Kael
I tried so hard to keep my cool, but I couldn't stop thinking about the call I got earlier today.
My phone rang in the middle of a rather entertaining conversation with Seraphina, but the feeling of relief faded as soon as I felt my phone buzz.
I lifted it properly to see who was calling. The mysterious number that had called me earlier ended the call immediately after dropping what he thought was a threat.
I wasn't exactly fazed by it, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered which secret he was talking about; the one that involved Seraphina, or my identity?
What was I saying? Every single thing I had done so far revolved around Seraphina. The sound of my phone ringing again cut through my thoughts, and I took deep breaths before answering.
I couldn't let Seraphina know who it was, so I switched to using our secret codes of communication whenever I was around the target.
"The yellow butterfly is green." Left to me, I would have chosen more appealing ways of informing him whenever Seraphina was near, but the dickhead had insisted we use his own codes; and the best he could do was use the word "Butterfly" as a label for Seraphina and "Green" as a code for when she was near.
I hated that I worked for him, but it was all part of my master plan.
A smirk appeared on my lips before I could mask it, but I didn't really care, to be honest. By the time I was done, he would know who the real boss was and it definitely wasn't going to be him.
"Great, then. Call me once the target isn't in sight." The gruff voice of the man who was my contractor went silent, and the call ended.
"Who's Butterfly?" Seraphina's face looked innocently inquisitive, and I thought of possible things I could say to divert her attention from my very brief conversation with The Boss.
"My girlfriend."
I almost winced at my disappointing response.
That was the best I could do? My girlfriend? Really?
Her expression darkened, but she quickly relaxed her face before she spoke again.
"You have a girlfriend? Wow, that's… rather—"
"Surprising?" I said, not meaning to sound rude, but somehow the look on her face made me want to reach out and tell her I was only kidding. It was both entertaining and annoying.
"Kinda. I didn't know you were the dating type."
"Whatever made you think I wasn't the dating type? Do I look like one of those frat boys you fantasize about?"
She shifted her gaze to the window before turning again, her expression stoic.
"I never said or implied anything about you looking like a frat boy, and trust me when I say my fantasies have nothing to do with those kinds of boys."
I tried to hold it in, but the inquisitive spirit in me was raging to know the type of boys she fantasized about. Before I could stop myself, the question slipped out of my mouth.
"What kind of boys do you fantasize about, Seraphina?"
Her gaze lingered on my mouth before she lifted her face and met my eyes with a defiant expression.
"Why do you want to know the kind of boys I fantasize about? Wouldn't that be cheating?"
"Technically, no. You make it sound like we're in some sort of romantic commitment. If you pulled your head out of the gutter, you'd see that it was a simple question a friend would ask."
I swallowed a few times. The atmosphere was suddenly so intense, and the car was so fucking hot I wanted to reach for my phone and ask the driver why the AC was off, but I knew better.
It wasn't because the AC was off. It was the way our conversation had shifted from safe grounds to something I couldn't quite place.
I waited for her answer, half annoyed, half entertained. Something about the look in her eyes made me want to explore other grounds that had nothing to do with this stupid conversation.
But she couldn't know that, or else my plan would be ruined, years of hard work and patience wasted—and I wasn't stupid enough to let that happen.
"First, I'll only tell you when you tell me the name of your girlfriend."
She was baiting me, and there was no way I was going to fall for her trap. I leaned back and looked out the window without saying anything.
I noticed the cute frown that appeared on her face, but there was no way I was giving in to her demands. I was Kael Riven.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have the guts to ask questions, much less be in my presence. But until I could get my revenge, I had to play along.
After what seemed like two minutes, she twisted her mouth in a funny way that I assumed was to let me know she was pissed.
"I like older men." Her sudden reply made me almost double down on the question I had asked earlier.
"You like what?" I said, barely hiding my curiosity.
"I prefer older men. They take over my fantasies, and I like it that way. All the books I read revolve around them."
I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't tell if I was surprised or… elated. Bastard, she wasn't talking about you.
"Aren't you surprised?" she asked in a tone that sounded like she had expected me to judge her.
"It's your life, Amorcito. I couldn't care less about the type of men you prefer."
That came out harsher than I expected, but these days, our relationship has been more… intense.
I got the feeling that if I didn't do something soon, both of us would end up in disastrous circumstances, and I couldn't risk that happening.
The screeching sound of the car brutally pulled both of us out of our daze. I could feel it, we had been hijacked.
I quickly grabbed Seraphina, and what happened next made time freeze.
The sounds of gunshots echoed through the air, and I held onto Seraphina while trying to think fast.
She wasn't dying today, and neither was I.