Chương 12: (The Restless Hearts)
"Calum, it's good you're already here. We can start talking about our plans."
Trae practically shrieked with excitement, his eyes lighting up as he spotted Calum entering the meeting room at headquarters. Calum leaned back in the steel chair, and Trae noticed the severe, inexplicable indignation etched across his face.
"Did your conversation with Crow leave you looking like that?" Trae asked, launching into his characteristically logical, investigative line of questioning, trying to show his distinct brand of sympathy or perhaps just indulging his nosiness.
Calum clasped his hands on the white, metallic table, ignoring Trae's question. Trae sat across from him, mirroring Calum's posture by placing his own clasped hands on the table.
"Your face is all over the news. I'm sure Crow knows you disobeyed his orders about handling that woman. I can't blame him for being angry with you," Trae said, his voice soothing, trying not to provoke Calum further. He wanted to make it clear just how much trouble Calum had created. Trae knew what had transpired during Calum's conversation with Crow. His radar for gossip was absolutely incredible. He was a veteran spy and assassin, reading conversations was child's play for him, a basic skill.
"Can we just talk about our plans?" Calum said, wanting to change the subject. Hearing those words from Trae's mouth was like listening to untuned percussion instruments, like a cacophony of bomb explosions. His ears felt like they were bleeding. His face was exasperated, as he glared at Trae with his raging eyes. It wasn't the conversation that made him mad, it was what he had done earlier. He was furious with himself for losing control, for giving in to his desire to kiss her. If he had pulled the trigger and not let his alter ego take over, he would be worry-free right now. He was angry that he had made his problems worse, that he was concerned about something he never thought he would care about.
"Okay, buddy," Trae said, a slight grin spreading across his face. He was used to Calum's perpetually angry demeanor.
"Don't let that woman change your perspective on life. Don't let her ruin you, soften that hard callus in your heart. Let me remind you of the mission you've always wanted to complete, the reasons why we fight and win," Trae said, his voice serious, his words carrying weight for both of them.
Calum stared at him, unable to deny the impact of Trae's words. He was right about everything. He shouldn't be affected by any woman. He lived for two reasons: to fight and to win. His heart was playing tricks on him, leading him astray. He wanted to convince himself he wasn't feeling anything for that woman, Mariana Rodriguez.
"We can't locate Eagle's new hideout. His security has been beefed up since our last attack, and he's avoiding the FBI," Trae said fiercely, granting Calum's request to change the subject. Calum sighed and listened attentively. At last, even if only for a short time, he had a reason to forget the madness that was threatening to consume his life.
Russell James, also known as Eagle, was one of the world's most powerful syndicates, and Crow had been his rival for years. He was a cold-blooded criminal who had no conscience. He had killed countless people, adults and children alike. He was brutal, his soul already damned in hell, even though he was still alive and breathing.
Eagle had a significant role in Calum and Trae's lives, which is why they were so eager to eliminate him, not just to take him out of the world, but to destroy him completely, to tear him to pieces. They loathed him with a passion.
"Kidnapping Crow was their motive. It gives the FBI a reason to suspect and investigate Crow, instead of hunting down Eagle," Trae said with a sly smile.
"That's actually a good idea, right? Because we don't need to do anything to make that bastard show up. He'll come out of his nest soon to negotiate with his clients. Too bad he didn't realize he should fear us more than those bunch of useless, worthless special agents from that trash FBI," Trae said, his voice laced with anger. He slammed his hands on the table, emphasizing his words.
"What are we going to do next?" Calum asked.
Their question left them both speechless. They looked at each other, and from the look in their eyes, they both knew what their next mission would be.
Bloody.
"Yeah, I'll tell you again. Get rid of that woman." Trae said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Calum narrowed his eyebrows. He thought Trae was going to say something related to their bloody mission, but nope. He wanted to tease him, and he did, as usual.
Calum leaned back on the soft mattress of his bed. So many concerning things had happened today, and he was exhausted. He was shirtless, a habit he had developed before going to bed. He placed his right hand behind his head, using it as a pillow on top of the actual pillow. He forced his eyes shut, but it was against his will. He hadn't checked on Mariana, he didn't know if she was still in the house or if she had run away. He hoped he didn't care, but he did. Maybe it was because if Mariana escaped and testified, Crow would definitely kill him, or maybe it was because he was worried about her.
His expression was blank, his eyes fixed on the white ceiling. It was crazy that he was thinking about her, remembering the words she had spoken, how she had felt about him, and unexpectedly, the memory of their kiss invaded his mind. He had kissed many women before, but he couldn't explain how good it had felt to touch his lips to hers, to have her body so close to his, to feel her hand on his face. He imagined her effortlessly beautiful eyes staring deeply into his, and it made him growl.
"God damn it!"
He ran his hand through his hair, keeping his hand above his head as he forced his eyes closed again, trying to banish her image from his mind. He clenched his jaw and hissed.
"Shit!"
She had given him an affliction that was slowly tormenting him, disbelief warring with his own feelings. For once, he wasn't angry, he was bewildered and anxious. Logically, he was afraid. Afraid of fighting for this unusual thing called love on an unknown battlefield.
Mariana slipped her left hand under the white pillow as she lay on her side in bed. She was unhinged. She knew he had arrived at the house when she heard his car park an hour ago. That's why she hadn't tried to leave the room to see him. She was frightened and ashamed of what she had said to him, of how she had let him kiss her, and how foolishly she had kissed him back. She was thinking about all the things she hadn't done, how she hadn't even tried to escape or run away. It might seem like she was enjoying being kidnapped, but she had a good reason. She realized that being by his side made her feel safer, away from danger. At this point, she just wanted to fall asleep and forget everything that had happened, hoping that when she woke up in the morning, everything would be back to normal. She missed her life, and she missed Alton. Surprisingly, she missed her fiancé. She was slowly losing respect for herself. She knew she had a fiancé, but she had managed to kiss someone else. It was so hard for her to resist Calum because, even though she denied it to herself several times, she did feel something for him. She forced her eyes shut, trying to escape the pain her shattered heart was causing.
That night was the longest night of Mariana and Calum's lives. They were both sleepless, their minds and hearts restless.
***
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