Broken Doll {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 1

I never expected Demi to be so reckless, after all I'd done to get him out of Bay's hands. I risked everything making those plans with Tobias and convincing Bay to let Demi leave for the falsified mission I invented, and I felt so at ease when Tobias contacted me telling me we succeeded and Demi was safe. I never planned on the idiot coming back willingly.

Sure, he only did it to save his friend, but it was still completely idiotic, and not to mention it wasn't good for my image. He left me surrounded by dead bodies, broken cameras, and quite a few injuries that stung like hell. I only had a few minutes to come up with a story to explain everything, and Bay found me sitting leaning against a wall, one hand clutching the bullet wound in my arm.

All I had going for me was the fact I was basically the only one Bay cared about. He found it more of an inconvenience than a loss that Rupert was dead, and he was beyond pissed when I told him Demi had been the one to do it. When I explained that his puppet had gone rogue, he lost his mind, but grabbing his fists managed to calm him down enough to recognize me.

I missed Tobias' call that night because Vinet had to sew the gash on my face up and dig the bullet from my arm before patching up the extra bruises and scrapes, and I felt bad about scaring him like that. So bad I didn't even tell him I got hurt, just explained the short version while leaving myself out. He would know next time he saw me, there was no way my face would heal without a scar, but I didn't want to freak him so badly he would pull something as reckless as Demi and try to come to me.

A few stressful months passed before Bay sent me on another mission, this one in Italy. I didn't really listen to the details of what he wanted me to do, something about making sure the government was entirely disbanded. He gave me a few weeks for this, probably because he felt bad about what happened to me, or as bad as a psychopath could feel I suppose.

"Three weeks," I was explaining to Tobias, pulling a few things from my drawer to pack, the radio piece secure in my ear, "He may call me back earlier, but the initial plan was three weeks."

"I'm surprised at that, he usually doesn't give you more than a few days or a single week," Tobias hummed, and I cringed, nibbling on my bottom lip, "Did something happen?"

"No," I lied, folding the shirt I was holding, "I guess he just thinks I need more time for this mission than others."

"Well, I'm happy either way," Tobias laughed, and the rich sound had a smile pulling onto my lips, "I'll leave immediately! Where would you like to meet?"

"Hm," I stood back and grabbed a book I'd been looking through earlier, flipping it open and sitting down on the foot of my bed so I could look at the tourist page, "Pisa."

"Oh, I like that!"

"Thought you might," I laughed softly, "It's been a while since I saw you."

"Ja, a few months. Have you missed me?"

I rolled my eyes and fell on my back, arms folded, "I always miss you," a knock on my door made me tense and sit up, "Gotta go."

The radio piece was in my pocket before the door was pushed open and Bay stepped in, grinning. If it weren't for the crazed light in his eyes, it may have been nice to see, but it just had me on edge and tense as he stopped beside me.

"Are you ready for your mission?" he asked, and I nodded, standing up and pulling my bag onto my back.

"Three weeks?" I questioned, and he nodded, slipping an arm around my shoulders and tucking me into his side.

"Bingo. You'll be fine without me, right? I can always go with you. God knows you get into a lot of trouble on your own, getting captured by weak Austrian's and attacked by rogues in our own facility," he sighed and ruffled my hair, "I swear sometimes I feel I need to chain you to a bed to keep you safe."