Justin's POV I had been waiting in front of her brother's school for an hour now and I noticed that there was a suspicious black SUV car parked a few meters away from where I parked.I checked the time on my wristwatch and it was about two minutes before the school closing bell would ring.I tapped my steering wheel rapidly with my fingers and I let out a sigh. Even though I had a train of thought and was worried about Dakota's welfare, I remained calm. I picked up my phone and called Tom, I was going to involve some of my colleagues. Tom was a senior police officer in my department and my very good friend. We have solved a lot of difficult cases together and he was also helping me investigate Luke.He picked up the call on the second ring and said immediately he answered the call, "It's been such a long time Mr Justin. How's your mission going?" He asked referring to the mission I was assigned to monitor a special threat; Luke. "Something came up," I said tersely into the phone. I
Justin's POVAfter following them for more than an hour they arrived at an abandoned neighbourhood and stopped. I made sure I maintained my distance from them so that they would not figure out that I had been following them all this while. They came down from the car and pushed Kelvin who was now blindfolded into a large dilapidated one-storey building.My phone rang and I checked who was calling, it was Tom. Maybe he had figured out something.I answered the call. "Hello, have you found out anything?" I asked immediately I answered the call with my eyes fixed on my windscreen monitoring the SUV car."Yes, we have," Tom said into the phone."Hit me.""We found out that a bounty has been placed on her and her family members by an unknown person. Jimmy is still trying to unravel who this person is but for now, there is no lead for who placed the expensive offer." Expensive offer? "What is the reward?" I asked Tom. "Fifteen million dollars. While twenty for anyone who can accomplish
Luke's POV"I want you to be successful in this mission, that's why I chose you," Mr H's voice echoed throughout the silent room. "And don't ever think of going against me, I am always watching you." My heart skipped a beat and I tried my best not to look afraid. I hope he hasn't found out about Dakota unless she would be in danger. I could protect her from normal assassins but how the hell will I protect her from Dr H?Tsk.This was one of the reasons why I didn't want to be seen around her, if anyone in the organisation found out that I was helping her, she would be in danger. I have to make sure no one knows that I made a pact with her.Why did I even care that she was in danger? I am going to kill her eventually why am I protecting her? Why was I hesitant to kill her? "Okay, Dr H," I muttered lowering my head to show respect for him. I tried to stop thinking about Dakota but I couldn't, I couldn't get her off my mind...what was happening to me? Why do I feel this weird? I rais
Dakota's Pov.I woke up in a hospital room, my head felt dizzy and there was a machine beeping beside me. I must have passed out in the ambulance vehicle. I saw my parents and my brother with a bandage on his face sitting across the room. When they saw I was awake they rushed to me. "My little pumpkin," my mom let out with her eyes glossy. She cupped my face with her hands, "Are you feeling better?""How are you doing?" My dad asked with a trace of anger and fear in his voice. "Anyone who had a hand in this will pay dearly for doing this to my daughter." "I am glad I beat the heck out of them before they kidnapped me. I should have given them the beaten of their lives if they were not armed," My brother bragged and we all chuckled at his childish behaviour. My brother was seventeen and he was taking karate classes so I knew that it would not be easy for them to capture him."I'm fine," I told them smiling and they seemed relieved by my answer. Justin walked into the hospital with
Dakota's POV"Luke!" I uttered in disbelief and my eyes were as large as wide saucers. What was he doing here?His piercing blue eyes scanned me and then a frown came across his face when he saw the situation I was in. "Who did this to you?" He growled and my eyebrows furrowed. I turned to the other side of the bed, I didn't want to see him. I couldn't believe he was asking me that after he was nowhere to be found when I was in danger."Leave me alone," I muttered, trying to make him go away but deep inside I wanted him to stay. I was so happy to see him and I was clueless why I was.The room became silent and I longed for him to say something. I could still feel him staring at me even though I was facing the other side. I knew that his hair was a mess now because of him running his fingers through it every single minute."Dakota..." He said coolly. This was the first time I had seen him being this gentle and his voice this soft. "I'm sorry for not keeping my promise."My eyes beca
Luke's PovI'll be fine if you leave." Her statement was rephrased in my mind as I sat on my bed with my hands clenching my hair. It's been a week now and I couldn't stop thinking about her, her very words haunted me and a million thoughts ran through my head."Daddy, what's going on?" The little girl's voice rang in my head and I gritted with pain.Why am I feeling this way? I am supposed to be ruthless, I am supposed not to have any emotions, so why was this happening? I noticed that since my last mission, I wasn't the same as I was, I have become softer and nicer. I even have some regrets about burning up that house and killing both the girl and her father.I knew that they didn't deserve to die, they were both the victims of injustice and wickedness of humans.Shit.Dakota hated me because of what I was, I could see it in her eyes. She had always disliked me but now she would resent me more, she now knew what my true plans were, and she now knew that I was planning on assassinati
