Just then, there was a knock on the door. Mira wondered who that could be.

"Miss Mira?

"Yes, who is it?"

"I am here to deliver a message from Mr Kade."

Kade.

What does Kade want this morning? Isn't it too early to be tormenting her? Now he had had a good night's rest, pickles, and coffee. What was next on his to-do list, 'torment Mira'?

"What is the message?"

"He asks you to meet him on the lawn in the next ten minutes."

Mira was surprised. Why would he want her?

"Why?"

"Morning exercise."

What! 

―――

It took twenty-five minutes before she was ready. She wasn't aware that Kade jogs in the morning and she wasn't prepared.

And coupled with the fact that she had not had any sleep in the last uncountable hours, she was a little bit slow.

So the monster jogs. Isn't that a cherry on top?

Kade Valenti jogs in between killing people, kidnapping women, and other crimes. How delightful!

He must think highly of keeping fit, for him to wake up in the morning and jog.

He could jog all right, but why should he pull her into this?

The cold was bitter. Although it was still autumn, this morning had the vibes of winter. He wore a head warmer and running pants. But despite the cold, he wore a sleeveless shirt. Perhaps, he might have been doing this for a long time, the cold wasn't getting to him like her.

Is this what pickles and a cup of coffee get you? She knew of the pumps of a good cup of coffee, but she had no clue of the vegetable.

He did some stretches as she approached.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning." She said,

"Beautiful weather we are having today."

She looked around, at the blade of grass bending in the morning cold. "Yeah, it is great."

"I think we should go jogging, you know run some of the stress away."

"Your idea is brilliant. But you should know I am not the jogging type."

"Nonsense. Everyone is the jogging type. You don't just have a good enough reason to do it."

Mira thought of what he said. Why was he jogging? Is he doing it to outrun the law enforcement?

"What is your reason?"

"Health. In whatever you do, you should never let your health go. Health is important, health is wealth."

Mira laughed. This is rich coming from a smoker. She doesn't think he actively smokes but yes he does, "Oh yeah, I hear you. I think you make a valid point but I don't have any reason to be here. So I think if it is remotely possible, can you excuse me from this?"

"Are you kidding me? You said you don't have any reason to jog? Is being healthy not enough reason?"

"I am perfectly healthy, thank you very much."

"Stop that, that is what my Uncle Angelo said before he had a heart attack."

"Well, I am not your Uncle."

"Yes. But you are still jogging with me, no questions asked. You will be staying all day in the house, living a sedentary life. I wish to ruin your life and watch you suffer. What is the fun if I let a heart disease get you?"

Mira's anger stirred. He is really banking on keeping her here and ruining her life. He is crazy to think he would succeed. He really had 'torment Mira' on his to-do list.

"So you are making me jog, because you intend to keep me here and torment me?"

Kade smiled, it was that wicked smile. "Is that not great? You try to serve me with pain and now here I am serving you with the plate that you try to serve me with? What such poetic justice."

Mira wanted to say something but refrained from it. This man was determined to hurt her, no words could change his mind. She should not think they are going to run for a few laps and stop, he is going to run her down. She should be prepared for war.

"Okay, do some jumping jacks to loosen your stiffness. Usually, my gym instructor Billon takes care of this but he is out of town, so this is me filling in for him."

Mira rolled her eyes, she didn't care about that information, she was only weary of the punishment her tired body was about to endure. She was tired, body, mind, and soul.

He took the lead and did five repeats of jumping jacks. Mira did it too. They were jumping jacks and they shouldn't be hard. But it felt as if she was carrying the weight of the whole world on her shoulders.

Her heart was racing like she had run a marathon and they hadn't even started jogging!

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Before long they started jogging. They were doing laps around the field. It was a fairly large but it was easy for him to scale it. He was used to jogging, she was a total newbie.

She struggled but she didn't want to show him her pain. But how long can she keep this up? She was powering through the first lap, how could she survive if he insisted on ten?

"You are taking this pretty good," he said as he slowed down for her to catch up during the third lap. She didn't say anything, she couldn't. Her lungs were on fire at this time and the ache in the head wasn't subsiding.

They crossed the fourth lap and the fifth and she was still holding on. It was at the eighth lap, that she collapsed.

At this moment, she couldn't feel her legs anymore. Hot air poured out of her lungs as she panted in the grass and all the muscles of her body ached.

No sleep, coupled with worry and this rigorous —well, not so rigorous but she wasn't used to it— regime is taking its toll on her body.

He didn't notice she was down until he ran a couple of feet and when he saw her, he debated with himself if he should stop or not.

He stopped eventually and backed up. The sun was coming up on the horizon and the light of day was getting brighter. He laughed at her, at how she struggled for breath.

"What are you doing there?" he asked.

"I...n....d...mm...."

"What? I cannot hear you. Did your cat get your tongue? Did Jasper do it?"

"I a...out...ti...time ou...out."

"What? Time out? This ain't the NBA, there is no time out, you get up your ass and continue."

"Pl...please, I ca...can't go on any longer."

"Sure you can, six laps around this tiny field is not your limit. You are only being lazy, get up now or face the consequences."

Mira didn't know what he meant about consequences, but it's better not to find out. She was in no state to take more of Kade's blows, she needed to retreat and regroup.

She tried to stand up on her elbows and knees but her body won't move. She needed to rest a bit on the grass and collect herself. If only Kade understood.

"I said get up."

He doesn't. Why should he? He is bent on tormenting her life, why would he pass on this glorious chance?

"Please, Kade, a little rest." She managed to say as she caught some of her breath.

"Do I look like I care about you? Get up!"

At that, he grabbed her hand in an attempt to pull her back to her feet.

First, it was their fingers that touched, but then he locked his around hers and gripped them. He intended to use this as anchorage to lift her..

...but something else happened.

A weird feeling surged down Mira's spine. It was warm and reassuring, unapologetic and endearing. For that split second, she could not feel any of the pain that plagued her.

Not her head that was banging like a shotgun or her muscles that were almost giving out. Or her chest that burned from exhaustion.

Nothing at all.

It was like they were all suspended like he touched her with a magic wand.

Mira's surprise was etched on her face.

What is this touch that solved all her problems?

Why were his hands so soft and warm?

She would have believed that the hands of a killer would be strong and unfeeling like his cold heart. But Kade's heat was soft and warm. It felt like the hand of a pampered child moisturized with baby lotion.

Kade must have felt it too. Yes, the warm feeling. Yes, that is why he was looking at her with such surprise.

The connection only lasted three seconds, suddenly, Kade dropped her hand and she fell back into the grass.

"Get up and go to your room. The session is over," he said and walked to the house leaving her on the grass.