Hourglass (Book 1- Tractatori Series) | Wattys2016

::Chapter Ten::

Hunter swung back his shot of amber alcohol and slammed the shot glass against the bar.

"Another?" a pretty blonde with a low-cut dress asked.

He nodded, eyes on the crowd, as she poured him more.

The club was busy. Hunter couldn't tell where one person began and where another person ended. It was a writhing mass of grinding bodies, cheap cologne and sweat.

He tipped back the bitter alcohol, relishing the burn as it chugged down his throat.

"I don't suppose you've made any progress," a voice said beside him.

Hunter didn't bother to turn around. "What are you doing here, Lilian?"

"I'm just making sure you're doing your job. I'd hate to have to kill you."

He could almost see her fake, pink pout and her "innocent" wide eyes.

Hunter cracked his knuckles. "Everything is under control."

"Are you sure? Because there hasn't been any progress." A slender finger tilted his chin towards her. "Do I need to remind you of the stakes?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Lilian's breath was hot against his neck and he shivered. "I know what I'm doing."

A soft kiss warmed the hollow of his jaw. He pulled away.

"No, Lilian." He turned towards her.

She was gorgeous, there was no denying it. She had the perfect blonde hair and curvy figure, thick lashes and ruby lips. But he had to focus on the task at hand.

She crossed her arms, purposefully pushing up her cleavage. Hunter had trouble keeping his eyes on her face. "You're no fun," she pouted.

Hunter rolled his eyes, cleared his throat, and motioned for the bartender to refill his glass. They hadn't even bothered to card him. They never do. They take one look at him and the way he held himself, and then asked what alcohol he'd prefer.

"It's not my job to be fun," Hunter replied. "But you know that."

He watched her through half-lidded eyes as he tipped the drink back.

"Fine," she scoffed. "Just know that you're working under a time limit. It better get done soon."

He shot her a grin. "I know." He sat the glass down. "Did you hear about the attack on the girl and her friend?" He raised an eyebrow.

Lilian waved a manicured hand. "She was in the way. What can I say?"

"The boss won't be happy when he hears about it."

"The boss has more important things to focus on. I hardly doubt he'll care about the collateral."

Hunter frowned and tapped a finger against his lip. "Are you sure you got the metal into her blood stream?"

Lilian rolled her eyes. "Honey, there was blood everywhere. I'm sure I did. And if not, then I guess your job just got harder, didn't it?" She grinned at the thought.

"I've got my own methods," he said, flashing her his own devilish grin.

"Oh?" Lilian leaned closer, until Hunter had a perfect view down her dress. Her perfume wafted into his nose, and he couldn't decide if she smelt like flowers or fruit. She breathed against him and laughed as goosebumps erupted on his skin.

"Are you sure you don't want to have a little... fun?" she breathed. She planted soft kisses on the side of his neck.

Hunter swallowed, the temptation swaying him. "Just tonight."

:||:

Colette's mind was still muddled and confused after Hunter dropped her off, and she stayed that way long into the night. She hadn't even gone down to dinner, telling her parents that she ate too much at the mall.

She had no idea what time it was. All she knew was it was late. The moon was out, and the town was quiet, except for the occasional drunken yell from the bar down the street.

She glanced at the homework in her lap and realized there was no way she could focus on algebra.

Colette stood up, her stomach growling. She hadn't been able to eat all her lunch. Her thoughts turned towards Hunter before she chased them away.

She poked her head out into the hallway. Making sure her parent's door was closed and the light underneath it off, she tiptoed down the stairs.

Déjà vu flooded her mind from the last time she'd snuck down the stairs. Her thoughts drifted to Hourglass, and she found herself wondering if she was going mental.

She shook her head to rid her of those thoughts. Everything she'd seen had been real; they had to be. The old lady with black eyes, the store magically appearing, and how her wounds were already healed despite science yelling it wasn't possible. Logic screamed at Cole, but the idea that the world could contain more shoved it into the deep recesses of her mind.

The tile of the kitchen was cold beneath her feet, and she padded to the fridge.

"What are you doing up?"

Colette jumped, almost dropping a cup of yogurt.

She placed a hand to her startled heart. "Nothing, Dad. Just getting a snack." She waved the yogurt in the air before she frowned at her dad. "What are you doing up?"

He ran a tired hand down his face. "Just had trouble falling asleep." His eyes narrowed. "Did you do something new with your hair today?"

"What?" Cole twisted her blonde hair around her finger. It looked the same, if a bit darker from the dim light of the fridge. "No. Nothing new."

He shrugged. "It just looks... different. I thought maybe you did something with it at the mall with Brooke."

Brooke. Hearing her name made Cole's chest tighten.

"Is everything alright?" her dad asked.

"Yeah. Everything's fine!" she feigned a smile while cringing on the inside. Maybe she'd sounded a little too peppy.

"Are you sure? You've been hiding up in your room all day."

"Dad, I'm fine. Walking around the mall is tiring." She began to edge her way around her dad when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I saw that Brooke didn't drop you off."

Colette's mouth went dry. "Oh?"

"Things between you and Brooke, they're okay?"

"Yeah. We just had a little fight today, that's all." Cole fought to keep her voice even.

"Well, alright. Sleep good." He planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead. "And I mean it. Sleep."

"You got it."

She dashed up the stairs once out of his vision. Thank god she'd avoided more questions from her dad. What would she answer if he asked who dropped her off? No one, Dad, just a super hot guy who took interest in me. Probably because he pitied me after I ran into him. Did I mention my smoothie exploded on us? she thought bitterly.

Suddenly she didn't feel like eating anymore. She sighed and laid back on her bed, fingers tracing over her new scars. They still felt cold to the touch.

A wave of drowsiness washed over her, and her eyelids felt heavy. Unable to keep her eyes open, she fell asleep to dreams of scars, black eyes, and strawberry smoothies.

A/N: I know this is a somewhat filler chapter, but it's necessary. Please vote, follow, and comment. It's greatly appreciated since Hourglass has been entered in the Wattys!

And if your looking for a completed story of mine, then go check out Beyond Her Final Breath. (It is in the Wattys, too)

-Sophia