[ Session V ]

Caine shuffled the playing cards in midair as he walked into the empty lounge area. The cards were well used and easy to bend, but even so, his agile hands didn’t allow any of them to fall. He gathered them together, placed them on the middle of the coffee table, and sat on the sofa, staring at the deck.

He leaned forward—he could do that without too much pain from his side now—and put out the cigarette he had in the ashtray. He reached for the deck, cut it in half, and picked out the top card. Caine stared at the back of the card’s elaborate design of blue vines intertwining with each other.

It could be any card; it was just the same as all the other facedown cards in the deck. One could pass for the other. They were just like people. Smiles, words, tears, screams. Walking, punching, dancing, gagging. There were countless mechanisms of the human spectrum, and they were part of mankind’s elaborate design found on the back of humanity’s cards. 

Caine knew that charade well. He had his own generic design he could manipulate to get the person that flips his card to see what he wanted. It was how he was able to do his job. It was how he had remained hidden.

It wasn’t till a person’s life graced him with unimaginable happiness or broke him with inconceivable sorrow that his true nature could be discovered. Like the flip of a card.

 What’s Ena’s card?

He had peeked at her being by careful and discreet flipping of the edges of her card, each time glimpsing at another piece of her true character. Caine had seen intelligence when she used her gift as a hacker. He had seen grit and toughness when she took down the ruthless men he chased. He had seen compassion when she would “donate” his captured targets’ bank accounts into charities for children. He had seen beauty and innocence in her blushes and smiles.

What had Ena seen about him?

He grinned. She probably thinks I’m some creep that smokes too much.

Ena was the first person he actually enjoyed having around, but he also knew she probably didn’t feel entirely the same. She obviously suspected there was something strange about him but he was sure she hadn’t discovered the truth. Not yet. If Ena knew that, he would’ve definitely heard about it by now.

Caine stared at the waiting–to–be–flipped card between his thumb and forefinger.

Now to see your secret.

He flicked his wrist around.

Ace of Spades.

He sighed. “Of course.”

The card went back to the pile and Caine reshuffled them. He cut the deck again and picked out another card. He flipped it.

Queen of Hearts.

“Caine? Did you change your bandages?” Ena said.

He looked up to see her walk in the room. She was wearing her cute white shorts he liked. Her hair was in a ponytail and the sight of her neck excited him.

“Of course, corazón,” he told her as she sat next to him.

She glared at him. “You’re not lying again, are you?”

“No. I only lied last time because I wanted you to do it for me.”

Ena rolled her eyes but he caught her slight blush. Instead of the usual happiness that surged through him at seeing that, guilt settled in his stomach. She should see his card. His true nature. It wasn’t fair he knew hers but she didn’t know his.

“This card reminds me of you.” Caine handed her the Queen of Hearts.

She took it and studied it with her vibrant green eyes. “Why?”

“You haven’t heard the story of the Queen of Hearts, corazón?”

She shook her head. She really was adorable.

He grinned at her, but his chest tightened as he spoke. “The Queen of Hearts had her own kingdom where she had thousands of slaves, servants, and admirers. She loved her life but then she noticed they all didn’t love her. It was only because she was the king’s queen that they would smile at her. One day she found a secret of the king’s. He had been killing people over gold. She didn’t want to be part of that, part of him, and ran away.

“She had never been outside the kingdom and soon got lost in a forest. At that same time, a handsome hunter was walking by. He had been hired by the king to kill the queen because another queen had taken her place. But this hunter saw how helpless and beautiful she was. He instead took her to his hut and took care of her from then on.

“The queen saw his smiles were real. She didn’t care that she lost her luxuries because she was happy where she was and was in love with the hunter who also loved her back. He had loved her since she came. They got married and had a family, and although the queen never returned to the castle, she made a new home and died happy.”

Ena gazed at Caine, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I’ve never heard of that story, but it’s almost like…” Her mouth opened. “You knew? You—Oh god! You knew who I was?” She jumped up from the couch, dropping the card.

“Ena—” He rose from the couch and tried to reach for her, but the fear in her eyes stopped him. He didn’t like it that he had done that to her. She was afraid of him. Maybe he shouldn’t have done this.

“Wait,” Ena said. Her voice was dry and low. “Talos. Micky. Star Eater. Reyes. All of them. High ranked drug lords. You said they were your bounties, but they weren’t, were they? You’re a hired gun. Someone else in the ring hired you to kill them.”

Caine hoped she could see the remorse in his face. “Yes, I’m a hired gun. I’m who they call Sicario.”

“Sicario?” she exclaimed. The spite and anger she shot him cut deep into him. “You’re the hitman my hus—Alonso liked to use. Him and everyone in the ring liked to hire you to kill each other off. You hurt innocent people!”

“No,” he boomed. “Never innocent people. I didn’t do that. It was only—”

“He hired you to kill me. Alonso,” she said, her voice quiet. “That’s why you answered my distress call and brought me onboard. That’s why you let me live here. You were just playing with me until you had to kill me!”

“No. He did hire me to kill you, but I would never do that. Ever.” He glared at her. If he was going to make her understand anything at all, it was going to be that fact.  

Ena’s icy glower challenged him. Her hands balled up into fists. “No? Then why did you take on the contract in the first place?”

His leer fell and he looked around, helpless. “I usually don’t like killing women, but the creds offered for your head were beyond even what I could comprehend, and I thought ‘Hey. She’s part of that shit hole too. One less crooked bitch that helps them is all the better.’ But then I saw you and you weren’t like that.”

