Status: Done!
Trigger Point
Trigger Point
He sighed flicking the cigarette as far as he could off the building, a hunk of spit projecting afterwards.
He rolled his shoulder to ease some of the tension in them. The last job had been brutal, not only were there guards at every exit point in the whole damn building but he was paired with a bunch of newbies who thought what they were doing was fun and something to look forward to in life. It took everything in him not to yell at them for being so reckless and stupid with their lives. He’d seen to many people, men women and children, die that way not that there was much he could do about it. He had drilled in his head to just get the job done saying and feeling as little as possible.
“Sonny,” his voice was a low threatening rasp.
He didn’t react to the person calling his name, he had known they we’re there from a seven yards away. The man was heavy footed with a two second delay in his left foot, he had a gun tucked in the side of his pants on the right side –his dominate side.
“Blair,” he forced his voice waver.
The element of surprised was all in the person, it had nothing to do with catching somebody off guard with an action because truthfully that never happened. It was all a mental hocus, you wanted to trick their mind to think you were going right when you were really going left. You needed to get the brain so over stimulated you could make it believe whatever you wanted it to.
“How’d you find me Blair?”
He kept his voice at a low shaky tone, keeping Blair from attacking. Leading him to think he’d talk for his life, he hand slowly brushed the pocket on his lower thigh as he rose from the ground. In the pocket was a pill that would kill him instantly, something he kept with him at all times in case he got into the wrong hands.
Once he stood at his full height of six foot three he matched Blair stare for stare. Blair Strickland was no man to try and tumble with, he was known for the feel of danger and essence of death. While he himself had been told on numerous occasion that his eyes held shadows; Blair’s were like a dark hole. He killed for the pure joy of it rather than simply getting the job done.
Blair leaned his weight onto his left foot and Sonny’s gaze fell to Blair’s right hand. The weight shift was a distraction for Blair’s right hook to hit him dead across the chin, he seen the muscle in his arm twitch.
Blair grinned, the venomous smile blinding “Finally a worthy target.”
Sonny came to an immediate stop in his analysis. Target? He was the target?
Blair circled him it was a wide circle with enough room to rush or flee, “I missed you once Sonny,” he nodded in agreement. Blair had tried to take him out on a mission they had together and ended up with a broken nose and a failed assassination.
“Your little disappearing act put a little smudge on my reputation.”
Sonny snorted opting to forget defense and move into offense walking in the opposite direction of Blair, forcing him to circle the other way so they wouldn’t meet face to face.
“Your reputation was tarnished the moment you went against orders and tried to kill me,” he didn’t raise his voice nor did he force it to waver like earlier. Why continue to play mouse when Blair could see right through it?
Blair opened his mouth to speak and Sonny cut him off, chucking another hunk of spit out his mouth. The gunk landed on the top of Blair’s shoes, the glare he received was hostile.
“You’re going to clean that with your blood punk,” his words were snarled.
Sonny pursed his lips mockingly, “I’m shaking in my pants.”
With quiet footsteps Blair darted off backwards spinning on heels building momentum. Startled Sonny wanted to hit himself over the head for letting Blair get into his head, he was for sure he was going to attack. This was obviously now a game of wit and skill rather than brute strength.
As quick as Blair turned Sonny was running after him. The distance between them wasn’t great, not that it matter much. It mattered little the distance away from him Blair was but the tricky maneuvers Blair pulled before he caught him.
He followed Blair all the way to the train station, never getting close enough to capture his target but enough to frighten him. Blair stopped right at the end of the train tracks, standing completely still. A rapid whistle of the train pierced the sky forcing him to speeding up his stride. Blair threw him a smirk jumping onto the moving train. He let loose a foul curse, not hesitating in following him onto the train, grabbed the edge of a railing when he finally reached the machinery swinging his legs over quickly.
He climbed the ladder up onto the top of the train, not willing to risk getting seen but passengers on the train.
He scanned the area for any signs of Blair but he looked to be long gone, Sonny bit back a snort he knew better than to just trust his eyes. Eyes were a person’s biggest weakest in his world.
He walked with careful measured steps looking around slowly. At the tiniest hint of Blair he would lunge, but everything was quiet completely quiet. Minutes ticked by but Sonny was absolutely positive Blair was still on this train. There were only a few blind spots on the fast moving train and he crouched behind one of them. The sky grew darker and his eyes adjusted in a haste not wanting to miss a thing when a figure slid up a ladder on cart ahead of his own. The figure quickly shot forward into the shadows of the night, and for a moment Sonny lost sight of him. In that split second, Sonny realized Blair managed to turn the tables, Blair’s instincts kicking in making Blair attempt to hunt him instead of the other way around.
