Chapter 2
The Hunter
T he week I’ve spent observing Ruby has been… informative. She’s a creature of habit, bound by the tight strings her husband pulls with an iron fist. Her days are an endless loop of restraint—rare outings, muted conversations, the occasional half-hearted smile that never touches her eyes.
She’s learned to survive in his world, but there’s a quiet misery in her. She moves like a ghost—silent, deliberate, as if fading into the background is her only means of escape.
Each day has peeled back another layer. The way she flinches at sudden noises, the stiff way she holds herself around her husband, the bruises she hides so well beneath expensive fabric and mountains of makeup.
I clench my hands as my blood starts to boil again at the memory of the damage Michael inflicted on her only a few days ago. A part of me still wants to rip his throat out and serve his heart to her on a silver platter. Michael doesn’t seem to have understood what my presence means yet.
Ruby might be his wife; but she’s my prey.
Mine.
The re’s no defiance in her, no rebellion. Only cold, quiet resignation.
Yet… there’s something else.
Despite everything, Ruby isn’t completely broken. There’s a resolve beneath her porcelain surface, a spark of something that she keeps hidden, even from herself. It fascinates me—the way she navigates her fractured life without crumbling. She is both fragile and formidable, a contradiction I find myself drawn to.
Tonight, New Year’s Eve, I follow her again. She leaves the house, cloaked in her usual air of detachment. She doesn’t look over her shoulder, doesn’t check to see if anyone’s watching. She’s used to being invisible, but not tonight. Tonight, I’m close, staying hidden in the city’s shadows as she moves through the snow-dusted streets.
She makes her way to a small church, tucked away from the bustling holiday crowds. I watch as she slips inside, her frame swallowed by the darkness. She’s not here for the celebration. She’s here for something else, something more intimate. I follow her silently, my footsteps muffled by the fresh layer of snow.
Inside, her brother, Nicklas, stands at the altar with Carolina. The wedding is small, private—just the two of them and the priest. Ruby doesn’t join them. She hides behind a marble column, watching from the shadows like she’s not meant to be there.
She’s an outsider in her own family, a woman who has long learned to make herself disappear.
There’s no emotion on her face, not even when the priest pronounces her brother and his bride husband and wife. She watches with the same detached air she wears like armor, but I see it—the faint crack in her facade. The way her eyes linger on their joined hands, the brief tightening of her jaw.
Happiness is not something she allows herself to believe in.
Well, my little prey, that makes two of us. Happiness is just the absence of pain or other negative inflictions. It’s not real; not tangible. It’s a myth just like the Easter Bunny, Santa, and the fucked up Tooth Fairy that collects teeth from kids.
The wedding ends quickly, and Ruby slips out before anyone notices her. I wait, watching her, this time from closer than before. The way she moves, her body language—so rehearsed, so restrained.
She is not just a Mafia princess. She’s a prisoner in her own life, and yet, there’s a fire buried deep beneath the layers of control and fear. It’s faint, but it’s there. I wonder what would happen if someone were to stoke those embers.
Disinterest and a strong dislike from people like me isn’t the real danger. The worst thing to one’s health is to pique my curiosity, and that’s exactly what Ruby Simmons has unknowingly done.
Now, she’s no longer just a job. I don’t yet know what she is, only that it’s more.
Later, I meet Michael in the same dark, discreet location where we had our first meeting. He arrives with the same air of arrogance, though I sense the undercurrent of anxiety in his stance. He’s confident in his control over Ruby, but there’s a desperation there, simmering beneath the surface.
“You’ve been watching her for almost a week now,” Michael states, his voice steady but thin. “What’s your assessment?”
I pause, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make him uncomfortable. “She’s fragile,” I finally say. Despite the voice distorter, my voice comes across as low and measured. “But you’ve made her difficult to reach.”
Michael frowns, not understanding. “Difficult?”
I take a step forward, my form still shrouded in shadow. “Too much control can backfire. You’ve kept her under lock and key, but all that does is make her more unpredictable. You need to loosen the leash.”
He shifts, his confidence faltering. “Loosen it? Why? Can’t you just kill her, and—”
“No.” My growl is a low and menacing sound.
Huffing, he cracks his neck. “So, what do you suggest?”
“A small taste of freedom,” I say, my tone smooth, persuasive. “Something that will make her feel like she has a choice. It’ll make her more complacent, and the situation easier to manage.”
Michael’s silent for a moment, considering.
He’s hesitant, but I press on, my voice calm, commanding. “Enrolling her in a class, perhaps. There are some excellent self-d efense classes. Or maybe even something legal—”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Michael barks, his face turning red.
That’s it; dance puppet, dance for me.
Of course, Michael doesn’t want Ruby knowing how to defend herself, or what her rights are. I only made those suggestions to get him to agree to what’s behind door number three. “Maybe criminology, then. It’s useless for people like her who don’t have a future. But it engages the mind. It will keep her busy.”
He hesitates, but his desire for control blinds him to the manipulation in my words. “Criminology?”
I take a step closer, making sure I’m still in the shadows. “Yes. Enroll her at Holloway University after the holidays. It’s a small concession, but it’ll give her a sense of normalcy.”
The lies fall easily from my lips. Sure, I could shoot her with my bow and arrow, throw a knife, or slam her to the ground and end her life with my own two hands. But… I’m curious.
Michael’s eyes narrow, but he nods slowly, convincing himself that this is the right move. “Alright,” he agrees. “I’ll consider it.”
I smirk behind the mask of darkness, knowing I’ve won. “Good. Then we’re in agreement,” I say, deliberately ignoring his comment about considering it.
I state my fee—half to be paid upfront, the rest upon completion. Michael doesn’t argue. He’s desperate to rid himself of Ruby, and he’s willing to pay whatever it takes. I hand him a contract, a simple document that ensures my protection should he try to double-cross me. He signs it without hesitation, arrogance clouding his judgment.
“Oh, and Michael,” I call out.
“Yes?”
“Don’t touch her anymore.”
“W-what?” he sputters, his face turning red in anger.
“If you injure her too severely, she might need an unscheduled bathroom break or medical attention. Both could ruin any plans I might have.”
“So you mean… you mean I can’t touch her in February?” He narrows his eyes as though he doesn’t believe me, which I applaud him for because he really shouldn’t. Yet, I need him to.
I shake my head. “From now on would be best. Otherwise it could backfire on both of us,” I reason, keeping my tone calm. “Besides, if she’s too banged up, her professor won’t have any interest in her. And he needs a little something to make it worth his time.”
He lets out a boisterous laugh. “You want me to whore out my wife for an education she doesn’t need?”
“If you insist on putting it so crudely, yes. Is that going to be a problem?”
He laughs harder. “Not at all. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve whored her out. It’s what she is; a whore.”
I bristle at his words, not liking the way he completely discards her. But since he isn’t fighting me, I let it go. It’s not my problem.
“Okay,” he mutters. “I’ll do as you say, Hunter.” With a shake of his head, he walks away.
I remain in the shadows, watching him go. I’ve already set the pieces in motion. By manipulating Michael into granting her more freedom, I’ve ensured that she’ll soon be within my reach. And when she steps into my classroom, she’ll have no idea that the real game has already begun.
The night is alive with New Year’s celebrations as I step onto the streets. But for me, the real excitement is just beginning. This will be no ordinary job. It will be a game of control, manipulation, and unraveling. And Ruby? She’s about to become my most fascinating prey yet.