Six

DAHLIA

        "So, you're telling me you're both assassins?" I asked calmly, trying to wrap my head around what Lee had just told me.

"Yeah"

Tori sat in the corner of the room, clutching a pillow to her chest. She looked really frazzled. I mean, who wouldn't?

I heaved a sigh and turned to look at Red who was still lying on the floor, deathly pale and unconscious.

Red wass an assassin assigned to kill me. He'd failed.

What happens now?

I stared at his handsome face, frowning pensively.

Deep down within me, I don't think he's all that bad.

I mean, he didn't want to do it. He'd even warned me but I'd not understood him.

I moved to his side, brushing his hair away from his temple. There was a visible swelling on the side of his head from when Lee had hit him with the butt of his gun. I grabbed an ice pack and went back to his side, pressing it to the lump.

Lee whistled dramatically, moving away from the wall he'd been leaning against.

"This is totally not the way I thought you would react. You're taking it quite well" he said

I shrugged.

"I really don't know what to think. I just- I don't want to hate him" I said.

Red let out a groan, his eyelids fluttering open.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Bro" Lee said, smirking.

"Wha-Ow.... What the-" Red groaned, reaching up to clutch his head.

"What happened?" He asked.

I exchanged a glance with Lee.

"Red?"

"Mmm?"

"How many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, raising two fingers.

" four....no eight.... I dunno" he muttered, his eyes dazed.

"Uh-Lee.. I think you hit him too hard. I think he has a concussion" I said.

Lee's eyes widened.

"I'm so tired" Red slurred, his eyes falling close.

"Oh no, you don't. Stay awake" I said, shaking him.

He groaned weakly.

"My head hurts"

"The painkillers' on my desk" I said to Lee who grabbed it and poured out a glass of water.

Red took the painkillers and tried to sit up but ended up loosing his balance. I steadied him, helping him lean against the side of my bed.

"Dahlia ?" He said, reaching out to hold my hand.

"I'm sorry" he said, his voice shaky and weak.

"You would've killed me" I said, gritting my teeth.

He released my hand, regret and hurt surfacing in his hazel eyes."I didn't want to" he croaked.

I shook my head, turning away from him.

What would have happened if Lee hadn't shown up?

Would he feel regret?

Would he even care?

What did I ever do to him?

"I'm so sorry, Dahlia. The thought of doing that has tormented me for the past few days. I didn't want to....."

Tori suddenly stood up and grabbed a knife, launching herself at Red. I stopped her from getting to him but she continued to struggle against my hold.

"No, Lia! Let me go, I wanna spill his fucking blood! I'll kill him! He tried to take my bestfriend away from me!" She shrieked.

"And you, Lee Eddison! You are an assassin and you never told me! How could you?!"

Red paled a whole lot more.

He stumbled to his feet, swallowing hard.

Lee had paled too, he looked terrified.

"You guys should leave if you want to still have your heads intact" I said without looking at them.

"Dahlia, you never cease to amaze me" Lee said before I heard him leave.

As soon as they left, Tori sank to the ground, sobbing with her arms around me.

"It's okay" I whispered.

"No. No, it's not. You just let them walk away. You should've called the cops. What if he comes back?"

She was right.

What if he comes back?

He would kill me, wouldn't he?

***

I met Lee at the school park a week later. I didn't really feel uncomfortable with him around, despite everything that had happened. He looked miserable, though. He had bags under his eyes and his eyes were red rimmed. "Hey" I said.

"Hey, yourself" he rapsed.

"You look-"

"Horrible.. I know" he sighed.

"Yeah...."

"I haven't been getting any sleep. I'm miserable, yeah. Especially since Tori now hates me so much"

I was surprised.

I didn't even know that he felt that way towards Tori. Don't get me wrong, I knew that they had a thing for each other, I just didn't know that it was this serious. "How's she?" He asked.

"Well, if you ask me.... I'll say she's very miserable even though she refuses to admit it" I shrugged. He gave me a small smile, running a hand through his hair. "I miss her"

"It's just been a week. Give her time" I said.

"You don't understand, she despises me just as much as she hates Red" he said.

"I don't think so"

"You don't hate Red" he said, a strange emotion flashing in his eyes. I froze, realizing how wrong and right it sounded.

"I don't" I said, slowly.

He smirked.

"Lucky Bastard" he muttered.

"So, he attempts to kill you and you let him walk away? Why?"

Yeah, why?

Why am I still considerate of him?

Why have I not called the cops on him?

"I-I don't know.... I just.... "

"There must be a reason for it, Princess"

"I think he's not all that bad... I think there's some good inside of him.... Even though he tries not to show it sometimes"

"You still think that there's good inside of him? I'm pleased. Apart from his mother and I, no one has ever said that. You're right..... I just wish things were different.."

***

RED

I stepped into my boss's office with my heart thudding madly. I knew why he'd invited me to his favourite office. I could sense what was going to happen. I had failed. I was sure he was pissed off even though he'd invited me to his office with a smile on his face.

Taking a deep breath, I twisted the door knob and walked into his office. Skull had two offices; one for paper work and information, the other for his own fun and pleasure. He'd invited me to his second office. It was spacious like a hall. He was sitting in the middle of the hall when I walked in. I noticed three men standing by the door. One of them locked the door while I chanted three words in my head like a mantra.

Show no fear.

Show no fear.

"You're here, good. Jaguar, Steel, make our guest comfortable" Skull said and my hands were suddenly tied to two pillars in the hall.

"You know why you're here, don't you?" Skull said, moving towards me.

"Use words, My boy" he said, yanking my hair backwards with such brutality, I felt like my head would explode.

"Yes" I hissed, eyes watering

"You have never failed me before and that's why I'm going to be lenient with you"

Without warning, his fist flew towards my face, colliding with my jaw. Then, his fists was everywhere. My ribs, chest, stomach, face, everything hurt. As if it wasn't enough, he ordered his other men to join him in inflicting pain on me.

Through the haze, I saw him grab a rod. I couldn't scream, I didn't want to. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I collapsed to the ground when I was untied. My T-shirt was bloody and torn. My nose was bleeding heavily. I was practically coughing up blood. My ribs were on fire and I had broken at least three bones but one of them had pierced my skin and boy, did it hurt. I groaned weakly, blood rushing down the side of my face.

"This is a warning, boy. Get the girl by the next two days or I'll kill your mother"

I froze, my blood freezing up.

No, not my mother.

"Call Lee in" I heard him say as I started to pass out from the pain. Few minutes later, Lee was crouching beside me trying to help me up.

"Take him away. I'm done here" Skull said and left. Lee was livid. "Why the hell would he do this to you?" He groaned, helping me to a sitting position.

I let out a pained cry, too drained to move further.

"Oh God, this is bad" he said.

I looked at him.

Maybe I imagined it, but I think I saw tears on his face.

Lee never cries.

He never breaks down.

Maybe, I was already delirious.

"Can you stand?"

"I can't" I gasped.

"Here, lean on me. I'll get you out of here. You need to go to the hospital"

I cringed.

I coughed up more blood, my breathing ragged.

"Oh shit" he cursed.

I felt him raise the hem of my torn shirt

"Fuck. Fuck. Oh Shit" he cursed, his voice shaky.

"W-what?"

"Your fucking rib is practically poking out of your skin!"

I let out a humorless laugh and groaned weakly.

I felt him lift me and the pain doubled, spots danced before my eyes.

"It's okay, you're okay"

I grunted.

Unable to bear the pain any longer, I passed out in the car.