The scarred face man looked up from his laptop the minute he heard footsteps approaching him. He stood up immediately and his voice trembled slightly as he acknowledged the lady's presence.
" Hi Angel " He said and stared at her warily.
Angel didn't answer his greeting and instead, walked leisurely to his table. The man immediately moved away from the table and Angel settled down on the seat comfortably.
The scarred face man stood there awkwardly while he waited for Angel to break the silence. She eyed him for some seconds before she spoke up.
" Don't try to get familiar with me Collins, how was it? " She asked quietly and Collins knew he was in for trouble. Her voice was unusually and dangerously quiet.
He took a deep breath " You see, it would have been successful but the fool sent to execute the plan released the bitch before they got here "
Then he went so still that he could be mistaken for a statue as he anxiously waited for Angel's reaction to the bombshell he just dropped but it never came. He started to get worried. Why wasn't she saying anything? He would have felt better if she threw a fit but her unusual calmness was starting to disturb him.
Okay here we go, Collins thought as he saw her next action . She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands tightly on fists. She glared at him for a minute and swept away the contents on the table, including his laptop. .
She screamed " Argh! I instructed you to give the job to someone capable! " Her eyes blazed in rage and she was breathing heavily " Collins, how dare you defy my command?! " She shouted and it seemed like the place would collapse any moment.
Oh damn. Things weren't looking good, he thought. He was at loss for words, not knowing how to convince her that it wasn't his fault. He sighed, immediately dismissing the idea as it would only anger her more. He kept quiet, deciding that it was the best thing to do at that moment.
She calmed down after some minutes and exhaled a sigh " Come here "
Collins eyes widened. If there was anything he scared of, it's Angel telling him to come closer when she was in an angry state. One hard stare from Angel had him lurch forward and she didn't waste time in kicking him on the knee.
" Oww! " He shouted in pain as he almost doubled over.
Angel smirked in satisfaction " When I give you a job to do next time, you do it YOURSELF " And she got ready to leave.
Collins quickly moved out of her way to avoid being kicked the second time. Angel walked away with a smile and as though she remembered something, her hand paused on the doorknob and she said over her shoulder.
" Go get the girl or get ready to lose your head, I don't care how you'll go about it, just get her for me " With that said, she opened the door and walked out but not without slamming the door.
" B*tch! " Collins groaned in pain and fell on a chair while he nuzzled the sore knee.
It was all the motherf*cker's fault, he thought in anger. If only he wasn't so stupid to let the lady go. He ran a hand over his forehead as a headache started to form.
With a curse, he started to arrange the things Angel had scattered before she left. He examined his laptop and sighed in frustration.
*******************
Ava's phone chimed, and her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at the screen to see Hunter's name flash across it. She hesitated, her mind filled with a cocktail of emotions—fear, confusion, and an underlying sense of betrayal. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the answer button, her voice a mix of apprehension and caution. " Hello? "
" Ava! Hey, it's Hunter " his voice echoed with familiarity, laced with a tone of reassurance as if everything were normal.
" Hi " she responded warily, her mind racing with the recent events, struggling to reconcile Hunter's past with his current demeanor.
" Sorry I'm just calling. Is everything okay? How is Maggie? Is she okay? " Hunter inquired, his voice carrying a concern that felt genuine.
Ava bit her lip, contemplating her response. " Um, yeah, there was an unexpected situation and yeah, Maggie is fine now " She chose her words carefully, not wanting to reveal too much.
" I hope it wasn't too serious. I was really looking forward to catching up with you, that was why I suggested taking you out " Hunter said, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment.
" I know, me too. And it wasn't too serious, Black scared me for no reason " Ava replied, the conflict within her evident in her voice.
" Listen, can we reschedule? Maybe tomorrow? There's this new place that opened up downtown, and I thought it would be perfect " Hunter suggested, his tone coaxing but not forceful.
Ava hesitated, torn between her history with Hunter and the recent danger she narrowly escaped. " I... I'll have to check my schedule. I'll let you know. And I told you my boss is crazy, remember? " she replied cautiously and forced a laugh out of her throat, trying to buy herself some time.
" Sure, take your time. Just know that I miss hanging out with you, Ava. It's been too long " Hunter said earnestly.
" Yeah, it has and I miss us too " Ava murmured softly, her heart feeling heavy with conflicting emotions.
" I'll text you the details. Hope to see you soon, okay? " Hunter's voice held a hopeful note.
" Okay, but I told you I'd have to check my schedule, alright? I'm not promising anything yet " Ava said carefully, unsure of what to make of the situation.