The RunAway Model

XXV. Mr. Hong

Khaye's mind was full of apprehensions. It didn't help with her shooting practice, though she tried her best to focus, and Marco had noticed it.

"What's bothering you?" he asked, his brows furrowed into a frown. "You're not thinking about this sexual thing going on between us and how wrong you were to jump into the sack with me, right?" he asked in jest.

She shook her head, eyes squinting against the sun. "No, I'm just thinking about Gian." It was too late for her to take back her words and she mentally slapped herself for being too reckless. It had been two days since she received her brother's text and she had been very careful around Marco. Sure, keeping such information from him would definitely piss him off, but it wouldn't hurt if she didn't go to the meeting, which was later that afternoon.

"What about him? I thought we already talked about this? We do our thing while we stay away from your brother. Did he contact you?"

For the first time, she didn't like Marco's cop instincts. She did her best to be convincing as she shook her head. "No, nothing like that."

"Then?" he urged.

"Then I'm just bothered," she snapped. "He's my brother after all. And he's in deep shit. And he wants me dead. Isn't that enough for me to at least be bothered a few times each day?"

"Woah, hey, calm down. I didn't mean anything bad. I was just asking."

Khaye blinked and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's just the stress. Everything's just quite fucked up right now."

"Well, not everything. I rather like the moments in bed," he said, wriggling his brows.

"I liked it better when you were playing Mr. Cold Guy who can't flirt. It was more interesting."

Marco just laughed and motioned his head toward the can of Coke twenty meters away. They were able to find a secluded area near the house they borrowed and had been practicing shooting since that morning. "It's time for another round," he said, stepping back to let her do her thing.

She had been practicing for three days now and Marco had said that she was getting better at it.

I'm not coming, she said to herself before she pointed the gun at the can twenty meters away and pulled the trigger.

*****

In the two days that followed after her very short visit to Vernier's residence, Desiree had been quite busy. Theo was often called underground for the two consecutive days and it was only necessary that she went with him.

But this time, her visit to the place had had developments. On the first day, Ms. Kane asked if she wanted to join her for coffee. Of course, there was a quaint café underground. This one though was located slightly closer above ground so the windows above offered light from the outside. The frequent noise of ignorant passersby gave off the feeling that they were in one of the cafes on the street. Which, was true since the building directly above them was a real café with real and normal customers. Only that they didn't know another, much hidden, section was located underneath.

Ms. Kane did not talk about the Liaisons. She didn't talk about the people they met underground or the other activities they did. What they talked about was their everyday normal life. Desiree, of course, could only listen and grasp as much as she could for there was nothing she could offer about her normal everyday as of the moment other than the amazing sex with Theo.

When Theo found her three hours later after three cups of latte, she wasn't sure she wanted to leave just yet. Ms. Kane had proven to be a good company and her humor, much to Desiree's surprise, fascinated her.