─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN:
That's all I was? A job?
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Aki stood like a deer caught in headlights. She had been alone in her bedroom, not so long after she left Chuuya's bedroom when the burner phone began ringing. Her heart was racing in her chest as she stood with the phone to her ear, her lips parted, ragged breaths leaving her mouth. Had she heard him right? Or did her ears deceive her?

"What?" She squeaked, her voice coming out barely above a whisper.

On the other end of the line, Katsu inhaled slowly, "I said your target has discovered your mission," Hearing him saying it again didn't make her feel any better. She didn't want confirmation. She wanted to be told she had heard him wrong—anything other than what he was saying. "Akira, I am so very disappointed. You must leave the Port Mafia at once, before they have the chance to swarm you with their forces." I don't want to. I don't want to leave. Why is this happening?

"I—" She stopped her words in their tracks, her hand coming up to touch the ribbon around her neck. She knew this day would come, only, she didn't think it would be so soon. And she thought she would have completed her mission by the time it came. She was the worlds greatest assassin—how had she been figured out? Had the Double A underestimated the Port Mafia? Nothing made sense.

"Akira," Katsu sternly said. "You must return to the Double A immediately. If you don't I'll have no choice but to punish you. Perhaps, I'll have Kana terminated just to teach you a—"

"No," Aki spoke over him, urgency in her voice. She closed her eyes, trying to collect herself but her head was dizzy, her heart thumping in her chest. "I'm leaving." She assured him, her words physically hurting her chest to say out loud.

"Very good. Do you remember my favourite restaurant? Head over there. I'll have a driver collect you within two hours." He told her, but Aki could barely hear him. White noise had taken over her ears, making everything muffled. She was on the verge of panicking—something she hadn't done in a very long time. It was such a sickly feeling, her lungs seizing, chest tightening. She felt like she was going to fucking die.

"Understood." With that, she hung up the phone.

She didn't move an inch. She just stood there, her eyes squeezed shut, chest rising and falling with each breath. She didn't think it would ever come to this—she thought she would be able to leave on her own terms. She had months left with the Port Mafia, but it seemed that Mori was already onto her little scheme.

                  She quickly hid the burner phone behind the painting and then began pacing back and forth before she came to a halt, squeezing her eyes shut. She was going to come clean. She was going to find Chuuya and she was going to tell him everything. It didn't matter that she would have to leave, she just needed him to know that she had never intended to hurt him. She needed him to understand—it was something her soul desperately craved. But then she remembered.

Her eyes suddenly flew open.

Mori had called Chuuya into his office only an hour before, which wasn't anything new. But the timing. She felt her heart drop. She tried to feel him—she tried to seek him out in the building, her fingers tingling. I can't feel him. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the earth, impossible to feel. That's when she realised. He knew. Mori had told him, and now, he knew what a traitor she was—something he hated most in the world. He had poured his soul out to her the night before, telling her all about The Sheep and their betrayal and she had sat there and comforted him—she comforted him whilst she was doing the very same thing. She wasn't going to have the chance to come clean to him; it was too late.

And then she felt him.

Her eyes widened. He wasn't alone, in fact, there was a whole squad with him. She could feel their footsteps in her fingers—there were at least forty Port Mafia guards with him. It was then that she realised. He didn't intend to speak with her—he didn't want to hear her out. She had betrayed him and now and he was coming for her with full force.

When they stopped outside the door, she felt the ammo of assault rifles be clicked into place. She swallowed hard. She had no choice—she couldn't allow her emotions to get the better of her. She had to switch it off. If she didn't, she would be dead, and if she were to die then everything she had done would have been for nothing. She couldn't stand the notion. She had been merciless once, she would have to become it again—even towards the man she adored. It was like she had already thought, they were doomed from the beginning, there was no other way for it to end between them, no matter how hopeful she had been a few moments before.

She moved towards the window, keeping her back to it as she rooted her feet to the ground, controlling her heart rate until it dropped completely. Switch it fucking off, Aki. After a moment, her door was kicked off the hinges, Port Mafia guards rushing the room with their assault rifles pointed right at her. She didn't do so much as flinch.

Chuuya entered the room, his coat resting over his shoulders, hat tipped downwards on his head, casting a shadow across his face. He didn't look at her as he entered, his eyes trained on the ground. But when he did look up, there was an expression in his eyes that Aki hadn't witnessed in quite some time—only now, it was far darker than before. He wasn't looking at her as the woman he had fallen for—the woman he would do anything for. Instead, he was looking at her like she was the enemy, an ant beneath his boot he intended to squash. It made Aki's heart drop. No more, Aki. Don't allow yourself to feel anything else. She had no choice but to allow a wave of coldness to wash over her—she had to if she was going to face the man in front of her.

A smirk slowly worked it's way onto Aki's lips as she raised her head higher, "All of this for little old me? Don't you think it's a bit dramatic, Chuuya?" She drawled out, a wickedness taking over her body, tainting her soul once again.

