Chapter 59 Chapter 59
“They say love kills. While most people mean heartbreak… but some mean lovers who prefer efficiency.”
Hale stood by the wide glass window with his phone pressed to his ear. The room was dim, lit only by the pale morning light slipping through the curtains. Behind him, Clara slept peacefully on the bed, completely unaware of the conversation happening.
The sheets were tangled around her waist, her hair spread across the pillow like ink spilled on white silk. Her breathing was slow and steady.
Hale glanced over his shoulder at her as the voice on the other end of the line continued speaking.
“We’ve seen him there again,” the man said "Multiple times this week.”
Hale’s expression hardened slightly “Where exactly?”
“On Clara’s property. Same time, he circles the area and leaves.”
Hale nodded slowly, thinking “He’s expecting her to show up,” he murmured. “He probably thinks she’ll return sooner or later"
His eyes drifted back to Clara, the peaceful rise and fall of her chest softened something inside him but his voice remained cold "She’s not going back there or anywhere without me.”
A brief silence followed on the line.
“So what do you want us to do?” the man asked.
Hale watched Clara shift slightly in her sleep, her arm moving lazily across the bed and a faint smile appeared on his lips
“If he shows up there again,” Hale said calmly, “I give you the permission to act"
The man didn’t hesitate "Understood Boss”
The call ended then Hale placed the phone on the nearby table before walking back to the bed. The mattress dipped as he slid beneath the sheets beside her.
Clara instinctively moved closer in her sleep, pressing lightly against him and Hale wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her gently against his chest.
For the first time in years, his breathing slowed, he felt a sense of peace because she was here and he was never going to let her leave.
The week passed like a dream. Days blurred together in a haze of laughter, wandering hands, stolen kisses, and lazy afternoons tangled in sheets.
They explored every corner of the secluded house; The kitchen counter, the sofa, the shower, even the wide windows overlooking the forest.
Everywhere became theirs, for a while, the outside world stopped existing. Only their world existed until one morning, Clara stirred when soft lips brushed against hers.
She smiled instinctively, still half-asleep, “Good morning,” she murmured sleepily.
Hale kissed her again, slower this time “Morning.”
She stretched lazily beneath the blanket, her muscles still pleasantly sore from the night before then her eyes opened and her smile vanished.
Spread across the bedroom floor were gloves, combat pads, training knives, and several guns.
Clara sat up immediately “Are you going to fight someone?” she asked, alarmed.
Hale shook his head “No.”
She looked around the room again, confusion growing “Then why are there weapons everywhere?”
His answer was simple "I’m training you.”
For a second, she thought she misheard him then she laughed.
“I don’t even know how to use a gun,” she said, shaking her head. “And I never plan to.”
Hale didn’t laugh making her realise the severity of the situation
“I could never heal from taking a life, so I don't want to learn how to take one" she added quietly
His jaw tightened “I’ll teach you how to use a gun,” he said evenly "And I’ll teach you how to heal after taking a life when necessary.”
She blinked at him unsure “Hale....”
“You’re not safe,” he interrupted. “You need to learn how to protect yourself.”
Clara pouted “I don’t need to,” she muttered
His eyes narrowed slightly “Why?”
She shrugged lightly “Because you’ll always be there to save me.”
The words left her mouth casually but something inside Hale snapped. The change in him was immediate; His eyes darkened
“Don’t say that,” he said quietly
She frowned “I meant it as a compli..."
Before she could finish, Hale grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it across the room and It slammed against the wall with a deafening crash.
Clara jumped in shock “Hale...!”
He grabbed the edge of a table and flipped it over, sending training equipment scattering across the floor as his breathing grew heavy.
“Hale, stop!” she yelled but he didn’t.
He punched the glass mirror beside the bed, The floor-to-ceiling mirror shattered in an explosive spray of glass but it wasn’t enough.
He stood there breathing heavily, chest rising and falling like a wild animal then he turned toward her. His eyes burned with something terrifying.
“I will kill you myself,” he snarled, “before I let anyone hurt you again.”
He moved suddenly toward the scattered guns and her survival instincts screamed. Her bare feet slapped against the hallway floor as she sprinted out of the bedroom.
“Hale!” she cried
A gunshot exploded and the bullet struck the wall beside her head. She screamed and ran faster. Another shot rang out, missing her by an inch.
Her heart pounded violently as she spotted the small storage room near the kitchen, she dashed inside and slammed the door shut, locking it just as Hale reached it.
His fist slammed against the door “Come out,” he barked
Clara covered her mouth with both hands to stifle the sobs shaking her body. She couldn’t believe it, Hale was trying to kill her. Yes, she knew he was dangerous but this...
“Open the door,” he demanded.
She shook her head violently though he couldn’t see her
“I won’t hurt you if you cooperate,” he said coldly
The door rattled violently as he slammed into it
“If you don’t open it,” he growled, “I’ll make you suffer before I kill you.”
Clara crawled backward into the darkest corner of the storage room, curling into herself, tears blurred her vision as she prayed silently for someone to help her.
The door shook again under another brutal hit then silence before the knob exploded apart as bullets ripped through the lock. The door creaked open slowly.
Clara tried to stay hidden behind a stack of storage boxes, barely breathing as footsteps entered the room.
He was searching for her with urgency and her heart beat so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
And then he found her. Hale grabbed her by the hair and yanked her forward with brutal force. She screamed as he dragged her out of the room.
“Please stop!” she cried but he didn’t hear her or maybe he didn’t care
He dragged her into the living room and threw her down hard onto the floor. As she scrambled backward desperately, he cocked the gun.
His face twisted with irritation “You think you’re an angel?” he mocked. “Some priceless jewel that deserves saving every time?”
Her body shook uncontrollably “Hale please..."
“News flash.” Hee laughed “I killed my own mother.”
“She looked just as shocked as you do now,” he continued with manic amusement. “Right before I ended her misery.”
He aimed the gun and pulled the trigger but it just clicked. For a split second they both froze then Clara jumped to her feet and ran for the door.
She barely made two steps before Hale tackled her from behind and they crashed to the floor cause her head to slam hard against the wood. Pain exploded behind her eyes.
Warm blood began trickling down her forehead as the world spun.Hale flipped her onto her back then his hand clamped around her throat.
His grip tightening grudgingly. She clawed weakly at his arms, but it only made him press harder. Air disappeared from her lungs, her vision darkened and her strength faded.
Maybe this was how she died, killed by the man who kissed her good morning.