Luke's POVShe removed her lips slowly from mine after we kissed for a minute, her eyes were wide in shock and I couldn't decipher what she was thinking now. "Why did you kiss me?" She asked slowly and I ran my fingers through my hair."I couldn't get a hold of myself," I lowered my head, I was wrong for kissing her unaware. "I'm sorry." I heard her gasp after I apologised and I slowly raised my head, my eyes met with her hazel eyes. There was silence, a very awkward one and I was clueless on what to tell her."I don't get it, Luke," she let out breaking the silence. "Why are you acting this nice to me all of a sudden?"My eyes widened and I raked my hair for the umpteenth time with my fingers. "I don't know," I replied to her, honestly and she frowned a little. "I just want to protect you." I tried coming closer to her but she stepped backwards. "I don't need you to protect me, I'm twenty, I can protect myself." She told me with a little nervousness in her voice. "When I needed
LUKE'S POVI stayed in Dakota's room and we talked for over an hour. We planned on how we were going to remove the bounty and how we were going to make sure that she and her family would stay safe till we did that."If we don't know who placed the bounty how are we going to remove it?" She asked with her hazel eyes peering at me. "Protecting the client's identity is one the foremost things the market does, so it will pose a challenge for us to get the identity of who is behind this," I told her and she lowered her head. I knew that she wanted to end this as fast as she could, she wanted to protect the lives of her loved ones."But why would someone do this type of thing to us?" She shut her eyes and then squeezed her hands. "Don't worry Dakota everything will be fine. The police will give you and your family a level of security," I reassured her and her eyes widened when she heard me mention the police. I nodded at her to assure her that meant what I said.No matter how much I disli
DAKOTA'S POV. Because of all the commotion and we losing our house to a fire, we moved to our grandparents' house-- my dad's father-- his house was a classical manor in the countryside with a courtyard thrice as big as our former house. My grandfather was a professional golf player, though retired, he owned a golf club and he had a golf court in his courtyard and he played golf in it whenever he had some free time. When I entered the house reception a river of nostalgia hit me, this was one of the reasons I didn't like coming here it brought back memories of when I was little. I remember spending most of my time here as a child especially whenever I was on holiday, now I barely come here apart from a few occasions like this. We were greeted by maids in well-pressed black and white uniforms, and then they showed me the room I was going to stay in. Since we didn't have a house we were going to stay here till we bought or rented another one When I entered the room the maids bowed bef
Dakota's POVWhen it was almost evening we went to our meeting spot, the coffee shop and Luke ordered two cups of hot coffee. After he ordered the cups of coffee he didn't utter a word he just drank his coffee and I stared at him waiting for him to say something. I looked around the coffee shop, and I realised why Luke used here as our meeting spot, it was because he loved coffee so much and who would even think that we would use an ordinary coffee shop as our meeting spot to discuss very important things?The coffee shop was just a few miles away from my parents' house that got burnt down, and I was tempted to go and see what the place looked like now, Ihadn'tt still contacted my parents and my brother, I couldn't just imagine how worried they would be. "So about the bounty," Luke finally spoke and my attention became focused on him. "I found out something very interesting when I went through the Nine's database.""What?" I asked and my eyes widened out of curiosity."I've confirm
DAKOTA'S POV I woke up with a slight headache and a pain in my chest, my chest still hurt because of what happened yesterday, I still couldn't believe it and I yearned to speak with my parents and my little brother. But I couldn't contact them immediately if I did it could reveal my location and put me in grave danger.I let out a yawn and looked around the room, this room seemed like it was a guest room. It was big, tidy and beautiful. I liked the curvy design of the white reading table by the wall and the glittering golden lamp holders on the wall. I perceived a nice smell and it was coming from the living room. I got out of bed and I went to the bathroom to wash up, the bathroom was quite big and it had a shower place, a bathtub and a toilet. There was also a TV screen and sound system in the bathroom and it was the coolest thing I have ever seen. I didn't feel comfortable using the bathroom but I had to get rid of all the dirt and sweat on my body. I also needed a long shower t