All at once Sonny leap to his feet cursing his delay before jolting forward, the train was slippery due to the rain that had pelted down earlier. Balancing he leap across air onto the second cart barely making it to sturdy ground before Blair was on him.
A sharpened knife in hand Blair slashed at his mid-section and face, he dodged left than right barely missing the blade as it moved in intricate patterns across the air.
“Why not fight me like a man?” he bit out as the blade scraped across his forearm from elbow to wrist. It was a deep cut and it was enough to warn him to stay on his toes.
Blair paused gracing him with an unimpressed grin, “Men use their fists…murders use their toys.”
Sonny could detect the note of glee in Blair’s voice when he talked about his ‘toys’, it sickened him to think of the pleasure Blair got out of a kill.
Taking the opportunity given to him Sonny ducked down twisting and taking Blair’s legs out with one of his own. Shooting forward he used one hand to grip the hand holding the knife using the other to wrap around Blair’s throat; he slammed his knee into his groin.
Blair coughed morphing it into a laugh, “You tryna’ kill me or make me all hot and bothered boy?”
Sonny grinned, “Didn’t you swung that way old mule.”
His insult was minor but enough to get a reaction, one that he hadn’t wanted to happen. Blair head-butted him square in the face catching him dead in the middle of his nose, the motion loosened Blair’s hold on the knife and Sonny ripped it from his hands. Wincing at the pain radiating from his nose he sliced deep into Blair’s abdominal before Blair managed to kick him off.
He wiped the blood spilling from nose with an amused smile, “Look! You have another battle scar to add to that tarnished reputation of yours.”
Blair growled deep, “Always running your fucking mouth.”
Blair charged him catching him by the stomach and pushing them off the train and onto the hard cement of the road. He hit the ground hard, the thump ringing through the forest. He hadn’t been able to turn Blair on his back so he’d take the impact instead. His back groaned at the mistake, he bit his tongue to get himself to suck it up. He rolled just as Blair’s boot smashing into the ground where his head previously lay. He called on his own will power to stand and duck and dodge left when Blair threw a right followed by an upper cut. He kept ducking and dodging even when his mind screamed at him to get on the offensive. Maneuvering away from heavy attacks were wearing his stamina thin, but not as much as hitting and missing was Blair. He finally found his opening and rammed his shoulder upwards into Blair’s stomach; he followed with knee and stood on shaky feet.
He shook his head to shake away some of the haze from Blair elbow to the temple. He hissed and shook his head harder the dark haze continued to build and build until he felt at the edge of unconsciousness. He fought it and looked up to try and find Blair, only to be met when complete silence and Blair nowhere in sight.
“You’re more than welcome!”
She laughed as the woman in front of her continued to shake her hand hastily, “You have no idea what this means to me Dakota! Absolutely none!”
Unfortunately, Dakota was almost positive she did. Lily McGregor had went on and on about how much the leg piece would mean to her family and made sure to go over every single detail of her less than inspiring story. The tattoo itself was a rather simple idea, a German shepherd with normal bred color and hazel eyes, but she wanted to do more and after getting approval from Lily she did just that. She rather easily transformed the normal routine tattoo into a colorful jaw dropping piece of art.
“I’m pretty sure I do,” she gave a low cocky chuckle.
The comment was slightly insulting and Dakota immediately wanted to apologize but she swallowed that small insecure Dakota. She wouldn’t apologize for saying anything, Sonny wouldn’t apologize for what he did or say.
Lily just continued to grin as she left the store whether she was ignoring the comment or just plain didn’t care she didn’t know, nor did she really want to find out.
Dakota sighed and popped her neck and locked up the door glancing up at the clock.
11:45
All at once the exhaustion settle over her, rolling her shoulders she made her way through the store, deciding to clean up the mess over chairs and equipment tomorrow and made her way towards the back and the stairs that lead to her house.
She kicked off her shoes at the front door briefly noting Skipper didn’t come running toward the door and jumping up and down at her arrive. She loved Skipper but she just didn’t have the energy to go through the ‘average’ routine with him tonight. A full sleeve, a whole stomach piece, a thigh piece, and two tiny tattoos did that to a person.
