VIII
STORM
M icah was laying on his back, with my head on his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around me, as if he was afraid I’d disappear if he loosened the grip. Despite being hugged so tightly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. It made my heart swell, and a small smile tugged on the corner of my lips.
His hair was messy, and it looked adorable. For the first time, it looked as if he didn’t worry too much. Carefree with zero responsibilities. As if he wasn’t on the run from the law.
“I know I’m handsome, but you don’t have to stare so much.’’
I rolled my eyes with a laugh and tried to detangle myself from his hands. He didn’t allow that, and just brought me closer to his body.
“I can’t breathe,’’ I groaned. “Let me go.’’
“No. I like it like this.’’
“Yes, well, you’ll get to hug me as much as you want as soon as you answer all of my questions.’’
A groan slipped from his lips, and his body tensed. “Do we have to talk this early in the morning?”
“Yes,’’ I deadpanned. “I feel like you’d sneak your way out of talking if I just let you be.’’
“That’s correct.’’ He beamed at me. “But fine. Let’s have breakfast, then I’ll answer all of your questions.’’
Finally, he released me and stood up.
“Or we can talk while we’re preparing food.’’
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “I’d rather not. You’ll need to be seated for what I’m about to tell you. Besides, you need to learn what the word patience means.’’
“Fuck me,’’ I mumbled in frustration, hoping he didn’t catch it.
“Spread your legs and I will.’’
I narrowed my eyes at him in disbelief, and he threw his head back, laughing.
It was a rare sight to see him that carefree, and it wasn’t going to last. Our lives were too fucked up for us to be able to enjoy ourselves. So instead of arguing with him, I stood up from the bed with a sigh, wobbling as the sleepiness still hadn’t completely worn off.
Glancing down, I noticed that I was completely clean.
Something squeezed around my heart.
Micah dressed me in his shirt and cleaned me up entirely. As in, my hair was still a little wet. How the hell did he manage to bathe me without me waking up? Still, I wasn’t going to say anything. I was grateful that he was that careful with me.
He disappeared briefly, then returned with a pair of sweatpants and slippers. The sweatpants were undoubtedly his, from a while ago, since the size was too small to fit him now.
Silently, I followed him out of the basement. He grabbed my hand, intertwined our fingers together, and led me up the stairs.
He turned on the TV and put on a random show that I watched while he was preparing us breakfast. The blinds were closed shut for privacy, but rays of sunshine managed to sneak their way inside.
It was nearly time for Halloween, and it was too warm for October.
Just like the weather was unpredictable, so was our fate. I was anxious of the days approaching, knowing that at some point, I would have to make a decision. Something I wasn’t prepared for.
“It’s ready,’’ Micah called out. As if on cue, my stomach grumbled in agony.
I walked over to the already set-up table and took a seat. The breakfast consisted of a couple of pancakes, bacon, and toast. My favorite breakfast foods.
I didn’t wait for him to sit down and started eating immediately. I was too hungry to notice that the way I was eating resembled a pig. His eyes were on me at all times, and I could’ve sworn that he was suppressing his laughter.
“Stop laughing,’’ I mumbled, my mouth filled with food. “I’m hungry.’’
“Eat.’’ He pushed his plate toward me. “You’ve lost weight. Why aren’t you eating properly?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Could you if you were in my shoes? I mean, I’ve been having nightmares for three years. For god’s sake, I killed a man. I was afraid I’d get caught. Losing appetite just comes with that kind of stress, you know?”
“Wait, wait, wait.’’ He raised his hand up, eyes wide. “You did what?”
I blinked. “Uh, what?”
“You killed someone? What the fuck, Storm?”
I snorted. “You’re the one to talk.’’
“Stop it,’’ he gritted out. “It’s not a joking matter. Who did you kill and why don’t I know about it?”
I swallowed the last piece of pancake and pushed the plate away, no longer feeling hungry. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I stared at him.
“Of course, it’s not a joking matter. Do you see me laughing?’’
Micah closed his eyes briefly, nostrils flaring. Deep breathing didn’t seem to help, because once his eyes opened again, there wasn’t a single trace of the carefree man from a moment ago. His stern eyes made me glance away.
“Look at me,’’ he commanded. Why wasn’t I able to listen to my mind and did just as he asked?
“What did you do, Storm?”
The lack of my nickname stung. I’d gotten used to him calling me Bambi and hearing my name coming out of his mouth wasn’t a good feeling. It was unnatural and I didn’t like it.
I took a deep breath.
“Well, after I was taken to the hospital and you started your little run, the FBI was there. I found out that one of the cops someone shot didn’t die, and once I visited him, he told me he knew the kind of relationship we had, so I suffocated him with a pillow.’’
Micah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He remained silent for a couple of minutes, gathering his thoughts and wondering what the hell he’d just heard.
“No one saw you?”
“Of course not. I’m not an idiot.’’
