Dangerous Allies // Cato Hadley

Part 5: Trapped

It was a prank. It had to be.

"Ha ha, very funny!" She called towards the camera bolted to the ceiling. "Now let us out!"

Cato's eyes drifted over the stuck elevator. "Yeah, I don't think this is part of the show, smartass."

Eve jammed her thumb into the help button over and over again, only to be met with silence. "Don't they know you could be killing me in here?"

"And give away winning the games?" He laughed. "I don't think so."

"How silly of me." She rolled her eyes. "I should've known you're only sometimes a homicidal maniac."

Her back slid down the wall until she felt the cold tile below her. "God, you're already stinking this place up."

"Oh, we both know I smell great." He sat down beside her and she didn't need to look to see the grin on his face.

She rolled her eyes. Not because he was wrong, but because he was right. Even after sweating all day he smelled good. Not in the way his expensive cologne smelled, but in the way his body smelled. It was more intoxicating than anything man made ever could be and it made her sick.

He sat close, with only a hand length between them. Two of her hands, one of his.

"Don't worry sweetheart, you smell good too." He said, leaning close to make a show of taking it in.

His breath fanned over her neck and she could feel goosebumps rising on her skin.

She brought up her hand and quickly rubbing them out before he noticed. "Don't call me sweetheart."

"Relax." He laughed. "I was giving you a compliment."

She shook her head. "This isn't what I'm supposed to smell like."

The synthetic rose and vanilla in her shampoo was strong enough to give her a headache, much like everything else in the capital.

He relaxed against the wall behind him. "Then what are you supposed to smell like, sweetheart?"

She ignored his dig.

"Like home." She said as she rested her head on the wall.

"Like fish?" He laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "No Cato. Not like fish."

He laughed again. "Yeah right."

If he wanted to mess with her, fine. But she could do it right back. "How about we go take a shower and see if I'm lying."

He groaned as his head rolled up to the ceiling. "God, I wish you were serious right now."

"Maybe I am." She said softly, making his eyes dart to hers.

His voice dropped an octave as he looked at her like she was his next meal. "Don't mess with me."

"But you make it so easy." She laughed.

Cato scoffed as he leaned back against the wall. "Now that was just cruel."

"I never thought the day would come for a career to call me cruel." Eve laughed.

"Anything's possible." He grinned. "Now tell me what you smell like."

"Fish."

His laugh was soft coming out of his pink lips. "I'm serious."

She smiled. She hadn't been able to just talk and laugh with someone in what felt like forever. She
hadn't expected it to be Cato who was giving her a break from the fear of death hanging heavily over her head.