Live For It

|35|

He was too good at masking everything he felt, it eventually became a reality for him. He literally felt nothing. 

Felt nothing except for the choking feeling in his chest when he looked at her. 

Now he feels everything. 

Everything she casts on him, every single word that leaves her lips has his heart beating when he thought it didn't. 

Every nerve she grazes on his skin leaves his blood heating, bubbling beneath the blistering surface of what he hides from the world. 

He wished so bad to show her. 

But he didn't know how. 

The sleeping girl stirred, turning over so her body was towards Zion. He took his eyes off his phone to watch as her breathing settled again. The way her chest rose and fell, the way her shoulders tensed and relaxed. 

Everything felt so surreal. 

He wanted to tell her. 

But he still didn't know how. 

"Zion," merely a whisper, he turned his head back to her, meeting her tired eyes. They were glossy, clear and showing her real exhaustion.

She looked him in the eye, really looking at him, and said, "If I'm such a distraction, then do us all a favor and kill me."

His eyes barely widened, and his heart burned with shame. He didn't care if they heard, he knew that her validation of him was the only thing he actually cared about. He watched as she turned away from him again, realizing that he could never kill her. He never wanted to get rid of her.

"Zhara," she wouldn't look at him anymore, "Zhara-"

"You couldn't kill me if you tried, I know," she mumbled, chuckling under her breath, making him smile lightly. He was well aware of that, not just because of his attachment, but because she was a damn assassin herself. 

He felt them looking, but he didn't care at this point, they would figure it out themselves eventually. He gently grabbed her waist, avoiding her injury, and nudged her over so she was resting on his chest, her legs curled up next to his arms as he held her onto him. 

She glared up at him, hoisting herself up by the hand on his chest, smacking him lightly as she mumbled curses. 

"Fucking asshole," she grabbed his shoulders, scooting herself up, making him hiss. She froze, wondering if he was hurt or something, but then he smirked down at her. Her thigh was folded over his lap, making her realize what was actually wrong.

"Oh, you fucking pervert," she rested her head on his chest, hearing his deep chuckle through his ribs. It was a sound that made her smile. 

The men tried to conceal their shocked gazes, but a few of them saw this coming. 

"Aww," Isaiah quietly nudged Inan, pointing to Zion and Zhara. Inan looked at Isaiah with an unimpressed look. He was happy for Zion, knowing that Zhara was crazy just like him. They fit pretty well together.

Cobra looked over as well, trying to stifle his laughter at the irony. Literally an hour ago when they were in the car she was wanting to put him on her hit list, now she was laying on him like a teddy bear.

Matteo was beyond shocked, and a little frustrated, but he ignored the feelings.

Liam expected it, not as much as the others, but he still assumed. 

"Your father is in Milan," Zion spoke softly, tracing his hand over her back. She glanced up at him, not making any move to get up. 

"I figured," she sighed, pushing her back into his hand subconsciously. He raised a brow at her, confused on why she was so angry earlier if she already knew. 

"He goes there when shit gets bad, it's his hiding spot," she explains, "and I guess he found out about your contract with my brothers."

That made sense. Alphonzo was one to run away from everything. 

"And I'm guessing we're going so you can kill him?" she wanted to confirm, tapping her fingertips on his chest. 

"I warned your brothers not to let him leave...and he did-"

"You don't need to defend yourself, I understand," she claimed, "As I have always said, it's a relief that he is finally getting what he deserves..."

His mind goes back to the day she got so freaked out when Inan told her about her father raping someone, Zion realized she still didn't know who it was that her father sexually assaulted, then killed. 

"What are you going to do after he's dead?" Zion asks, now freely speaking to her, which was rare. 

She really thought about it. 

She was only planning to kill her father and then rest, which meant she would be of no use anymore. She tried straying from the voice in her head that kept telling her she was just a weapon for her father to string around. But it still followed her around. 

What would she do if she didn't have anything to accomplish anymore?

"Die," she blurted, and he narrowed his eyes at her. 

"I'm only half-joking," she shook her head at him, ignoring the look on his face about the 'half' part. 

"But seriously, I don't know," she mumbled as she looked away from him and over to the empty seats. "I'll figure it out, though...eventually."

He took that as the best answer he was gonna get for now.