Hazel sent a sidelong glance at the man sitting right next to her in the driver's seat while she watched his mouth twitch and spews nonsense.
Heaven knows that she wouldn't have agreed to enter this man's car if her brother's health wasn't on the edge.
“Tell me honestly, have you been stalking me?” she couldn't keep the hostility out of her voice.
“Yes, sweetheart,” he said with a shaky laugh, his gaze fixed on the road.
“And which man still stalks a lady in this century?”
“Daniel. Daniel does not mind stalking you around the world until you give in, Hazel,” his grin grew sheepish while he stole a glance at Hazel's angry face.
Hazel didn't say another word until the rest of the journey.
“Stop the car now,” she ordered in a light tone, and the car immediately rolled to a stop.
Daniel peered through the windshield to see his new environment. It was an estate with only a few houses.
Hazel unfastened the seatbelt and got off the car impatiently.
However, Daniel was a little faster than her. He had spun around in her direction, his tall frame crouching above her.
“Thanks for the ride but let this be the very last time I'll catch you stalking me, do you understand?” she warned him sternly and stepped in front to walk past him, but her wrist was suddenly caught up around his wide palm.
“What do I have to do to earn your love, Hazel?” he asked seriously. His good mood was now long gone.
Hazel glanced down at his hand holding hers and lifted her head to look at him.
“It's not my fault that I fall in love with you. I never intended to, believe me,” he lowered his head and brought his other hand to hold her hand and caress it.
“I might not be your kind of man, I might not suit your taste but please Hazel, a chance is all I requested, kindly give me a chance into your life,” Daniel voiced out his sincere words and earnest wishes.
Hazel wasn't fazed by his words. Her stomach churned with acid as she pulled out her hand out of his grasp.
“I don't love you. And to be frank, I can't love you. So stay clear away from me, Daniel. As far away as possible,”
Furious disapproval stamped on her face as said her words and marched off immediately, her crooked ponytail swinging like an angry cat's tail.
Daniel's face immediately turned deathly pale as he watched her back view disappearing into a nearby white bungalow.
Ascending the small staircase to the front door of the apartment, Hazel heaved a deep sigh she didn't realize she was holding.
“Crazy, man” she mouthed and shook her head. She then moved toward the door, knocked once, and let herself in.
Setting her foot into the monastically furnished living room with a cozy wood burner in the corner.
“Mason. I'm here now, Mason,” she proclaimed, darting her eyes from the kitchen direction to the hallway.
She began to head the way, but her eyes soon caught a trace of red liquid on the floor. Her heart stopped instantly.
She stepped back to inspect the fluid and discovered that it was from the door.
“Mason!” she shrieked, racing into the hallway and opening the door that was to the left abruptly.
Reaching inside the room, there lay a fella on the bed, holding his left arm that oozes blood violently. His chest was bare, only wearing a pair of jeans trousers.
He raised his chin to the door and smiled at Hazel widely.
“What have you done to yourself this time, Mason?” Hazel cried out while she rushed to her brother on the bed to check his wound.
“Hey, don't give me that face, all right? I'm good,” Mason protested, almost sounding stern.
“Then why is your arm bleeding terribly?” Hazel challenged, jumping on the bed, and took Mason's bloody hand away from the injury.
However, seeing the intense and penetrated small hole on his arm, Hazel's heart stopped with terror while her eyes widened so much.
“Bu…ll…et?” she sputtered, the fear squeezing out of her throat.
“Yes, sweetie, and I need you to help me take it out now,” Mason demanded, his face expressionless.
“Are you out of your mind, Mason? How on earth did you manage to get a bullet in your arm in the first place?” Hazel shot to her feet and queried in a high-pitched voice.
Mason looked away from her face and sighed lightly. If he could remove the damn bullet without anyone's help, he would have done that without having to phone his sister.
“Tell me, Mason. This has to do with your Mafia gang, isn't it?” Hazel probed, her face distorting with anger.
“Heavens no!” Mason shot back, his tender eyes were now flitting with rage.
It took him a full minute to continue, possibly because he had trouble unlocking his jaw.
“How many times do I have to remind you that I'm not part of the Mafia?” he questioned through gritted teeth while crawling out of the bed and slowly standing up.
“Oh, no. Give me a break, Mason. Mom and dad are the ones who you can tell such a white lie, not me!” Hazel fired back.
“Why are you doing this, huh? Why do you keep following the bad guys and humiliating our reputation?” her mouth started to tremble and her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Getting bored and frustrated from Hazel's words, Mason intended to move away, and his hand accidentally scraped the injured arm, prompting him to yelp.
“Argh!”
“Oh, my. Let's go to the hospital now,” Hazel urged him, moving closer and holding his shoulder.
Groaning, “No, Hazel. I don't want to go to the hospital, just get a knife from the kitchen. Please,” he said in a small, fierce voice.
Hazel swallowed her tears and shook her head in disagreement. “Mason…”
“Please, Hazel,” Mason cut in, withholding his emotions.
Hazel stared at her brother's red, blood-shot eyes, silent tears running down her cheeks.
She nodded and galloped out of the room in an instant.
“What do I do now?” she asked on her return.
“Just to dig the knife in and bring the shit out,” Mason instructed, staring at his arm, rendering him not to realize how bulgy Hazel's eyes had gone.
“What?” Hazel murmured in a shaky voice.
Mason tuts and raised his head to look at her. “Come on, sister. You can do it,” he persuaded, holding her tightly with a slight smile.
*
Ava sat on the study chair in her room and stared out the window with a lot of thoughts running through her head.
Actually, her sole thinking was based on Zachary Gonzalez. She obviously didn't know what to think about him anymore.
And to think her heart keeps yearning for his presence, call, anything, anything at all that would make her feel she was close to him again.
She stared at her palms and retreated inside herself, her shoulders curving forward on the rectangular wooden table and her head slightly bent.
Buzz! Buzz!
Ava turned her attention to her cell on the bed before standing up sluggishly to get it.
*I'm outside your apartment. Can you come out for a minute?*
For a moment, she thought she was probably imagining things.
Her eyes kindled, and she struggled to gulp down her own saliva.
What? Zachary Gonzalez, outside my department?
Without thinking of changing her dress or anything, she trotted out of her room, to the living room and stopped at the door.
She quickly finger-combed her hair and drew in a deep breath before bending the doorknob and opening the door.
Ava almost cringe after the door reflected a tall and strong figure that appeared at the entrance with a strong charisma that was based on all his life experience.
Ava swept his features, his super dense black hair was short on either side, full on top. Cheekbones that cut like ice and eyes like liquid scotch.
Two buttons on the collar of his shirt were unbuttoned, and his solid chest could be vaguely seen.
His intense aggression overwhelmed her, she could not help but turn her head. She did not dare to directly look him in the eyes, as his eyes were too alluring.
“Am I that handsome?” his gentle voice was like a refreshing summer breeze that Ava felt her face flush with color.
Chuckling and itching her hair, Ava put her pace out and shut the door behind her.
“Good evening, sir,” she greeted nervously and met his eyes.
“No, sorry. Good evening, Zac,” she corrected herself and suddenly, he leaned his face closer, his breath passing through the hair around her ear.
It seemed he was flirting with her.
Ava had become extremely uncomfortable as she shrank inside like a wilted flower. She was heartily tired of this man evoking feelings she didn't want to deal with.
“The next time you address me as sir, you wouldn't imagine what I would do to you, Snow White,” he said easily.
Ava avoided eye contact with him, she lowered her head slightly to cover her blushed face because of his words.