Chapter 26: Codename: Blackheart Chapter Twenty-Six

As I hit the twenty-minute mark of my run on the treadmill, I increase the incline, and begin pushing myself further as I feel the burn through my legs. The Tournament is one week away, and I’ve been doing everything I can to prepare for the unpreparable. I’m working on my cardio to build stamina. Yoga and meditation to improve my breath control. Lots of sparring with Mum, Dad, Grandpa and even Marcel, and of course, lots of target practice. You never know what challenges you’ll face in The Tournament until you’re in it, so any preparation is really just guesswork and hoping for the best. 

Tension has been rising as it gets closer to D-Day. I always find Alec somewhere watching me with this conflicted expression on his face. I get the feeling he’s going through an existential crisis, but I don’t have time to baby him. I’m about to fight for my life; he should learn to handle his own shit for a change.

That being said, I have been enjoying his company. Despite the highly unusual circumstance that led him here and the hilarious fact my dad can’t resist dropping death threats just to fuck with him, having him around has been nice, and I hate that fact. I hate how having him around is distracting me when I need to focus. I hate how this entire situation with him could not have come at a worse possible time, and I hate the fact that the sweet, little gestures he makes when my parents aren’t around still make my heart go all funny.

So maybe there are some unwanted feelings there, but they change nothing. This entire Grigoras mess isn’t over yet and if I’m forced to choose between Alec and myself, I’ll choose myself. This isn’t some love story where I would take a bullet for him and declare my love. Fuck that shit. I would use his body like a shield and live to kill another day. That being said, I have been missing his touch. I admit it had been a while since I’d gotten laid, and since Alec so expertly knows how to scratch my itch, I’m stupidly craving more.

“Alina?” I hear my dad call.

I look over at him, “Stop using my name,” I scold him.

“Don’t worry, the walking corpse is up in his room,” Dad says, waving a hand dismissively. I roll my eyes. The last thing I want is for Alec to know my real name, although I honestly find this entire situation incredibly ironic.

“Can I help you with something?”

“I have the firing range set up, you should get in some target practice,” he says as he rolls up the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

“I did target practice the other day,” I remind him.

“Two days ago. Now, let’s go,” he says sternly, walking off.

I sigh as I bring the treadmill to a stop. I grab my towel and wipe the sweat from my body, then grab my water bottle and skull about half of it. I make my way out of the gym, heading outside to the far end of the grounds where a firing range is set up. Multiple targets are lined up across the grassy field every twenty-five meters. I walk across the courtyard and make my way over to my dad, who is standing at a table laid out with guns. Oh, some of my favourites are there!

“You know I really hope in my final days here I get ice cream instead of more training,” I joke, but my words don’t make my dad laugh. Instead, he stiffens and turns to look at me with glassy eyes. Crap. My face falls and I quickly walk over and wrap my arms around him and breathe in his earthy cologne. “I’m sorry, that was supposed to be a joke.”

“I know,” he says softly, wrapping his arms around me and stroking my hair, “I just can’t bear the thought of losing you. Every year that I’ve watched you compete, I’ve felt as though someone was ripping my heart out. I’ve been so proud of you for proving victorious these last couple years, but that doesn’t ease my fear that this year will be the year I lose my little girl,” he says, his voice thick with emotions as he squeezes me tighter.

“Do you wish that I had never gone into the family business?” I ask him.

“More times than I can count,” he admits. I pull back looking up at him in shock. I didn’t know that. “Alina, you’re my daughter. I care more about you than I care about some stupid legacy, and so does your mother. If you had chosen any other life, we would have supported you. I know my parents didn’t want this life for me either, but I chose it. It’s a parent’s natural instinct to want to protect their child from danger. You’ll understand when you become a mother one day,” he says as he gently caresses my cheek.

“If I become a mother one day, I’m not sure if I want kids,” I tell him.

“I respect that. Want to know something?” he asks, leaning against the table of guns.

“Always,” I smile.

“Do you remember the night of your first kill?” I slowly nod, unsure where this is going. “Once your mother and I cleaned everything up and had you cleaned and tucked into bed, I spent a solid hour in the bathroom throwing up.”

I blink in surprise, “You did? Why?” I ask, leaning next to him.

