The Hunter's Angel

Sleepless Nights

Peering up at him, I scanned his face for any injuries or signs of damage, as well as the rest of his body, but it was as perfect as it was when he had left.

The only signification that he had just taken out two men were the dark red stains on the collar of his shirt, as well as the dirt marks covering the rest of his clothing.

Afraid to hear the answer, I asked, "So...what exactly did you do to them?"

Hunter gave me a shielded glance as if he didn't want to scare me away, his jaw set tight.

"It took me a while to find the second guy. Guess he had ditched the area once he noticed his buddy was out for the count. I sent a couple of my men on it until we secured his location, and then I - well, quite frankly, I shot them dead. I'm not one for torture or any of that fancy stuff, don't really think they deserve the extra time it takes."

I managed to keep my mouth from dropping open, but I'm sure my eyes gave away my dismay.

It was still hard for me to grasp the idea of taking a life so easily, but I also understood that they weren't exactly exemplary citizens.

It seemed a little wrong, but I almost felt...relieved. Like, now that they were gone, maybe I didn't have to constantly look over my shoulder in fear.

"And what did you do with the bodies?" I said in a hushed tone, the word feeling too unlawful to say audibly.

"My men took care of it."

Of course, they did. I still couldn't believe that this was the guy I had a thing with. Someone who had men to literally take care of the dead bodies he produced.

It's not that black and white, I reminded myself. If he didn't take care of it, those men would've taken me out. 

"Does this mean I'm in the clear?" I questioned.

Hunter ran a hand across his jaw contemplatively, scruffing against the 5 o'clock shadow that was starting to surface.

I gulped as I thought about how that scruff would feel against my skin, what it would be like to have it brush against the inside of my thighs while he -

I seriously needed to stop. Why was I hornier than a pre-pubescent boy right now?

Oblivious to where my mind had gone, Hunter replied, "They're definitely still surveilling me, and most likely you as well, but you should be relatively off the hook for a while. Now that the cartel knows I'm not playing around, they should back off for some time."

It felt good to hear that they might finally leave me alone.

"But that doesn't mean that my men are going to stop watching out for you. I can't take that gamble just yet, if at all."

I nodded in understanding.

"I just can't believe that you have all that blood on your hands because of me," I professed. "I feel like I'm making you implicate your morals for my safety."

Hunter grasped my shoulders reassuringly. I was still in my pajamas, wearing a tank top with cotton shorts, so his fingers brushed my bare skin. "Layla, don't even go there. You're not making me do anything. As violent as it sounds, I would welcome every drop of blood on my hands if it meant keeping you safe. No matter what."

My eyes widened, meeting his in awe. The way he spoke of me - it was as if I was the only thing that mattered in his eyes.

"Hunter I-I don't even know what to say." He truly had me at a loss for words.

Sending me a soft grin, he uttered, "It's alright Angel, hearing you say my name is more than enough."

As if just realizing his hands were still on my shoulders, he lowered them slowly, causing his fingers to graze down my arms.