“Do you have any regrets?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Do you?”
“It’s not the same, Storm,’’ he sighed. “I’ve been doing it for a long time, and I didn’t start killing because I was bored, and you know it.’’
“Neither did I. But no, I have no regrets. I was protecting something precious to me. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.’’
“Would you?”
“Yes,’’ I answered quickly, and his eyes shot open. He tapped the wooden table with his index finger and studied my face. He either wanted to see if I truly had no regrets, or he was hell-bent on making me second-guess everything.
“That’s not what I wanted for you.’’
“I don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I did it for you, but I also did it for me, Micah. I have no intention of going to prison, but if you want to, be my fucking guest.’’
Anger bubbled inside me, my heart picking up pace. I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes at him, waiting to see how he’d react.
Why the fuck was he disappointed I’d kill someone for him? He should’ve been ecstatic.
“Are you sure no one knows?”
“Yes.’’
He nodded.
“Now, you’re supposed to be talking. What have you been doing all this time, and why have you been killing so many people? I know it’s New York, but don’t tell me you’ve joined the mafia or something.’’
He was quiet.
“Or something.’’
He noticed the look of disbelief on my face and rolled his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I’m actually working for the mafia. It’s something similar, though.’’
“So I was right.’’ I grinned. “You’re killing people for money.’’
He shrugged. “More or less. The day I left you in that cabin, I was headed toward New York because a friend of mine was here and he was going to help me out. But as soon as I got here, I got ambushed.’’
“Clearly not by cops.’’
He gave me a look that told me to shut up.
“The people who ambushed me gave me a choice. Either join them and never get caught, or take my chances of possibly getting caught. I chose the first option.’’
“Who are they?”
“A very small organization. They’re doing contract killings for very rich clients.’’
“All I’m hearing is you could’ve come to me sooner, but didn’t.’’
Micah took a deep breath, leaning against the chair and tilting his head to the side.
“It’s not that simple, Bambi. I had to prove myself first. If they didn’t deem me capable of being a part of their team, they would’ve likely gotten rid of me since I already knew about them. I didn’t want to risk putting you in danger.’’
“So, you’re killing people for a living. How are they minimizing the chances of you getting caught?”
“The head of the organization goes by the name of Rapscallion. Only a handful of people work for him, but he takes care of us well. He has too many connections, all over the world, for us to get caught. And if by chance we do, he’ll get us out, one way or the other. That is, if we’re useful to him.’’
“I’m assuming you’re useful.’’
“Of course. He knew about me long before I escaped, and once The Terror of the Night was out, he wanted to recruit me, and he did. But let’s not talk about that; we have more important things to discuss.’’
A chill rippled down my spine.
“Such as?”
“That man, Kyle’’ — he spat out his name with distaste — “will come here tomorrow. Of course, he’ll come alone, and then you’ll have a decision to make.’’
All I saw was red — blinding rage. I stood from the chair, knocking it down in the process. My hands trembled as I fisted them and stared at him, half in shock, half in fury.
“Why the fuck would you do that? Do you want to get arrested?”
“No, I want to remove all obstacles, and right now, he’s sticking out like a sore thumb. He knows, Bambi.’’
I remain still in my spot, slowly blinking.
“No,’’ I whispered. “It can’t be.’’
Micah stood up from the chair and approached me, grabbing my thighs and lifting me off the ground. He placed me on top of the table, caging me between his arms as he stared at me.
“You’re smart. Think about it. No matter how successful you are, you’re just a professor. Why would someone of his caliber need you? Why would he fly you out to the same place where your kidnapper is supposed to be?”
Slowly, my mind started piecing the puzzle together. I did find it off how he requested me, but I was so desperate to find Micah again that I didn’t question it too much.
“He wouldn't.’’
“Exactly. Let me ask you, whose idea was to use you as bait?”
“Mine.’’
He nodded. “Not a single person, especially someone of his authority, would put a victim in danger again.’’
“That motherfucker.’’
Tenderly, he stroked my cheek, leaving his finger to linger on my skin. It was soothing, and the rage started to subside as I tried to think about this issue rationally. If Kyle knew, then there was a high chance everyone else knew as well.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
I was taken aback by his question.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…’’ He smirked devilishly. “How will you deal with this problem? Do you want me to remove the threat, or will you do it yourself?”
“Bold words coming from someone who reprimanded me a minute ago for killing someone.’’
Micah closed the gap between us and kissed the top of my nose.
“Let’s just say that you caught me off guard for a moment.’’
I ignored the tingling sensation between my legs.
“Did you outright tell him to come here?”
“If he’s smart enough — and sadly, the motherfucker is smart — he’ll come here alone. And no, I just left him a little clue, that’s all.’’
“Of course you did,’’ I mumbled under my breath. “Should we tackle this problem head-on?”
“The decision is all yours, Bambi.’’