The Huntress

6. Blame Game

"So care to explain what that phone call was about?" Hunter asks, as he downs a shot, before pouring himself another. He holds the shot towards me, and I eye him in annoyance.

"The only guarantee in life is death. Unfortunately for us, that promise looks as though it will be fulfilled before the end of the day. So we might as well enjoy the moment now, as we may never get another chance. Plus, from your behaviour, it would seem as though we need to wait here anyways. So might as well make use of the place." Hunter remarks. While I may not like the guy, I can't discount his words. We've already been through a lot already. While I'm not one to drink on the job, I can't deny the temptation to take the shot, knowing it will help take the edge off. After a moment of resisting, I walk towards the bar and grab the shot from his hand.

I swallow the liquid quickly, feeling it burn my intestines along the way.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, never having something so powerful before.

"Aguardiente. Though I believe you refer to it as fiery water." Hunter proudly comments, poring another shot for himself before capping the bottle.

I've never known a liquor to have a more appropriate name. Firey water it is.

"You'll have to remind me not to take you out for celebratory drinks if we survive this." I state, taking a seat at the bar.

Hunter remains silent, as he shares a look with me. I can see we're both apprehensive about our futures. But the biggest threat looming over our heads, is the unspoken what if's for what's happening to Sienna. I can see the fear of the unknown practically crippling the powerful man in front of me. So instead of dwelling on it, I decide to change the topic. Knowing we both could use a diversion right about now.

"To answer your question, I was talking in code. I told Jace that Sienna has been taken hostage, however, we managed to escape. I also warned him of a possible attack on the Stone family, before ending the call." I explain.

"You said all of that?" Hunter looks at me in awe.

"Yes. It's a way to allow people to talk to each other without fear of being overheard. You never know who could be listening in." I explain.

Hunter merely nods his head in response.

"I'm not a big fan of all these trinkets, you Americans rely on." Hunter remarks after a silent moment, making me laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asks, looking at me in annoyance.

"Leave it to Sienna, the tech genius to fall for the anti-tech noob." I remark. Earning me a curious look from Hunter, unsure as to what I'm talking about.

"She never told you, did she?" I remark, understanding dawning on me.

"Tell me what?" He asks.

"Do you even know why I'm her bodyguard?" I ask him.

"Because of her dad." Hunter states, nonchalantly.

"Yes, and no." I reply.

"What is that even supposed to mean?" Hunter comments, raising a brow at my response.

"Yes, I protect her because of her family's status, but that's not the only reason."

"Then what's the full reason?"

"Have you ever heard of Brio?" I ask. Hunter looks at me confused, not expecting my question. But undoubtedly nodding his head.

"Sienna was the one that invented it." I explain.

"I thought her dad was."

"No. They did that to protect her. But Sienna has always been a tech prodigy. Her dream was to work alongside her dad, before..." I say, cutting myself off, knowing I went too far.

"Before what?" He asks, growing serious.

"It's not my place. This should be something Sienna tells you. Not me." I explain, hoping to change the conversation.

"Tomorrow is never promised." Hunter comments as it dawns on me that Sienna may never get the chance to tell him.

I sigh and nod my head.

"This goes back to before I started working for the Stone family. I only know from the file I read on her. But before Sienna became a doctor, her dream was to design tech to change the world. Like her father."

"So what changed?"

"I can't say for certain, but it's believed it had to do with a car accident she was involved in." Upon mentioning the accident, a light sparks in Hunter's eyes, realization dawning on him.

"You know of the accident?" I ask.

"Yes and no. Rather I know of it. The day it happened, we were supposed to go on date. I remember being so furious with her because she didn't show, and wouldn't answer my calls. I felt like a fool. I thought she played me." Hunter comments, slinking down in a nearby chair, placing his head in his hands.

"It wasn't until a few months later that I found out what had happened. All I knew was that she was in an accident, and somehow drugs were involved. I remember Javier telling me that her friend had died in the accident. I had gone to go see her, but I couldn't find her. It was as though she disappeared." Hunter recalls. My heart shatters, knowing for how long these two have longed for one another, only to be denied.

"It wasn't an accident, and drugs were definitely not the factor." I state, as I remember the details from the file in my mind. I remember learning about the accident and seeing Sienna in an entirely new light. Up until then, I had heard what everyone else heard. That Sienna had experimented with drugs and was the driver at the time when their vehicle crashed, injuring her, and killing Rylee.

"What happened?" Hunter asked, dropping his hands to look at me. I can see the despair he's desperately trying to hold back, knowing he abandoned her in her time of need.

"Sienna and Rylee were involved with a high-scale heist. They had just gotten away with stealing the infamous painting. Before their car was run off the road."

"What painting?" Hunter surprises me by asking.

"It's not important." I remark. In a flash, Hunter is in front of me, grappling me by the lapel of my shirt.

"What painting?" Hunter grits out. I don't know why it's so important he know, so I decide to just tell him.

"I don't know why you care so much. But the Nativity." I comment. The moment the words are out of my mouth, Hunter relaxes his grip on me, stepping away from me. I watch on in confusion.

"Why does it matter?" I ask, needing to know what caused the sudden change in his mood.

"Kevin gave me that painting." He comments. Making my eyes go wide.

"You don't mean..." I begin, however, he cuts me off.

"Yes. That's exactly what I mean. Kevin was the one that ran her off the road. While I doubt Kevin personally did it, as he is more bark than bite. But it was his men that acted on it, leaving her there for dead." Hunter declares, making my eyes go wide.

"But why did Kevin give it to you?" I ask, not losing that fact he let slip.

"It was supposed to be a show of faith. Kevin had wanted me to partner with him, but I was on the fence about doing it. I'm not one to work with others. Partnerships irritate me. I don't trust others, and now you can see why. I've learned the only one I can trust is myself."

I nod my head in understanding, coming to the same realization Hunter just did. That Kevin's been playing the long game, far longer than any of us expected. If he was involved with that, then who knows what else he was involved in? I wonder to myself.

"So why did Sienna change her mind and want to become a doctor then?" Hunter asks, changing the topic.

"While she always denied it. We all suspect that it had to do with Rylee. We believe she blames herself for what happened to her. Choosing to change her path in life, knowing it was because of her decisions that led to Rylee's death." I explain.

"But that's not true." Hunter comments.

"You don't need to tell me that. But that's not how Sienna sees it. She was the one that encouraged Rylee to go on the heist. They had participated in many others before that night, and she became overconfident. Sienna was a pro. She managed to get in completely undetected and make out with high-end paintings with no one the wiser. She was a professional painter. She was extremely talented. I remember seeing her rendition of Starry Night. It was by far better than Van Gogh himself. It was because of her skill that she managed to get away all those other times. As she perfectly replicated each of the paintings, replacing each one she stole. No one would've even found out if it wasn't for the accident. The police were involved and investigated why she would be out there in the first place. Which is when they came across her storage locker with the stolen paintings. While no one could prove that she did in fact steal the Nativity, as it wasn't amongst the wreckage of the car, it's a silent awareness that she did it. Damian even suspected her involvement, agreeing to pay off the gallery for their silence in Sienna's involvement."