My Covert Bodyguard

44: Sloane

Kyle's POV:

I increased the speed on the treadmill, relishing in the intensity and pain I was feeling. My heart hammered in my rib cage, and when I was running this fast for so long my mind didn't focus on anything except keeping me up and sustaining my breath. 

My daily schedule was completely thrown out, now that Cass was gone. I didn't have to go to school, I didn't have to keep track of her constantly, and worst of all, I didn't get to wake up with her in my arms or kiss her when she was being stubborn. I missed her so much it physically hurt. That was why I turned to so much exercise, because it was the only thing that physically hurt me more than her absence. I missed her laugh, I missed her eyes, I missed her touch, I missed being able to check her out when she didn't know I was looking, I missed the way she would blush when she noticed, I missed the way my T-shirts were way too big on her, I missed the way she would ease into me when she was feeling self-conscious at a party, I missed her awkward, adorable personality, I missed her brave, idiotic will to do what's right and to stand up for herself. The exact personality that sent her so far away from me and my protection.

I grit my teeth and pushed myself, just as I felt like my lungs were going to explode and my legs give in. Then my earphones were suddenly pulled out, the loud bass yanked away. 

"Stop running!" Brook yelled expectantly. I stopped the treadmill, my breath fast and harsh, my body physically quivering after the crazy work I forced it to do. I grabbed a towel and wiped down my face and drained the water bottle I had brought in one gulp.

"How fast were you going?" Brook asked, looking a little worried.

"15 miles per hour." I gasped out.

"And for how long?"

"25 minutes." I shrugged.

"Holy fuck. You're going to hurt yourself going that fast."

I didn't want to hear her lectures. Ever since Cass left, Brook has been keeping an eye out for me. I knew she meant well, but her taking care of me like a mentally unstable patient didn't make me feel better. Brook had already forced me to step out of the Shadow Legion case, because she thought I shouldn't torture myself by thinking about her safety constantly. I had fought it at first, wanting to make sure first hand that Cass was getting maximum protection. But there really wasn't anything the Office could do at this point, and I was actually thankful for the amount of work other cases busied me with.

"What are you doing here, Brook?" 

"You're going to want to see this. Zayden brought it in. Apparently she followed basically everyone from Lockwood Academy."

I frowned and took the phone Brook had held up. It was an Instagram feed, and my eyes widened when I saw whose it was. Her bio consisted of her name (which she wrote as Cass Scarlett-Heywood, to my surprise) and Hawaii Military Academy Year 1.  I assumed that was the cover up for the trainees in the Legion, because when I checked a lot of her followers had the same bio. But what really blew me away was the picture she posted.

Sh was dressed like she was going to a club, and she seemed so confident in the picture. I always knew she was beautiful and so sexy that she drove me insane sometimes, but this picture made it seem like she had noticed it for the first time. Her legs, legs that suddenly gave you an appreciation for legs, made me want to skim my fingers up them and watch her blush under my lustful gaze. And her face was one from a magazine, her eyes seeming to pierce through my soul. I let myself think that she thought of me while she posed for this, because there was a sense of longing and love in her expression. 

Her caption read, "night out with my fave" and tagged her presumably cousin (thescarletolive_). As much as I was relieved she was safe, this picture also intensified my longing for her. A tight knot of jealousy twisted in my stomach as well when I noticed multiple comments from guys she knew in Lockwood, no doubt the same ones who used to give her a hard time. One in particular made me want to go find the guy and knock his teeth out (It said, "r u still with that bf of urs b/c I'd hit that" with some fire, heart eyes, and kiss face emojis).