BLOOD AND BONE | rewritten

42

Gigi's heart skipped a few beats when Hunt commanded her to wait with him. The others were dismissed. Had she done anything questionable? Perhaps stealing weapons from Delphinium's contact in Kybeshi. Gigi picked at the skin of her chewed fingernails. She knew she shouldn't have loosened her grip on herself that way. Was this going to be a simple warning? She didn't want to wonder what he'd do if she let herself slip again.

When his three colleagues had gone, Gigi watched as Hunt closed the doors of the conference room. His blood pressure was rising. She sensed the tightness of his shoulders.

"I am afraid I'm the bearer of bad news, Giselle."

She didn't bother to remind him she went by Gigi. "Yes?" Though she had a good sense of what-or where-it was, she didn't think her mouth could make the words.

He seemed insistent to get it all out at once. "It's your mother. As she was someone who files Riengan intelligence, you can imagine how valuable her work is. A break-in was suspected, so she brought her work home to buy more time. Unfortunately, the thieves were watching. While you were held prisoner by Corinthian, her work was stolen from your home. Your mother didn't make it."

The entire world tilted.

The only way Gigi knew she was still in her body was because her fists were so tight it hurt. Hunt's expression was no different than usual. She blinked. Had he even said that? Or had Gigi simply heard her fear as the truth?

No. She had to have invented it herself. Her mother wasn't even one of the higher-ups at work. And she always promised she was careful.

It had been a while. Gigi thought she could be better. Still, this was the first time she was glad to be hearing false things.

Taking a breath, Gigi centered herself again. "What was your bad news?"

At that, Hunt's businesslike manner cracked ever so slightly. "I just told you-I apologize for your loss. But your mother was stabbed to death."

Gigi had been completely there for the first time, and look what it got her. Her insides exploded. She gasped for breath, feeling as though there was quite literally a hole in her chest. She wanted to check there wasn't. But Hunt was still there. That was real. So was the strange watchfulness now in his gaze.

This was shock. Her knees were weak, threatening to give out. She was going to crumple to the ground. Just like her mother, lying facedown on the floorboards of the house she made into a home for Gigi.

Then she was choking, struggling for something she didn't know. She tucked her shaking hands behind her so that Hunt wouldn't see her one tell. Just like that, the last pillar holding Gigi up was broken. She was falling, fated to be crushed against the hard truth of reality...

"Thank you for informing me," Gigi said, voice as even as ever. "Will that be all?" Wordless, he nodded. Turning to join her teammates downstairs, Gigi felt the Director's eyes on her long after she left.