She counting her blessing and striped as she went, taking off her skinny jeans and socks followed by her pretty crop top. She breathed in deeply smiling on the inside at the silence that encased the house.
The peacefulness of the quiet quickly went away when she opened her bedroom door and seen her Husky lying on the floor chewing enthusiastically on a raw hind bone with Sonny perched on her silk Egyptian comforter bleeding and sweating.
He threw her a pained lopsided grin, “What’s up sweetness?”
Her eyes narrowed in anger, “Of all the stupid, inconsiderate, irritating, insufferable-”
Sonny rolled his eyes and his hand as her finished her statement, “Miserable, horrible, intolerable, yad yad yad yeah I’ve heard it all before.”
If it was possible her anger rose even further, “If you’ve heard before why do you continue to break into my house?”
Again she felt the tiny insecure feeling when Sonny wrinkled his nose at her; she growled aloud at herself and shook it off.
Sonny rose an eyebrow, “You cold sweetness?”
“No,” she practically spat the words at him. Again she wondered if she was being too harsh, he hadn’t actually done anything to her besides break into her home but he had done it some many times before she should somewhat expected it.
“Why?” Her tone was kinder, actually giving him a chance to talk without having to worry about her biting his head off in the process.
His devilish smirk was her first and only warning, “Because looking like that on a night like this I would have expected you to be.”
Her eyebrows pushed together and she looked down at herself, she was only in a pair of boy shorts and lacey tank top. Her cheeks flushed against her will and she scowled herself. Sonny could be calm cool and collected in any situation, yet she couldn’t even control her own cheeks.
She chose to ignore his remark knowing there was no way she could retort without reverting back into the insecure little girl she wished she wasn’t. She muttered a simple ‘come here’ before walking up to him and dragging into the bathroom across the short hallway. Sonny followed her with little resistance, which meant he was actually hurt. That worried her, it took a hell of a lot to injury Sonny to such a degree. She pushed him onto the toilet and took a step forward to examine his face, ignoring the hypnotic orbs the color of a brewing storm. Tiny scrapes lined different point of his face blood barely oozing out. She used her eyes to scan over his chest and stomach, taking notice that his skin tight shirt had blood splattered all over it obviously none of it was his own. She locked away the thoughts of fear before they could make an appearance. Her eyes move on to his left arm, it was caked with dry blood and as she lifted it she seen the long smooth pattern of the gash. It was a clean line all the way down confirming Sonny had gotten into a fight with an experienced killer.
“How do you know that?”
She barely jumped but it was enough for both of them to notice, “Know what?”
She reached under the cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit way in the back, the only specifically for Sonny.
“Who hurt me and how they did it?”
She continued to remove the first aid kit from the cabinet below and placing it onto the counter opening it and grabbed what she needed before she answered, “It’s obvious it’s a knife cut Sonny that much isn’t hard to figure out.”
He sat unmoving as she put the cotton ball full of peroxide directly over his gash, “How do you know who did it?”
She rolled her tongue over the front of her teeth, a tale of hers, she didn’t exactly know who attacked Sonny and why he thought she did had he confused as well.
“How do you know I know?”
His eyes intensified examining her every movement as she fought to ignore him and doctor his cut, she grabbed the needle and thread.
“Your eyes sweetness, their like an open book doesn’t help that your face lite up in recognition after a while.”
She wanted to bash her own head, her tales where even greater than she originally thought. All those hours of practice and discipline gone in mere seconds in his presence; she felt like a fool. Like a little girl playing dress up in her mother’s close, she tried to mimic Sonny’s cool persona and failed. Was that what she really was? A little girl trying to fill shoes to big; the thought rocked her to her core.
Finally her forest green met his stormy grey, “After doing this for a while you start to remember similar things.”
As soon as the words were out her mouth she wanted to take them back. Sonny’s eyes went vacant; the once clear grey was covered by clouds. He made no movement to leave her grip but she had a feeling it had more to do with the fact that she was only half way down rather than the fact that he wanted to keep contact with her. He was distancing himself from her and it tore are her soul.
She looked back down to continue her work but tried to mend her wrongs, “I didn’t mean it like that Sonny I just meant-”
“Meant what? That you can’t handle being in my life? That you can’t handle me? Well guess what I don’t think you can either.” His voice was calm cool and collected just like he always was, his voice didn’t raise or lower an octave.
