A War of Guns and Roses

Chapter 38

Xavier's POV

The sounds of bullets raining down on the training dummies bounded through my ears. I was bristling at the thought that they were teaching her to shoot. I was not going to let them taint her innocence. Not more than I already have, anyway.

As I entered the training center, I was bewildered at the sight in front of me. There stood the gorgeous angel, her feet apart, firing bullets with a frenzy and precision aim at the dummies. Her breathing was hard and harsh and she looked weary as if she had been doing this all day, which she probably had. Light tremors shook her limbs the slightest bit and yet, she didn't call out for a break nor did she break eye contact with the dummy.

Lorenzo caught sight of me and immediately froze in mild guilt. I threw him a glare and gestured him to bring them to a stop. He called out for them to stop and she finally let the guns down, her hands trembling.

She looked around and finally caught sight of me, furrowing her eyebrows adorably at my expression.

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" I asked her slowly, moving towards her as Lorenzo and Quentin looked on.

"My father taught me self defense?" she questioned, unsure because of my probably eerie expression.

"Did you not question why you needed to learn how to handle a gun, self defense or not?" I demanded.

"I did," she protested weakly. "He said it was because he has many enemies that are just waiting to destroy him and his family."

A moment of pregnant silence ensured. I stared at her unblinkingly. If...if she is who I think, then...

I did not know what I would do.

My teeth clenched together at the possibility and sharp jabs of pain travelled through my body. I struggled not to wince. She looked back at me, almost scared. My sweet, innocent little angel. Would she do something like that to me?

Only one way to find out.

As much as it was going to hurt me if it turned out to be what I thought it was, I asked the crucial question.

"Elaine..." I started, her name sounding bittersweet on my tongue. "What exactly is your full name?"

"Elaine McLean Elizabeth Greene."

As soon as she uttered those words, my entire body was awash with flames. She can't have been...

Now, even more vigorous and numerous stabs passed through my body at the betrayal. I trusted her. I knew I shouldn't have. What have I done?

"Why?" She asked in a small voice as if she wasn't grinning with victory from inside. It was almost enough to fool me. Almost.

"Xavier...what's wrong?" She asked, sounding nervous.

The little bitch.

Heat was slowly encasing my body as my heart throbbed. What the hell was happening?

I stepped closer to her with an icy look that should have frozen her over and revealed her true colors. "You can stop acting now. We have already caught you."

"What?" she asked, still pretending not to understand what I was saying.

"No, Xavier. She can't have known." Lorenzo spoke up. "Just look at her. She would have never told us her full name if she knew."

I pursed his lips, considering it. It was actually true. Her acting couldn't be that good and no one can be so brave to reveal their true forms and still stay in the enemy territory. And hadn't I spent the entire week with her? She didn't act off at all. In fact, everything that she did looked completely genuine.