Bounty Hunter [REWRITTEN VERSION]

Chapter 44: Stalked by Morning

RYDER

That morning Ryder had made his way (by a means which he would not be disclosing just yet) into the closest small town, where he stopped off at one of the more familiar local dinners that he and Kota happened to come by every once and a while. Restaurant policy didn't typically allow for pets inside. But for him, the particular guy and his canine, they made an exception.

And he was there because he was in dire need to get away from his damn houseguests. Had it been mentioned before that he really didn't like people?

Especially when they invaded his personal space. Heck, the only reason he had yet to actually shoot someone was because of Maize.

That, and the fact that she had shown up on accounts of a favour he owed to another friend back in Mexico City.

A favour that somehow extended by association to a group of unruly cops who had seemingly zero respect—for his house and his dishes.

When this is all over I'm done doing people any more favours, he thought to himself begrudgingly as he sat in the booth in the very corner of the small dinner. He was leaned half with his back against the window, staring out at the street outside. He didn't sit normally by any means; propping both his legs over the rest of the seat and crossing them at the angles like he was sitting in a lounge chair. But that was more so to make room for Kota, who lay docile at his feet like a giant mound of black fur as he slept soundly under the table.

Ryder had one forearm propped up over the surface of the table as his fingers drummed absently, his hands still adored with another pair of black fingerless gloves.

He was simply enjoying the peace and quiet for a little while. He tried to anyway.

It wouldn't have been a problem, shouldn't have been a problem, if not for the strange guy he knew was watching him from the other end of the dinner.

Wearing a dark jacket and ball cap to seem inconspicuous but to also blend in, the man's eyes constantly darted towards Ryder. He knew because he could see everything from the reflection on the window.

Ryder didn't look the guy's way once, but he didn't need to. He didn't do anything to tip the guy off that he had noticed him whatsoever. Ryder knew he had never seen that man before, and something about the way he was observing him didn't give Ryder the impression that the guy was simply doing it because the guy thought he was good looking.

Then the waitress came over, a warm brown coffee cup to go in her hand as she set it on the table within easy reach of Ryder's hand.

"One dark roast cinnamon cappuccino for the moody man with the dog," she relayed, a subtle smile on her lips as she flashed a sweet look down at Kota, who had lifted his head at her arrival and was giving his tail a small wag.

Ryder rolled his eyes and didn't make a reach for the cup. He hadn't ordered it, but the familiar aroma of the beverage he happened to order quite often whenever he came to this place drifted up to his nose in a mix of coffee and cinnamon. Not exactly the kind of preference one would think for someone like him, everyone seemed to assume he drank his coffee black and tasteless. Not true.

What could he say? He liked the sweet little things in life. Including flavour to what was always much-needed caffeine in the morning.