DAKOTA'S POVA few minutes after the gigantic man was gone Luke without warning lifted me into his arms and he started levitating in the air. "Don't worry, I'll get you somewhere safe Dakota." He muttered and I didn't utter any words. He began moving fast in the air and whirls of cool breeze brushed past my face making strands of my hair dance around. It was so cool and cosy here, that I almost forgot what just happened. His hands firmly held me as he carried me in princess style, even though I was mad at him, my cheeks became as red as hot sauce.But still, I didn't know why I was letting him take me to a place I didn't know, I didn't trust him a bit now, he told me that there were no other persons who were Cyborgs like him, he told me that he was the only one, but it was all a lie. It was obvious that that monstrous man was modified like Luke. If Luke and that man existed that meant others were like him, if so, then we were not safe on this planet. People who possessed mysterious t
DAKOTA'S POVAfter Justin found out that Luke was coming here from time to time he assigned an undercover agent to watch over me, I tried to convince him that there was no need for that but he didn't want to hear me out, he deemed Luke too dangerous for him to come around me with me so vulnerable. He even told me that he should have been the one watching over me but he had to keep an eye on Luke always and he was also busy finding who placed the bounty.They could never get along because of their personalities and jobs. I sighed and then turned to the man wearing a black suit and dark shades standing by my room door. He had been standing there for more than an hour without uttering a word and he followed me everywhere I went to, even to my room! If not for the words decency and privacy he should have been following me into the bathroom and the changing room. He was now living with us, it was Justin's orders, he wanted him to watch over me all the time till all the problems were solve
Luke's POVI arrived at the secret lair and it was unusually quiet, Dr H was planning something big and everyone was busy helping him accomplish his plans. My mission to Russia was two weeks from now, it would be hard for me to go on a mission like that cause I would be gone for a long time and Dakota would notice my absence. Justin was a problem too, since our encounter in Dakota's house he had been keeping a very close eye on me, and it was very annoying. I walked into the conference room and it was empty too, it seemed like the nine generals were not around or they went on missions. I guess the reason why no one has figured out about me and Dakota was because they were busy with so many things. As a member of the 9ine, your every step was monitored, if you betray, you die. If you try to compromise, you die. If you try leaving, you die. If you were not careful, you die So I was taking a very big risk helping Dakota...I facepalmed myself and then muttered, "Why was I even helpi
Dakota's POVMy face became comical and time paused for a moment, Luke and Justin glared at each other with hateful eyes, ready to strike each other at any moment from now.The air became tense and I began hyperventilating. They kept staring at each other dangerously, they were like cats and dogs, never happy whenever they met, always fighting."What are you doing here, Luke?" Justin seethed and I gulped. "I should be the one asking that," Luke retorted with his voice as cold as the North Pole."I can explain Justin," I stuttered and came in between them so that they wouldn't think of attacking each other. But would I be able to stop them? I was weaker than both of them, and if they were to fight each other while I was in between them they would crush me like a plastic cup."He's dangerous Dakota, get behind me," Justin came in front of me and he reached for the pistol in his gun pocket. I held his arm, stopping him, "Justin, please," I begged and he turned to me. His features soften
DAKOTA'S POVLuke took me to a coffee shop that was a thirty minutes drive from my house and I was so excited about it. I have been at home for weeks now without coming out because of the bounty. My mother was not worried because she thought that Luke was a cop so he was going to keep me safe and I wasn't worried about my safety because Luke was strong. "I so love coffee," Luke muttered as the blonde waitress with a pretty smile dropped two mugs of hot coffee on our table. I frowned when Luke stared at the waitress for quite a long time but then I brushed it off almost immediately.I ordered my coffee with sugar and a lot of milk, I couldn't drink coffee plain without sugar or milk. I stared at Luke while I was putting the cubes of sugar and pouring the milk into my mug, his eyes were narrowed and his lips were pursed into a thin line, I sensed that he didn't like what I was doing."Plain coffee is too bitter for my liking I prefer it sweeter," I explained to him before he killed me
Dakota's POV.As soon as my mother entered my room both Luke and I froze. "What's happening? I heard you talking with someone..." Her gaze shifted from me to Luke who was standing a few meters away from me. She stopped talking as her eyes scanned Luke and I began to think of the lie to tell her. I played with my fingers and the air in the room became tense."He's one of the undercover cops watching me and the house," I let out with my eyes shut and I hoped that she would believe me. "He's working under Justin's team, and Justin assigned him here. He is here because he noticed something unusual in my room so he came to check it out but found out that it was nothing that big, right Luke?" I turned around and winked at Luke."Yes, ma'am, I am Luke and I am one of the detectives working on your family's case," he said smoothly and then paused. His eyebrows furrowed a little and his lips pursed into a thin line. "And yes I am part of Justin's team." He added. I nearly burst out in laug