His words were meant to sting and they did, Sonny was all she had and vice versa. She couldn’t understand why they always felt the need to bite at each other the way they did.
“Sonny damn it I didn’t mean-”
“We both know what you meant Dakota.”
Dakota bit back the hurt of the words and grasp the anger; she hadn’t actually mean any harm by her words. They were the truth, nothing more and nothing less. He had to expect her to remember all the scars, all the blood, all the nightmares she had to help him through over the years. Did he really think all that just went away because it was a new day?
“Sonny just shut up okay? Everyone can’t just up and forget everything like you do. I remember everything we’ve been through together! Every time I had to sit here and stitch you up and bandage your burns and fix whatever fucking mess you made of your body.”
“You think I don’t remember Dakota? I had to sit and watch as I put you through the torment of fixing all my injuries because of the shit I’ve made of my life!”
Her mouth gaped in astonishment as finished the final stitch on his arm, “Shit? You think your life is shit? Sonny you’ve spent the last five years perfecting your skills and becoming one or the best at what you do. That by itself amazes me beyond words.”
For the first time in a long time Sonny’s facade cracked as he gave her a look of disbelief, “Being a killer amazes you? I kill people for a living, I lie constantly about who I am and what I’m about. I’m an over confident jackass with no self-preservation, but you Kota are something amazing. I wish I had chosen the path you had and done something more with my life rather than waste it on pointless violence. You own your own house and tattoo shop. You’re in college and a well-known tattoo artist-”
She cut him off by throwing the material into the first aid kit and slamming it shut, spinning on her heels and glaring at him harshly, “A well-known tattoo artist that’s to insecure and is as easy to read as a book! Nothing about me intrigues people; I can’t talk my way out of any situation or suddenly become somebody else. I constantly try to be like you!”
She hadn’t realized she was crying until Sonny stood up and gripped her face delicately in his hands. The pads of his thumbs wiped away the tears as his forehead came in contact with hers, “You’re not easy to read Dakota.”
She leaned into touch not caring how easily he could read her as she gazed into his beautiful eyes, “But you said-”
He gave a chuckle that made her gut clench in anticipation, “You’re easy to read for me because you’re mine sweetness.”
She gave a silly grin at the familiar line, “Then your mine killer.”
He rolled his shoulder to ease some of the tension in them. The last job had been brutal, not only were there guards at every exit point in the whole damn building but he was paired with a bunch of newbies who thought what they were doing was fun and something to look forward to in life. It took everything in him not to yell at them for being so reckless and stupid with their lives. He’d seen to many people, men women and children, die that way not that there was much he could do about it. He had drilled in his head to just get the job done saying and feeling as little as possible.
“Sonny,” his voice was a low threatening rasp.
He didn’t react to the person calling his name, he had known they we’re there from a seven yards away. The man was heavy footed with a two second delay in his left foot, he had a gun tucked in the side of his pants on the right side –his dominate side.
“Blair,” he forced his voice waver.
The element of surprised was all in the person, it had nothing to do with catching somebody off guard with an action because truthfully that never happened. It was all a mental hocus, you wanted to trick their mind to think you were going right when you were really going left. You needed to get the brain so over stimulated you could make it believe whatever you wanted it to.
“How’d you find me Blair?”
He kept his voice at a low shaky tone, keeping Blair from attacking. Leading him to think he’d talk for his life, he hand slowly brushed the pocket on his lower thigh as he rose from the ground. In the pocket was a pill that would kill him instantly, something he kept with him at all times in case he got into the wrong hands.
Once he stood at his full height of six foot three he matched Blair stare for stare. Blair Strickland was no man to try and tumble with, he was known for the feel of danger and essence of death. While he himself had been told on numerous occasion that his eyes held shadows; Blair’s were like a dark hole. He killed for the pure joy of it rather than simply getting the job done.
Blair leaned his weight onto his left foot and Sonny’s gaze fell to Blair’s right hand. The weight shift was a distraction for Blair’s right hook to hit him dead across the chin, he seen the muscle in his arm twitch.
Blair grinned, the venomous smile blinding “Finally a worthy target.”
Sonny came to an immediate stop in his analysis. Target? He was the target?
Blair circled him it was a wide circle with enough room to rush or flee, “I missed you once Sonny,” he nodded in agreement. Blair had tried to take him out on a mission they had together and ended up with a broken nose and a failed assassination.
