My phone rings and I slide the screen open “Mark, what’s up?” I glance at the clock, it’s three in the morning. “Sorry to wake you, but your man left the house. I thought you’d want to know.” Shit, I didn’t hear a thing. Why is he out in the middle of the night? “Thanks Mark, I’ll track him, go get dinner or breakfast or whatever.” I push the light blanket off and throw on my jeans and combat boots. My tank top will have to do.

I flip open the laptop and pull up the tracker. The little red dot is moving slow. He must be walking. He’s only a block away. I grab my gun and slide it in the back of my jeans and take off out of the townhouse and over the dunes.

With the app on my phone I see he has stopped five hundred feet ahead. I look up and the water comes into view. Why is he out here? My steps slow as I approach, he sits in the sand and looks out over the ocean, chugging back a bottle of Jack.

“You ever feel alone, like no matter what you do, you’re not doing it right?” I sit down next him. I pull my feet from my boots and let the sand fall out. I’ve hurt him. I can see it in his eyes, the way he looks at me. Never in my wildest dreams would I hurt him on purpose. Why can’t we go back to the beginning, when things were simpler?

“All these years I’ve had to fight for what I wanted.” I say with my hands in the sand letting it sift through my fingers. The night sky filled with sparkling stars and a crescent moon sits above. “Hunter, can’t we go back to the way things were. Can’t we be friends, why does it have to be so difficult?” He picks up the bottle and chugs back what’s left then throws it behind us.

“Friends...yeah sure thing,” he says but I don’t believe him. “Have I told you all the glamour and glory of being a movie star comes with a lonely life? Besides Jax, Tommy and Warren, I have nothing. When you came, my life started making sense. I felt complete. Shit, I laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever. Now you want to take it all away. You confuse the shit out of me.”

I understand what he’s saying, and it hurts me to hear the words out loud. I’ve led him on, but it’s me. It’s what I do. It’s how I protect myself, like he said. If I mess with someone else then they can’t hurt me first. But why do I feel so guilty doing it to him? Why am I letting him get to me? Why does he matter so much?

“I like to fuck with people, it’s my thang.” I bump my shoulder against his and he shakes his head. “See even that, the simplest comments send my dick into overdrive. You aren’t playing fair.” I know the feeling, thoughts of our innocent touches, glances, kisses. The shower and our intimate moment by the pool all filter in my head. He’s right, it’s not fair. Maybe I should remove myself from this assignment. I’m too close, but yet I don’t trust anyone else to protect him.

“Hunter, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.” He stands and with disappointment on his face looks away. “I told you Danica, I’m done. Whatever it was, is gone now.” My throat tightens and my eyes fill with tears as I watch him walk away for the second time in twenty-four hours. It feels like he’s taking my heart with him. My breath catches and I let him go. I have to, to protect him.

HUNTER

I can’t live in a game. My heart feels like it’s broken into a million pieces. If I can get her to face her feelings maybe, maybe then we could have a chance. But until then I’ll keep my distance. I’ll go back to my old ways before I gave a shit. Soon she’ll get another assignment and be gone for good. Maybe it is for the best.

The morning comes and goes, by the afternoon I am sober enough to go out and get trashed again. I call Jax and tell him to meet me at the local pub in an hour. When I approach the door to leave, Danica’s voice stops me. “Where are you going?” Without looking back I turn the knob, “I’m going out, take the night off.” I straddle my bike and ride off down the highway for some much needed space.

An hour I've been riding trying to forget and let the cool air push her from my thoughts. It doesn't help so I turn to the next best thing. Alcohol.

I walk into the pub and find Jax and Tommy at the bar. I raise my hand to the old timer and walk up next to them. “Why the long face?” Jax asks. I know I’m not supposed to tell anyone Danica’s on the job, but these are my only true friends. We’ve grown up together and I completely trust them. Besides, if I talk about it, maybe it will go away.

“Let’s take a booth,” with my beer in hand I walk over to an empty booth and slide in.

Jax and Tommy sit across from me, with elbows on the table they wait for me to start.

“Danica isn’t my girl.” They both chuckle. “Bullshit, that girl has you wrapped around her little finger.” And he’s right, but not anymore. “She’s an undercover agent. She may have me, but I don’t have her. It’s over.” Before it even began. I chug back the beer and wave it at the waitress for another.

“Well, shit. The way she looks at you and the games you two play, I’d say it’s more than a job to her. But I don’t know, maybe she’s a better actress than you.” Tommy chuckles at his own joke. When the waitress places the beer down on the table, I order a few shots and tell her to keep them coming. It’s going to be a long night.