Page 19 of Hunting

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. I whisper repeatedly to myself as I crawl out from under the covers and retrieve my clothes from the floor. I redress quickly. I’m not sure how long he will be gone. Even if it’s only a moment, I don’t want him coming back see me sitting and waiting in the same position. I refuse to appear desperate.

I thought he wanted it. Wanted me. With how quickly he was able to walk away. No words, no parting kiss, I’m second guessing every action. Am I just a convenience to him?

I make myself busy cleaning up dinner in an effort to occupy my mind. After dinner is clean, the kitchen is spotless, the bathroom scrubbed, and the sheets of the bed changed, I run out of things to do. I don’t have my phone, and Massimo has no TV in here. There are a few books and magazines. I comb through them as slow as possible, trying to draw them out.

Even they don’t help time pass quicker. Finally I decide to get out of the room. It’s late, and I don’t know the Compound grounds well enough to navigate them at this hour like I want to. The fresh air sounds amazing. Instead, I find myself on the main floor, heading towards the kitchen. I was there earlier today with Elena when we took a break to eat lunch and the guys checked in on the men and other business.

On my way, I hear the muffled sounds of two people talking. It’s hard to tell what they are saying, or who they are from this distance. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I creep as quietly as I can to the archway that leads to the living-room. I stick to the shadows. Not wanting to be seen. I’m glad I did, because the scene before me shatters my heart.

Massimo is on the couch. With a woman. I can’t see her whole face. It is blocked by his head. She has dark brown hair, almost black. She is skinny and wearing a form fitting little black dress. She is gorgeous and appears every bit the vixen I had tried to emulate when I went on my missions. While mine was a ruse and a false embodiment, her appearance seems natural. She oozes sex appeal. I can see why Massimo came down to her. Their hands are grasped intimately. Their legs touching from hip to toe. Their upper bodies turned to face one another.

It is clear to me that this is not their first meeting. They have been intimate before. And if she is in his arms, on the couch at the compound, looking comfortable, she has been here before. Did he lie to me? Is she his girlfriend? Has he brought a woman here before when he said he never did?

The woman takes a hand and runs it along his jaw. I can’t watch anymore. He didn’t bat her away. Didn’t stop her in anyway. Just hours ago he was kissing me, stripping me down, telling me he wanted to try with me, making me wish for things that I now know I had no business in believing.

I back-up slowly, going deeper into the shadows and continuing on to the kitchen. I was a fool. An idiot. I am so mad at myself. I scour the cupboards. I have no idea what I am looking for. I give up and just grab a glass of water. Sipping it slowly, my back leaning against the counter. My only light is that of the moon trickling in through the window.

All is quiet for a few minutes, until I hear the unmistakable click of a high heel on the marble in the hall. I set my glass down and noiselessly make my way out into the hallway.

It’s a bit harder to see in the shadows and it takes a moment for my night vision to adapt. When it does, I see two figures. One female figure is hunched down. Inspecting the lock. No, not looking. She is picking the lock. Within moments she is successful. The door opens, and she enters. The second person, a large male enters with her and shuts the door behind him.

I get to the door and don’t hesitate to enter. For a moment I wonder were Massimo is. Why did he leave this woman? Who is the man she is with? By the way his head had been twisting like on a swivel you could tell he was playing lookout. It was safe to say he wasn’t a regular visitor to the compound, and definitely not one who was allowed to be here.

I don’t have time to think too much further. I have a new mission. Find out who the hell this woman and man are and why they are breaking into the basement.

Getting to the bottom of the stairs, the hair on my arms and neck stands up. I am face to face with the cell I was kept in when I first arrived. A chill runs over me.

No time. No time for this. Need to find out what this woman is doing.

I creep further down the hall, passing the room of torture devices. The door is open and the room is clear. There is a faint light on at the end of the hall. I make my way to it. I hear voices and grunts. Inside, the mystery woman has Ramirez unchained. He is swaying on his feet. She is holding his arm over her shoulder. Supporting some of his weight.

Shit. I need a weapon. They can’t get Ramirez out of here. He can’t be allowed on the streets again. I run back down the hall. Not caring if I make noise. I am between our mystery guests and the only exit. I rush into the torture room and grab the first gun I see. Checking the clip, I ensure it is loaded. I grab a knife off the table as well. It is a serrated hunting knife. Then I rush back out while remembering to lock the door on my way. It should prevent them from also getting a weapon, or at the least, slow them down if they try.

Going back to the room. Ramirez is now being supported by the man. The woman is helping him to put on a shirt. I can see the bruises and cuts all along his torso. Good. I would take a minute to cheer. I can’t.

“Don’t move.” I say as I step into the room and make my presence known. I raise the gun and lock its focus on the woman. She is probably the least dangerous to me. I realize it too late. I can move the gun, but my heart won’t let me. It sees this woman as competition. I can’t let her have Massimo. Not his heart, body, mind, nothing. It belongs to me.

I hope.

The woman turns so she is facing me head on. I recognize her. I’ve seen her around town. “I know you.” She says with a smile. “You’re like me.”

“I’m nothing like you.”

She takes a step closer to me. I click off the safety. She stops walking. “You sure? You use your beauty to get things. Get men to trust you with your curves. Then fuck them and steal any info you can grab.”

Fuck this bitch. I fire a warning shot. I miss the woman. Not by much.

The stranger and Ramirez are long forgotten. The woman screeches and rushes at me.

CHAPTER TEN

Massimo

THE SOUND OFa gunshot echoes down the hall and into Luca’s study.

“What the fuck?” He growls.

What the fuck is right. Who in god’s name is firing at us? There is no consistent fire. It’s not an ambush. No alarm at the gates, or compound walls have been activated. They are online and working.

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