“I didn’t want to help them. Help Alonso. I didn’t know back then.” Ena’s fists shook and her eyes were glossy but she kept her glare.

Caine took a careful step towards her. “I know. I believe you. You just got caught up in it. I could see now how they forced you to use your skills for them. You would never willingly do anything to hurt innocents. Ena, you’re…you’re beautiful, and I just don’t mean on the outside. You’re good.”

The silence that settled on them was disturbed by Ena’s single sob. Caine burned with the desire to embrace her, but he felt that might chase her away. He had noticed her small, but constant, steps she took away from him as they spoke.

He sighed. “Even though you’re really—”

“Don’t say that name! That’s the name of his wife. I am not his wife. Not anymore. I’m Ena! Ena!” She looked at him with ferocity but he felt it was more for herself than for him.

Her conviction broke as another sob escaped her. Her head came down and her hands came up to grip her shirt by the sleeves. Ena’s violent cries shook her body. Caine couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled her into his arms, cradling her head to his chest and wrapping his arm around her back. She grasped his shirt and allowed herself to be held. Caine felt like the most important pillar in all the universe.     

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know,” Ena gasped between her sobs. “I was born on Earth. The only way to get off of that broken, polluted planet was to die or find someone to take you away.”

Caine didn’t say anything but stroked her pulled back hair with his fingertips, coaxing her to say more. To let it go.

 “I met Alonso and I thought he loved me, but I quickly found out that was a lie. He just wanted me for my talents. A useful trophy wife,” she spat, clenching his shirt tighter. “But after years of death and betrayal and lies, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I finally ran away.”

Ena pulled away from Caine, but he kept her in his arms. She looked at him. Her face was red like her hair and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, but he didn’t care. She was gorgeous.     

“And then you found me.” Ena’s voice was hesitant.

He smiled at her and pushed back the stray strands of her hair. “Yes, corazón, and happiness can’t even begin to describe how I feel that I did.”

Doubt crawled over her face.

Caine took a deep breath. What he was about to say was wrecking his nerves more than his earlier decision to tell her he was a hitman.

“Ena,” he said, “I love you.”

She stared at him with a look he couldn’t decipher. Each quiet second that passed by scared him, twisting his stomach into a knot and filling his lungs with concrete.

Ena pulled her chin down and looked at him under a cocked eyebrow. “Wait. So you didn’t kill me anymore because you started liking me?”

He crossed his arms. “First of all, it was because I started loving you and second of all, yes. Why else do you think I did all that I did for you? The diners? The dresses? The flirting? The pet name? I wouldn’t have done all that if I was gonna kill you. It would’ve just been a waste of time.”

She giggled.

His heart flew. Giggling was good.

“You…really like me?” Ena asked.

“No. Love. Please, corazón, get it right.”

“Wait.” Her body stiffened. “This isn’t a trick, right?”

He threw his head back and sighed. “No. I promise. It’s not.”

“It’s just that you never said anything before.”

“I thought women wanted to be shown things.”

Her face reddened and it wasn’t from her cry. The usual flutter in his stomach from seeing her blushes visited him. He relished the sensation.

“Damn it, Ena,” he said.

His hands shot to her waist and he pulled her. Their hips met and his hands cupped the back of her head. His lips fell over hers and she tasted of strawberries from the yogurt he’d seen her eating earlier. He grinned through the kiss.

Of course the redhead would taste of strawberries.

Caine felt Ena’s lips move on his and she caught his bottom lip in her mouth. His hand on her waist gripped her hip in excitement. She answered by grabbing his shirt and tugging him closer to her as she backed to the couch behind her. He fell on top of her, their legs sprawled over the armrest.

They broke their kiss and he looked at her. He knew the smile on his face was the biggest he’d ever had. “Does that mean you love me too, corazón?”

Ena wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him with the innocence that had first told him she was not part of the same world he thought her to be. Her lips then curled up into a mischievous smile.

Caine felt the warmth of her kiss on him again. It was accompanied by her hands running down his back and to the bottom of his shirt. She gripped it and pulled it over his head. His gunshot wound protested a little when he lifted his arms but like hell he was going to let that slight sting stop him now. He dipped down to kiss her again, hands enjoying her curves before they went to unbutton her shorts.

“Oww!” Ena exclaimed.

Caine pulled back. “What?”

She was rubbing her head. “I hit myself on the couch’s armrest.”

He sat up away from her.

She now looked at him with confusion. “What is it?”

“Not here,” he said.

“What?”

Caine dug his arms under her knees and her back and lifted her off the couch. Her own arms locked around his neck. He smirked down at her as he walked to the hallway. “We’re going to my room. I want you to be comfortable for what I’m about to do to you.”

Her usual, adorable fluster overtook her. “Okay.”

He stopped outside his room door. “You just have to say one thing, corazón.”

Ena’s blush unbelievably deepened. “What’s that?”

“You have to say you love me too.”

She chuckled, the red gone from her face. “Didn’t I just show you? I thought men liked to be shown things.”

He grinned. Oh she was going to really like what he was about to show her right now. “Don’t worry, corazón. I’ll have you saying it soon enough.”

***************************

Author's Note: First of all...THANK YOU SO MUCH to all you guys that have been reading and supporting this story. I'm so happy so many of you have come to enjoy it! <3

The next chapter will be the last one of this story, so I hope you guys stick around to see the end of it.

Thank you again! So, so much!