Page 61 of Hunted By Valentine

“No?” She raises an eyebrow, idly flipping through her notebook again. “I think you do. And it’s not about the act itself—it’s about the ‘why’. Why did you take her pleasure into your own hands?”

“I was curious to see if she would let me,” I reply.

Eve shakes her head. “Is that all it was?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

I sigh audibly. “No. It wasn’t even about her. Ruby’s… she’s interesting, and yes, I’m attracted to her. But it was about me. I felt high after spending the day in the courtroom.” Though that’s the truth, it doesn’t feel like the complete truth. “It’s more than that, though. She wasn’t just an outlet. It was… more.”

“I understand,” Eve says. When I scoff, she continues. “For someone like you, the Hunter of New York City, it must be a natural high to walk right into a room filled with the very people who would love to catch you. So it only makes sense it was arousing to you. Now, help me understand why this woman, Ruby, was the one you chose to be intimate with.”

Trying to explain what it is that intrigues me about Ruby is no easy task, especially when I’m not exactly sure what it is myself. “She’s a puzzle, an enigma that I feel drawn to. She’s a walking contradiction. The Knight Mafia princess, yet so fragile and completely unprotected—”

“You’re fond of her, aren’t you?” Eve asks, abruptly interrupting me.

Her words hit harder than I expected. Fond? No. That’s not the right word. She’s a job. A target. Someone I’ll kill soon enough. But the thought of it doesn’t sit as easily as it should. “You’re reaching, Eve.”

“Am I?” Her voice is softer but still laced with challenge. “You’ve never been like this before. You’ve never let your curiosity linger this long. She’s not just a target to you, Valentine. She’s something more.”

“Perhaps,” I allow.

Eve straightens and slowly uncrosses her legs. “How are you going to kill her? When are you going to kill her? Will you make a spectacle of it?”

Knowing full well what she’s really asking, no, not asking—accusing me of, I narrow my eyes. “You think I can’t finish the job,” I state.

“I think you’re questioning whether you want to,” she says, her voice calm, steady, as if she’s stating a fact rather than making an accusation. “You’ve always been driven by curiosity, by the need to understand your targets. But this one… Ruby, she has gotten under your skin in a way that others haven’t. And that’s dangerous for you.”

“Careful, Eve,” I warn, my voice low, but she doesn’t back down.

“I’m not the one who needs to be careful,” she replies smoothly. “You brought her up in December, but you didn’t mention her name. You didn’t need to. I could hear it in the way you talked about her—the curiosity, the fascination. But this isn’t just about curiosity anymore, is it?”

Her words hang in the air, heavy and unavoidable. And for once, I don’t have a retort, no quick deflection to throw back at her. Eve sees me too clearly, knows me too well. And that’s why she’s dangerous. I don’t answer. I don’t need to. The silence is enough.

“You’re at a crossroad, Valentine,” Eve continues, her voice soft but firm. “You can’t keep pretending this is just another job. You’re too invested now, whether you want to admit it or not. And that’s why you’re here—”

I curl my hands into fists at her words. “I’m here because we have a standing session every month.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Valentine, I know it must be tearing you apart to have feelings for your target. You’re questioning everything, aren’t you? Because for the first time, you care about the outcome.”

I clench my jaw, the weight of her words settling deep. She’s right, damn her. I do care, and that’s the problem.

Eve leans forward slightly, her eyes narrowing. “You’re not just fascinated by Ruby, Valentine. You’re attached.”

I swallow hard, refusing to admit it aloud, but my silence is answer enough. Attached? No. That would imply something I’m not ready to face. Yet, the thought of her—the lingering scent of her perfume, the way her green eyes lock onto mine when she’s angry, or worse, vulnerable—sticks with me in a way it shouldn’t.

Not to mention that last night I gave her what she wanted. Sure, it was what we both wanted. But I’d meant to see how long I could withhold, and she made me give in.

“You don’t have to say it,” Eve continues, her voice almost gentle now. “But you know it’s true. This isn’t just about control anymore. You’ve crossed a line with her, and now you’re questioning your own rules.”

I shake my head, the denial coming too late. “You’re wrong,” I mutter, though the conviction behind the words falters.

Eve’s lips twitch into a knowing smile. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be sitting here, grappling with whether or not you can kill her. It’s not a question of deserving anymore, Valentine. It’s a question of whether you can stand to lose her.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of my defenses. Lose Ruby? I don’t want that to happen. But then that means that Eve’s right; I can’t kill Ruby… and what’s more, I don’t want to.

I lean back in my chair, the leather creaking softly beneath me. “You think I’m in love with her,” I state flatly, though the idea feels foreign on my tongue.

---