Manhunt

Chapter 11

"Go ahead—we leave the best for last here." She taunted back, unable to stop the shit eating grin that molded her lips.

He immediately started singing, fully utilizing his well-developed vocals to his advantage. The crowd roared, surprised by the energy that he had stored within him. Considering how much they loved Bruno Mars in the Evans household, the two started dancing to the beat, coordinating a few dance moves that they always whipped out during events like this. When he popped his collar with a foolish grin, Julia sung back at him, exhibiting just as much energy as him. The song switched over to Happy by Pharrell Williams, and they belted the lyrics as they shimmied to the music, no longer trying to defeat each other but instead, entertain everyone in the only way they could—by acting like fools.

Finally, the mashup finished, leaving her out of breath but thoroughly satisfied with the moment she had with her father. It was times like now when he felt like her best friend, unafraid of taking life by the hands and making the best of it. Grinning at her, Aiden moved to give Julia a hug, thankful that she went along with his spontaneous request. When he looked at her like that, it really was impossible to stay mad at him.

Applause and whistles filled the boat, causing her to snap back to reality and remember where she was. Totally flustered now, Julia set the microphone down as soon as they were done hugging, clearing her throat awkwardly. The heat on her cheeks had spread to the rest of her body, and she all but scrambled back to Zane's table in hopes of disappearing amongst the guests.

Any attention felt strange to her. She was used to hiding and keeping a low profile to stay out of the radar. It was what she was trained to do. But to have her father doing the exact opposite was confusing on its own at times, especially when they were surrounded by unknown agents.

When she got to the table, she noticed that most of the noise was coming from Zane's table. Damn them. She sat down with a conflicted expression, absolutely embarrassed as they all snickered at her sulking.

"You were right, she did get aggravated." Claire commented to Zane, biting back an amused smile. Julia sighed as she shook my head.

"You're going to regret that," she stated playfully, shaking her head at them. "Hope you're ready for your funerals." They all laughed at her threat, knowing it had no real meaning to it. Johnny opened his mouth to comment but Julia shot him a look, prompting him to clamp his mouth shut. That's what I thought—

"Pretty sure I can take you on." He declared quickly, ultimately disregarding her look. She raised her eyebrows.

"Pretty sure Jenny has a better chance at that than you do." She returned easily, watching his lips part slightly in surprise from her unfriendly response. His reaction pleased her more than she had initially anticipated.

"Today just really isn't your day." Carlos shouted over the now blaring music after everyone's laughter had died down. He turned to her. "Let's be good friends."

"You, young lady, are really mean." Johnny said, making sure he looked visibly hurt and upset. Julia rolled her eyes and grinned.

"I was kidding," she reassured him, shrugging nonchalantly. "Trust me, I'm not a threat to anyone." He decided to take that as an apology and grinned in satisfaction, getting up to check up on Jenny. The waiter from earlier arrived again, this time carrying a small plate with a silver domed cover. He placed it right in front of Julia, ensuring to maintain eye contact with her. He smirked before walking past her, dropping a neatly folded paper on her lap.

Before he walked out of the room to the front deck, he turned back and looked at her, almost daring her to follow him. Bewildered, she turned back to the meal container.

She lifted the top up slightly, peering into the sliver of an opening before her heartrate skyrocketed. Lying in front of her was a white rose with red blotches identical to the one she found at her school. Both her heart and mind were racing, and before she knew it, she was getting up to go after him.

"I'll be right back." She stated to no one in particular, plastering on a cool smile so as not to alarm anyone. It took everything in her to take calm, measured steps towards the direction that the waiter disappeared to.

When she felt that she was out of sight, she slammed the door open and dashed towards the front deck, finding only one way out of the ballroom. He stood on the railing, completely balanced with his hands in his pockets. Another smirk appeared on his face when he caught sight of her.

"Ah, Julia. I knew you'd be smart enough to follow." He hummed, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. Do mind my manners." He walked back and forth on the steel beams like a cat, his eyes never leaving hers.

"No, you haven't." She replied, trying to control the shakiness in her breath. "How about you start?" He took a moment to consider her words, extending the theatrics.

"Matthew." He stated simply, grinning at Julia's willingness to cooperate with his game. The way he revealed himself aggravated her. To spies, their identity was their lifeline, and shouldn't be shared with the enemy. If an agent ever revealed it, it meant they didn't think of you as a threat. He was underestimating her.

"Quite the pleasure, Matthew."

"The pleasure is all mine," he teased, cocking his head as he took her in with a watchful gaze. "Aren't you a pretty one?"

"You flatter me." Julia went to reach for her knife, but inwardly cursed when she remembered that she came empty handed. She hadn't been expecting a wedding crasher.

"It's too bad that I'll have to kill you." He admitted with a cold smile, observing her with sharp eyes. "But let's leave that for another time. Enjoy your night, sweetheart." Before she could take one step, he leaned back and allowed himself to fall, diving into the dark waters below. Alarmed, Julia ran over to where he jumped, desperately trying to find any sign of him. She screamed in frustration and cursed at the wind, pounding on the railing.

She'd lost him.