“Your little disappearing act put a little smudge on my reputation.”
Sonny snorted opting to forget defense and move into offense walking in the opposite direction of Blair, forcing him to circle the other way so they wouldn’t meet face to face.
“Your reputation was tarnished the moment you went against orders and tried to kill me,” he didn’t raise his voice nor did he force it to waver like earlier. Why continue to play mouse when Blair could see right through it?
Blair opened his mouth to speak and Sonny cut him off, chucking another hunk of spit out his mouth. The gunk landed on the top of Blair’s shoes, the glare he received was hostile.
“You’re going to clean that with your blood punk,” his words were snarled.
Sonny pursed his lips mockingly, “I’m shaking in my pants.”
With quiet footsteps Blair darted off backwards spinning on heels building momentum. Startled Sonny wanted to hit himself over the head for letting Blair get into his head, he was for sure he was going to attack. This was obviously now a game of wit and skill rather than brute strength.
As quick as Blair turned Sonny was running after him. The distance between them wasn’t great, not that it matter much. It mattered little the distance away from him Blair was but the tricky maneuvers Blair pulled before he caught him.
He followed Blair all the way to the train station, never getting close enough to capture his target but enough to frighten him. Blair stopped right at the end of the train tracks, standing completely still. A rapid whistle of the train pierced the sky forcing him to speeding up his stride. Blair threw him a smirk jumping onto the moving train. He let loose a foul curse, not hesitating in following him onto the train, grabbed the edge of a railing when he finally reached the machinery swinging his legs over quickly.
He climbed the ladder up onto the top of the train, not willing to risk getting seen but passengers on the train.
He scanned the area for any signs of Blair but he looked to be long gone, Sonny bit back a snort he knew better than to just trust his eyes. Eyes were a person’s biggest weakest in his world.
He walked with careful measured steps looking around slowly. At the tiniest hint of Blair he would lunge, but everything was quiet completely quiet. Minutes ticked by but Sonny was absolutely positive Blair was still on this train. There were only a few blind spots on the fast moving train and he crouched behind one of them. The sky grew darker and his eyes adjusted in a haste not wanting to miss a thing when a figure slid up a ladder on cart ahead of his own. The figure quickly shot forward into the shadows of the night, and for a moment Sonny lost sight of him. In that split second, Sonny realized Blair managed to turn the tables, Blair’s instincts kicking in making Blair attempt to hunt him instead of the other way around.
All at once Sonny leap to his feet cursing his delay before jolting forward, the train was slippery due to the rain that had pelted down earlier. Balancing he leap across air onto the second cart barely making it to sturdy ground before Blair was on him.
A sharpened knife in hand Blair slashed at his mid-section and face, he dodged left than right barely missing the blade as it moved in intricate patterns across the air.
“Why not fight me like a man?” he bit out as the blade scraped across his forearm from elbow to wrist. It was a deep cut and it was enough to warn him to stay on his toes.
Blair paused gracing him with an unimpressed grin, “Men use their fists…murders use their toys.”
Sonny could detect the note of glee in Blair’s voice when he talked about his ‘toys’, it sickened him to think of the pleasure Blair got out of a kill.
Taking the opportunity given to him Sonny ducked down twisting and taking Blair’s legs out with one of his own. Shooting forward he used one hand to grip the hand holding the knife using the other to wrap around Blair’s throat; he slammed his knee into his groin.
Blair coughed morphing it into a laugh, “You tryna’ kill me or make me all hot and bothered boy?”
Sonny grinned, “Didn’t you swung that way old mule.”
His insult was minor but enough to get a reaction, one that he hadn’t wanted to happen. Blair head-butted him square in the face catching him dead in the middle of his nose, the motion loosened Blair’s hold on the knife and Sonny ripped it from his hands. Wincing at the pain radiating from his nose he sliced deep into Blair’s abdominal before Blair managed to kick him off.
He wiped the blood spilling from nose with an amused smile, “Look! You have another battle scar to add to that tarnished reputation of yours.”
Blair growled deep, “Always running your fucking mouth.”