“Because that was the most terrifying experience of my life. Walking into my hotel room to see my precious little girl covered in blood, with my knife in her hand and a corpse at her feet. Even though you were okay, my mind ran through every possible horrible thing that could have happened to you and each one made me sicker than the last. It was at that moment I planned to retire,” he confesses. Man is just full of shocking revelations today.

“I never knew that. You clearly changed your mind though,” I point out.

He nods, “Your grandfather talked me out of it. He said that now more than ever, I needed to prove to the world how deadly I was. I needed to become the thing of nightmares so that if someone ever managed to learn who I was and that I had a family, they’d think twice, and he was right. Turns out it’s what he did with me too.”

I take his hand in mine and lean my head on his shoulder. “I’ve never thought of you and Mum as bad parents. I never saw you as people who put work first. It didn’t matter what was going on in your professional lives, I still had people who loved me to tuck me into bed at night, read me stories and keep my belly full. I have felt loved and cared for every day of my life. As scary as these tournaments can be, I go in knowing that if this is my time, I have no regrets. I didn’t have a life unlived. I have had an amazing life with an amazing family. Knowing that has gotten me through every year, and I hope it can do it again this year,” I say as tears pool in my eyes.

A tear slips down my dad’s cheek as he pulls me into his arms, almost crushing me, but I let him. I hold him just as tight, clinging to the safety of my father’s arms for just a moment.

“I love you so, so much, Alina,” he whispers in my hair.

“I love you too, Dad.” I pull back a little and smile up at him, “Let’s shoot some things.”

He chuckles and wipes his eyes, “Sounds like a plan. Which gun would you like to start with?” he asks as he reluctantly lets me go.

I look over at the impressive selection of machinery laid out on the table, my eyes lighting up as they zero in on the CZ TS 2. I quickly grab the gun and load the clip in and my dad smiles, shaking his head. I step towards my mark and aim towards the nearest target. Practising a kill shot is boring; I can do that in my sleep. I feel like practising incapacitation shots; ideal for if you plan to interrogate someone. I aim my gun and fire four shots, one in each wrist of my target and one in each kneecap, all with perfect precision.

“Practicing for your boyfriend?” Dad teases.

“He is not my boyfriend,” I say in annoyance. I raise my gun, aiming at the next target.

“Okay, your walking target who you’re also fucking,” he says casually just as I fire, causing me to miss my target by a couple centimetres. I look back at him in shock while he’s bent over, laughing like a hyena. 

“Mum told you?” I hiss.

“Oh please, she didn’t have to. That boy is pining over you so hard I could see it from space. He’s always looking at you, he’s always trying to get close to you when he thinks we’re not watching, and the way he looks at you isn’t like he wants something he’ll never have. It’s the look of a man who has had a taste of forbidden fruit and wants more. Trust me, I’ve been there,” he snorts.

“I am a grown woman. Who I sleep with is none of your business,” I say as I put the gun down and pick up the JP Enterprises JP-5. I carefully aim and start firing it at targets.

“I never said otherwise!” Dad shouts over the sound of gunfire. “I’m just saying, whatever you did to that boy has clearly got him under your spell,” he chuckles, “Will make him easier to kill now since he trusts you.”

“Maybe that was the plan all along,” I say in a bored tone.

“That’s not your style. You’ve never used sex as a weapon. It’s okay to be human every now and then. I know either way, you’ll make the right decision,” he says, squeezing my shoulder.

After a very successful target practice, I head back inside and go upstairs. I decide to pass Alec’s room and as I do, I can hear the sound of angry whispering. Feeling curious, I press my ear to the door to better hear what’s being said.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” Alec whisper yells aggressively. Even at such a low volume, I can hear the anger in his voice. “What the fuck do you expect me to do when you forced me into this situation?” he continues, responding to a voice I can’t hear. I’m assuming he’s on that burner phone he thinks I don’t know about. He picked it up from his apartment when we went to gather some of his things. I found it hidden in one of his shoes. He really thought I wouldn’t look there. Sad. “Just what the hell are you planning to do? You can’t do shit now. Just let this go.” His room is quiet for a couple minutes when the silence is broken by the sound of something smashing. 

I start heading towards my room again, thinking over the one-sided conversation I just heard. I have a list of people I suspect he may have been talking to, but I can’t be sure which. Either way, at least I know things are going according to plan. So that’s something.