, emotions were weakening. I went for the lunge but someone grabbed me from behind before I could cut Ray's throat. I growled as the strong arms pulled me close to a toned chest, and that was when he whispered in my ear, " I still love you, I'm someone worth staying alive for."

Someone worth staying alive for. That was  suddenly a lot higher bar than it used to be, but somehow he still was above that bar. Somehow if he could prove he was worth it I could trust him again. But he wasn't going to come by a chance like that easily. I stabbed my switchblade into his gut, piercing his appendix. It wasn't deadly, but it was harmful enough. His grip loosened, and I lunged for Ray. His sorry excuse for bodyguards ran to the aid of the injured as I sliced Ray's neck, shattered the window, and ran.

I didn't stop running until I was at the rendezvous point. I lunged into the limo, rolled over Hunter and ended flat on my back against the car's cool bottom. I tried to control my breathing, but Hunter had other ideas. He twisted the neck of my tank top around his fist until my face was level with his, and he crashed his lips against mine. After only a few moments he pulled away and whispered, " I'm worth living for. Don't ever do something so suicidal again. You beautiful dumbass."

I untied Hunter's hand from my shirt before whispering back," I'm sure you'd like to grab my dumbass."

"Oh babe I'd like to do a lot more things then grab it," he said teasingly.

~~

"YOU STUPID FOOLS! YOU RAN AFTER ME AND SHE SLIT MY FATHER'S THROAT," he screamed.

 He hated the vulnerability in his voice but he couldn't try to hide it. His father was dead, and she killed him. After all he did for her she killed his father. How could you forgive someone after that? Was there any coming back from that? I wasn't sure, but seeing her again did change things. But so did her killing my father. I never exactly loved my father, it was always more of a fearful respect. But I didn't exactly want him dead either, that hit me like a wall of bricks. It scared me that she had it in her to kill someone. She used to be so innocent, but now she was deadly. Loving her it seemed would put me in a constant state of fear. Just knowing that if she wanted to she could slit my throat within seconds. All of a sudden I was scared of her, and I hated that feeling with every fiber of my being.