Blair charged him catching him by the stomach and pushing them off the train and onto the hard cement of the road. He hit the ground hard, the thump ringing through the forest. He hadn’t been able to turn Blair on his back so he’d take the impact instead. His back groaned at the mistake, he bit his tongue to get himself to suck it up. He rolled just as Blair’s boot smashing into the ground where his head previously lay. He called on his own will power to stand and duck and dodge left when Blair threw a right followed by an upper cut. He kept ducking and dodging even when his mind screamed at him to get on the offensive. Maneuvering away from heavy attacks were wearing his stamina thin, but not as much as hitting and missing was Blair. He finally found his opening and rammed his shoulder upwards into Blair’s stomach; he followed with knee and stood on shaky feet.
He shook his head to shake away some of the haze from Blair elbow to the temple. He hissed and shook his head harder the dark haze continued to build and build until he felt at the edge of unconsciousness. He fought it and looked up to try and find Blair, only to be met when complete silence and Blair nowhere in sight.
“You’re more than welcome!”
She laughed as the woman in front of her continued to shake her hand hastily, “You have no idea what this means to me Dakota! Absolutely none!”
Unfortunately, Dakota was almost positive she did. Lily McGregor had went on and on about how much the leg piece would mean to her family and made sure to go over every single detail of her less than inspiring story. The tattoo itself was a rather simple idea, a German shepherd with normal bred color and hazel eyes, but she wanted to do more and after getting approval from Lily she did just that. She rather easily transformed the normal routine tattoo into a colorful jaw dropping piece of art.
“I’m pretty sure I do,” she gave a low cocky chuckle.
The comment was slightly insulting and Dakota immediately wanted to apologize but she swallowed that small insecure Dakota. She wouldn’t apologize for saying anything, Sonny wouldn’t apologize for what he did or say.
Lily just continued to grin as she left the store whether she was ignoring the comment or just plain didn’t care she didn’t know, nor did she really want to find out.
Dakota sighed and popped her neck and locked up the door glancing up at the clock.
11:45
All at once the exhaustion settle over her, rolling her shoulders she made her way through the store, deciding to clean up the mess over chairs and equipment tomorrow and made her way towards the back and the stairs that lead to her house.
She kicked off her shoes at the front door briefly noting Skipper didn’t come running toward the door and jumping up and down at her arrive. She loved Skipper but she just didn’t have the energy to go through the ‘average’ routine with him tonight. A full sleeve, a whole stomach piece, a thigh piece, and two tiny tattoos did that to a person.
She counting her blessing and striped as she went, taking off her skinny jeans and socks followed by her pretty crop top. She breathed in deeply smiling on the inside at the silence that encased the house.
The peacefulness of the quiet quickly went away when she opened her bedroom door and seen her Husky lying on the floor chewing enthusiastically on a raw hind bone with Sonny perched on her silk Egyptian comforter bleeding and sweating.
He threw her a pained lopsided grin, “What’s up sweetness?”
Her eyes narrowed in anger, “Of all the stupid, inconsiderate, irritating, insufferable-”
Sonny rolled his eyes and his hand as her finished her statement, “Miserable, horrible, intolerable, yad yad yad yeah I’ve heard it all before.”
If it was possible her anger rose even further, “If you’ve heard before why do you continue to break into my house?”
Again she felt the tiny insecure feeling when Sonny wrinkled his nose at her; she growled aloud at herself and shook it off.
Sonny rose an eyebrow, “You cold sweetness?”
“No,” she practically spat the words at him. Again she wondered if she was being too harsh, he hadn’t actually done anything to her besides break into her home but he had done it some many times before she should somewhat expected it.
“Why?” Her tone was kinder, actually giving him a chance to talk without having to worry about her biting his head off in the process.
His devilish smirk was her first and only warning, “Because looking like that on a night like this I would have expected you to be.”
Her eyebrows pushed together and she looked down at herself, she was only in a pair of boy shorts and lacey tank top. Her cheeks flushed against her will and she scowled herself. Sonny could be calm cool and collected in any situation, yet she couldn’t even control her own cheeks.
She chose to ignore his remark knowing there was no way she could retort without reverting back into the insecure little girl she wished she wasn’t. She muttered a simple ‘come here’ before walking up to him and dragging into the bathroom across the short hallway. Sonny followed her with little resistance, which meant he was actually hurt. That worried her, it took a hell of a lot to injury Sonny to such a degree. She pushed him onto the toilet and took a step forward to examine his face, ignoring the hypnotic orbs the color of a brewing storm. Tiny scrapes lined different point of his face blood barely oozing out. She used her eyes to scan over his chest and stomach, taking notice that his skin tight shirt had blood splattered all over it obviously none of it was his own. She locked away the thoughts of fear before they could make an appearance. Her eyes move on to his left arm, it was caked with dry blood and as she lifted it she seen the long smooth pattern of the gash. It was a clean line all the way down confirming Sonny had gotten into a fight with an experienced killer.