Chuuya stared at her, unblinking, "Come with me willingly and this won't have to get messy." There wasn't a shred of emotion to his voice as he spoke—as if he were purely robotic. He had entered the mode of Port Mafia Executive. He had a job to do. There wasn't a chance in hell he was about to show emotion in front of his subordinates. And especially not to her.

                    Aki stared him down, "You know I can't do that." She said, taking a slow step backwards towards the window.

                    Chuuya's gaze narrowed, "I'm warning you, Kitagawa," He threatened, his voice coming out as a growl. So, we're back to a last name basis, huh? "We have orders to open fire if you don't come with us at your own will. If you don't surrender, you won't be leaving here alive." His words were true. Just as Kana had come for her because she would rather her be dead than a traitor, Chuuya would do the same. She had betrayed the Port Mafia—she had lied to his face over and over again. She had seduced him. Used him. There was no forgiving her. He wasn't about to let her escape.

                     Aki scoffed, "Come on, you know bullets can't hit me." Except for that one time, Chuuya thought. The first and only time Aki had ever been shot had been by his hands. She had never seen it coming—but why? Had she trusted him so deeply that she never would have expected him to shoot her? Was she trusting he wouldn't shoot her in that moment too? It enraged him. She was playing with him—using his feelings for her own gain. He wasn't about to be weak, if he were to ever shoot her again, it wouldn't be to save her, but to kill her.

                     Chuuya rose a brow, "You think you can avoid all of them?" He challenged, taking a moment to glance around his comrades. They were ready to pull the trigger on his orders—only on his orders. He just had to say the word.

                     "I know I can," Aki insisted, a sly smirk on her lips. "But you're not gonna shoot me, Chuuya—"

                     "Stop calling me that." The redhead growled, his eyes glowering dangerously at her.

                   Her lips parted, a hint of a smile on them, "If you're going to shoot at me then get it over and done with. Prove that you're willing to do it, Nakahara—prove that you're willing to kill me." She edged him on, holding her arms out, welcoming the rain of bullets. She didn't know how she felt. Do I want him to shoot me? Do I want him to spare me? She had been fighting for her life for so long that it came naturally, but would dying by his hand really be so bad? She couldn't think of a better person to take her out—a more deserving person. But still, a part of her was relying on him not giving the order to shoot.

                  Chuuya's teeth gritted together, "Why did you do this?" It was a glimpse of emotion. He hadn't meant to show it, but he wanted to know the answer—he was desperate to know the answer. If infiltrating the Port Mafia to get to Mori had been her main objective, then why had she involved him? Why had she kissed him? Why had she touched him? Was it all a part of her plan? Did seducing him help her get close to Mori?

                    Aki sighed heavily, "I'm an assassin, remember?" Those four words hurt Aki to say and simultaneously hurt Chuuya to hear. She shrugged nonchalantly. "I had a job to do, so I did it. There's not really much else to it."

                   Chuuya stared at her, his gaze darkening. That's all I was? A job? He began to raise his hand into the air as Aki watched his every movement, "You're not going to come with me, are you?" You're not going to come back to me, are you? Is what he really wanted to say. He was so conflicted. He'd hoped he would have seen a glimmer of emotion behind her eyes, something that told him she was sorry—something that showed regret. But there was nothing. Her eyes were as cold and calculating as they were the day he met her.

                    Aki gave him a smile, tilting her head, "Sorry, baby. But I have places to be." She drawled out, offering a shrug.

                    Chuuya sighed, closing his eyes, "You asked for it." The hand he was holding in the air closed into a fist and within seconds, bullets were hurtling through the air straight at her, the sound of gunshots rattling through the building. Aki didn't move an inch, in fact, she barely even blinked. But before the first wave of bullets could hit her, a clear wave of energy surrounded her body like a shield, sending the bullets hurling back at those that shot at her.

                  The room lit up red when Chuuya activated his ability, stopping the bullets from hitting himself or any of his men. The brief cease of bullets had given Aki the chance to get closer to the window, her hand reaching outwards as she turned her back to him, "Don't let her escape!" Chuuya ordered, releasing his ability, the hundreds of bullets falling to the carpet, just as her fingertips touched the glass.

                 The window shattered beneath her touch, glass falling into the room and the streets below. Aki glanced over her shoulder, just a second before the second wave of bullets could come. She smirked, winking before stepping off the ledge, "No!" Chuuya yelled, taking a hasty step forwards as bullets began reigning terror again. But it didn't matter. She was already gone.

                   "Shit." Chuuya hissed under his breath. He couldn't risk going after her, not when he could cause mass destruction around the Port Mafia building. He'd have to wait—he'd have to hunt her down before finishing what he started. Damn her. Damn that fucking woman.

                  "Should we go after her?" One of the guards asked the man as he stood with his back to him, his teeth gritted together.

