Sins of the Past (Gung Ho Series #2)

Chapter 3

BREATHING IN THE unfamiliar view in front of her, Margaux gasps for air. That handful of air in London is a breath of refreshing oxygen, never in her life she imagined stepping a foot on the land of the kings and queens. It feels surreal, almost like a dream. But the reason for coming here saddens her. It is not like she is here so she can visit every tourist spot in London. She is here because of him, Mr. Brad Summerhald. And simply because Kevin needs him as a decoy.

Standing in front of the Buckingham Palace, she tries to calm herself. Breathing in and out somewhat helps her relax, but it has been half an hour since she started waiting for the appearance of Mr. Summerhald.

Losing her patience, she is afraid that any moment a thread may snap. But seeing a sight of a man running towards the gate made her hopes high. It’s him. No, it isn’t. It’s Kevin. What the fuck is he doing here?

Her jaw drops and hangs in the air as the bunch of men dressed like soldiers are running after him.

What the hell is happening?

“Open the gate...” he yells at her. “Open it, Margaux!” he commands.

Stuck where she stands, she manages to open the gate and runs to him. He is out of breath. She doesn’t have the slightest idea of what caused him to run like those guys are about to make him dead meat. She fears for her life. And his.

“What happened, Kevin?” she asks as they run away from those soldiers.

“I don’t know,” he says, denying.

“What is it?” He can’t escape from her scrutiny.

“Can we just run for now?” He sounds irritated as he runs as fast as he can.

“You’re right, best if we do.”

Finding an empty cab right in time is a blessing. Both of them exhale sharply as soon as they are inside the car.

“So what happened?” She interrogates him once her breathing becomes normal.

Contemplating, he just stares at her with those mesmerizing gray eyes of his.

“What?” She insists.

“I got fired,” he says, resigned as he gazes at the car floor.

They arrive safely at the hotel. Traffic seems to be manageable in London, and she feels relieved that she can finally remove the filthy white dress and get back in her sweatpants and T-shirt. But her main concern right now is not the filthy dress—she still can’t accept it. Kevin instigating a commotion in the Buckingham Palace may hinder in carrying out the mission assigned to them. Agreeing to this set-up must have been a wrong decision. If only she is not the only girl in their team, she wouldn’t be with Mr. Summerhald on a date. Kevin is a jerk for suggesting the stupid idea. And now, getting closer to their target is harder than expected.

Kevin disguised as one of the palace staff sucks!

He is a sucker as an employee. He loses his temper easily. His plan sucks.

He barges into the part of the suite which belongs to her. It is not a surprise since they always stay in one room during the training days back in the Philippines. He plunges her bed like he owns the place. He bounces as he sits on the edge of the bed after settling down.

“So how was the date with Mr. Summerhald?” Kevin teases her as she undresses herself and throws the piece of cloth on his face.

“It was awesome!” Her eyes dart on him as she fakes her fondness about the turn of events.

“Did something happen?” He takes his own joke seriously.

“Yes, we did it.” Her hands and knees dip on the bed as she poses like a chic predator ready to eat her victim on a silver platter.

“Sure, you did.” He smiles at her knowing exactly what lies behind her twitched lips.

The bed creaks as she crawls towards him. She hears little laughs coming from him as she approaches him like a tigress.

“Rawr...!” She animates as she clutches her fingers like a paw.

He reciprocates her gentle attacks as he hugs her playfully. Their bodies dip on the mattress. He embraces her tightly as he kisses her forehead.

“Kevin...” she says under her breath.

“Hmm...” he interjects, being thoughtful about what she is about to say.

“Say, we stop doing this.”

He jerks at her words. She is aware that the idea of leaving the team is absurd.

“You don’t mean that.” He pulls her away and gauges her expression. He rejects the idea. He wants what he is doing and it is fulfilling to be part of ESAF Team. To be in the military service has always been a dream of his.

She hesitates before granting him a favorable response. She knows it. He loves what he does. Serving the country is a dream, it is his passion despite coming from a well-off family. It is still a surprise for her that a man like him wants this kind of job, dangerous and life is always at stake, when he can just manage one of the hotels of their family and stay in a luxurious, air conditioned room. But still he has chosen this.

“Alright, pretend I never mentioned it.” Her lips pout as she regrets suggesting the idea and she knows he’s against it.

“Don’t worry. Once the higher-ups give us a go for a long vacation, we’ll get married.”

“Really?” She seems lost. It’s the first time Kevin ever brought up that topic. It’s always her. But now he appears so comfortable talking about it.

“Yep, and also our honeymoon.” He smirks at her, that playful smile he always flashes at her.

They are still young and it’s a wonder if their parents will agree. They have been together for more than fourteen years. The moment of the first time they met is still a vivid memory they will not easily forget. That moment seems to have stopped, and the rest is history waiting to be told.