“How do you know that?”
She barely jumped but it was enough for both of them to notice, “Know what?”
She reached under the cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit way in the back, the only specifically for Sonny.
“Who hurt me and how they did it?”
She continued to remove the first aid kit from the cabinet below and placing it onto the counter opening it and grabbed what she needed before she answered, “It’s obvious it’s a knife cut Sonny that much isn’t hard to figure out.”
He sat unmoving as she put the cotton ball full of peroxide directly over his gash, “How do you know who did it?”
She rolled her tongue over the front of her teeth, a tale of hers, she didn’t exactly know who attacked Sonny and why he thought she did had he confused as well.
“How do you know I know?”
His eyes intensified examining her every movement as she fought to ignore him and doctor his cut, she grabbed the needle and thread.
“Your eyes sweetness, their like an open book doesn’t help that your face lite up in recognition after a while.”
She wanted to bash her own head, her tales where even greater than she originally thought. All those hours of practice and discipline gone in mere seconds in his presence; she felt like a fool. Like a little girl playing dress up in her mother’s close, she tried to mimic Sonny’s cool persona and failed. Was that what she really was? A little girl trying to fill shoes to big; the thought rocked her to her core.
Finally her forest green met his stormy grey, “After doing this for a while you start to remember similar things.”
As soon as the words were out her mouth she wanted to take them back. Sonny’s eyes went vacant; the once clear grey was covered by clouds. He made no movement to leave her grip but she had a feeling it had more to do with the fact that she was only half way down rather than the fact that he wanted to keep contact with her. He was distancing himself from her and it tore are her soul.
She looked back down to continue her work but tried to mend her wrongs, “I didn’t mean it like that Sonny I just meant-”
“Meant what? That you can’t handle being in my life? That you can’t handle me? Well guess what I don’t think you can either.” His voice was calm cool and collected just like he always was, his voice didn’t raise or lower an octave.
His words were meant to sting and they did, Sonny was all she had and vice versa. She couldn’t understand why they always felt the need to bite at each other the way they did.
“Sonny damn it I didn’t mean-”
“We both know what you meant Dakota.”
Dakota bit back the hurt of the words and grasp the anger; she hadn’t actually mean any harm by her words. They were the truth, nothing more and nothing less. He had to expect her to remember all the scars, all the blood, all the nightmares she had to help him through over the years. Did he really think all that just went away because it was a new day?
“Sonny just shut up okay? Everyone can’t just up and forget everything like you do. I remember everything we’ve been through together! Every time I had to sit here and stitch you up and bandage your burns and fix whatever fucking mess you made of your body.”
“You think I don’t remember Dakota? I had to sit and watch as I put you through the torment of fixing all my injuries because of the shit I’ve made of my life!”
Her mouth gaped in astonishment as finished the final stitch on his arm, “Shit? You think your life is shit? Sonny you’ve spent the last five years perfecting your skills and becoming one or the best at what you do. That by itself amazes me beyond words.”
For the first time in a long time Sonny’s facade cracked as he gave her a look of disbelief, “Being a killer amazes you? I kill people for a living, I lie constantly about who I am and what I’m about. I’m an over confident jackass with no self-preservation, but you Kota are something amazing. I wish I had chosen the path you had and done something more with my life rather than waste it on pointless violence. You own your own house and tattoo shop. You’re in college and a well-known tattoo artist-”
She cut him off by throwing the material into the first aid kit and slamming it shut, spinning on her heels and glaring at him harshly, “A well-known tattoo artist that’s to insecure and is as easy to read as a book! Nothing about me intrigues people; I can’t talk my way out of any situation or suddenly become somebody else. I constantly try to be like you!”
She hadn’t realized she was crying until Sonny stood up and gripped her face delicately in his hands. The pads of his thumbs wiped away the tears as his forehead came in contact with hers, “You’re not easy to read Dakota.”
She leaned into touch not caring how easily he could read her as she gazed into his beautiful eyes, “But you said-”
He gave a chuckle that made her gut clench in anticipation, “You’re easy to read for me because you’re mine sweetness.”
She gave a silly grin at the familiar line, “Then your mine killer.”