                  "No. It will only bring unwanted attention," He told them before inhaling sharply. "You're all dismissed until further notice." Each of the men listened to him, exiting the room, leaving him alone.

                   He looked around, his eyes narrowed, teeth grinding together. His eyes landed on the painting to the left of the bed where Aki had been sleeping for weeks, making his eyes narrow further. He remembered something she had said on their first mission together. The memory took him towards the painting before he lifted it, his hand feeling behind it. His fingers brushed against an object resting against the frame, making him pull it out.

                   He flipped open the burner phone, opening up the call log, seeing there had only ever been one caller. He opened the messages next, reading a thread of texts. He felt rage bubble inside of him. Aki had been communicating with Katsu the entire time, doing his bidding within the Port Mafia. It made him sick. He had given himself to that cunning, calculating woman. And he hated himself for it.

                There had been a massive indent in the ground from where Aki had landed, her ability activating just on time to soften her feet hitting the ground. It had cracked the cement beneath her, making pedestrians cry out in surprise, rushing to get away from her. She had looked up at where she had jumped from—at least sixty-feet in the air. No one seemed to be coming after her, but she had expected that. Chuuya was smart. He wasn't about to start a fight with her right outside of the Port Mafia Headquarters; it would have only brought them unwanted attention.

                    She knew she had some time before they would find her again, so the first place she went to was a hunting store. She stocked up, buying various sized of hunting knives which she hid on parts of her body. A knife in each of her boots, hidden below her socks. A larger hunting knife strapped to her left thigh. Another one strapped to the right leg, along with a silver handgun, all concealed below her skirt. If the Port Mafia we're going to come for her, she was going to make sure she was fully loaded. Using her ability was always an option, but it was more fun to use weapons. The moment she bought the items, she handed the man behind the counter her credit card which was stacked with money from the Port Mafia. She told him to treat himself—and to not tell anyone who came by which direction she had went in. He had taken the card, his eyes like flying saucers.

                 Next, she headed for a clothing store. Whilst passing a mannequin, she snatched an elaborate black hat from its head, sliding it off whilst simultaneously ripping the tag off. The hat reminded her of what widows would wear in films—when they had been the ones to murder their spouse. It was screaming crazy-rich-lady.

                   Once she was finished, the hat shielding her face, she headed in the direction of the restaurant, making sure to avoid streets where she knew security cameras were. She slipped down alleyways, scaled walls and slipped through back entrances to get to her location. When she arrived at the fancy restaurant, it was overly crowded, soft jazz music playing from the band in the corner.

                   She approached the man at the reception, putting a smile on her face, "I have a reservation under Tanaka." She said to him, her voice sweet. She didn't have a reservation. However, Katsu owned the restaurant and all she had to do was mention his name to earn herself a table.

                  The man's eyes widened slightly, as they usually did when an associate of the owner stopped by—the man had come to understand that those that worked under Mr Tanaka we're not good people. And the pretty woman in front of him was no exception, "Of—Of course, Miss. Right this way." He stuttered slightly, straightening himself out as he led her across the restaurant. There were couples dancing on the dance floor, spinning in a endless Tango's. Aki rolled her eyes in passing.

                    "Here you go, Miss," The man said, his Adam's Apple bopping nervously as he spoke. There was something so disastrously beautiful above the woman he was pulling a seat out for that it made him sick. "Can I get you anything?" He asked her, though his tone showed he was eager to get away from her—to put as much distance between himself and her as possible.

                  Aki rose her head, thinking about it for a moment, "Red wine, please. Your most expensive bottle." Because why the fuck not? She was having a rough day due to her Boss and his schemes. The least he could do was pay for a drink for her. Though, if he had been sitting there opposite her, she never would have dreamt of it.

                  "Right away, Miss." The man hurried away, making Aki let out a heavy sigh as she took the hat off her head, dropping it on top of the circular table. There was a lit candle in the centre, the flame dancing in the air. Aki's fingers reached out, touching the flames, a frown on her face. She didn't feel anything.

                  The man returned with her bottle and a glass, pouring it for her before disappearing once again. Aki waited for over an hour, staring into the dance floor, watching the couples with a narrowed gaze. Eventually, she was halfway through the bottle of wine, her lips tasting of the substance. Katsu had said he would sent a driver within two hours, which meant she only had fifteen minutes left.

                  She reached across, picking up the glass with bored eyes. It was almost empty. Suddenly, she felt a presence creep up behind her—it was so overwhelming, just as it was the first day she had felt it. But she didn't tense. She didn't run. In fact, she didn't move an inch as a gloved hand reached down to the wine bottle resting on the table.

               A second hand wrapped around her fingers holding the glass, tipping it back slightly as the wine bottle was lowered to it, "Allow me."

AUTHORS NOTE.

             anyone think this book was ever going to go from enemies to lovers and then back to enemies🫣?

              — taylor xx