Hate or Love?

Chapter Five

Andreas got off the highway, and pulled into a motel. It was dark, and he'd just spent hours going down the highway, trying to find them. Now that it was dark, he knew he should stop somewhere to get some rest. He parked at the motel, and saw a handful of other cars, but it was too dark to tell what they were. He grabbed his emergency travel bag, which consisted of a toothbrush and a few changes of clothes, and he went to the front office, opening the door. A short man sat behind the counter, with a can of Pepsi in one hand and a donut on the desk in front of him. Andreas cleared his throat, looking at the man.

"How many in the room?" the man questioned, standing up and putting his drink down.

"Just one." Andreas replied, adjusting the bag on his muscular shoulder.

"Alright. How long?" the man was writing things down.

"One night." Andreas responded, keeping one hand on the strap of his bag.

"Okay, it's $10 for the night. Just sign at the bottom of this page. It's an agreement that you'll pay for any damages in the room." the man instructed, and Andreas nodded, signing and handing the man the money.

"Here's your key, you're in room 3, enjoy your stay." the man put a key on the counter, and sat back down, drinking his Pepsi. Andreas grabbed his key, and walked out, looking for room 3. When he found it, he unlocked the door, and went inside. Throwing his stuff on the desk, he went to shower. He had to find Jayce and Lucas, no matter the cost. He took off his jacket and shirt, turning on the shower and closing the curtains. He saw a man standing at a car, and he could've sworn it looked like Jayce, with the short hair and the defined muscles. He paused, peering out the window. There was no way that it was Jayce. He went to his door, opening it and peering out. No way, he still told himself, but the man at the car looked exactly like Jayce. But, it wasn't like Jayce to stop somewhere for the night.

Andreas had known Jayce Leuth for years, since they were in their 20's. It had all started when Andreas had been approached to work for Arthur. He'd been rejected from Miami PD, and he wasn't totally sure what he was going to do. One day, when he was sitting in a bar, Arthur had approached him. He remembered that day, how naive and innocent he was. He had no idea who Arthur was. Arthur had approached him, flanked by bodyguards. He knew everything about Andreas. Birthday, full name, parents, friends, schools. Then Arthur had told him that he could give him a job that could pay more money than he could dream of, enough to pay for his mom's hospital bills. Andreas had found it creepy at first, but then realized he needed this money.

His mom was in the hospital, sick with a tumour, and his dad was trying his best, but he could only do so much for money. Andreas had no siblings, and he knew he had to help. His dad would never be able to retire if he didn't. So, that fateful day, he took Arthur's offer, and then descended into a life he wished he'd never had an opportunity to have.

But, it paid the bills. His dad had been able to retire, and his mom got the treatment she needed. That was all that mattered to Andreas. That was the only reason he was still doing this.

Then he'd met Jayce. It was his second hit, and Jayce was clearly an experienced bodyguard. He wasn't sure how long he'd been a bodyguard, but he knew that he was experienced. Of course, Andreas had been trained more, sharpening his skills for Arthur. So his first hit, when he killed both the bodyguard and the target, Arthur was thrilled. A part of him wondered if Arthur knew that he was sending him to go up against Jayce. If he even knew who Jayce was, way back when.

But, when he'd been following his client, that was the first time he saw Jayce. Well, he hadn't seen him, because Jayce had come at him from behind. He'd knocked him to the ground and gone to punch him in the face, but Andreas dodged his fist. They fought for a while, the client disappearing into the crowd. But, when Andreas was lying on the floor, out of breath and in disbelief, Jayce had shot him a glare, and got up.

"Don't go after my client." he growled, leaving Andreas lying on the floor, stunned.