Bounty Hunter

Reed

The room was quiet except for the rhythmic beep of the monitors. Zinnia lay motionless, her face pale against the white sheets. I sat by her bedside, my eyes fixed on her, willing her to wake up. It had been two days since I rescued her from that monster, Roman. Two days of sleepless nights and relentless searching.

“Zinnia, you’ve got to pull through,” I whispered, my voice rough from exhaustion. “We need you back. I need you back.” The door creaked open, and Hermine walked in with a grim expression. She handed me a cup of coffee, which I accepted gratefully.

“Any news?” I asked, already knowing the answer from the look on her face. “Not yet,” she says, pausing momentarily as I sighed in disappointment. “But I’ve got all our contacts, all those who owe us a favour looking, but Roman’s gone dark. It’s like he vanished into thin air.” She adds.

I cursed under my breath. Roman had never been a ghost. He had always been open about his lavish lifestyle, but since he took Zinnia, he condemned himself to being a ghost, slipping through my fingers time and again. He hurt Zinnia. It became personal and I will not rest until I find him and when I do, I would sit by and watch my little flower torture him until he begged for death to come. I would watch while she took back everything he stole from her. I took a sip of the bitter coffee, hoping it would jolt me back to life. My mind was a haze of worry and anger. Zinnia had been through hell, and it was my fault. I should have protected her better.

“Reed,” Hermine says softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She’s a fighter. She’ll pull through.” I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I believed it.

Zinnia has always been strong. Growing up in foster care built her for the harshness of life, but the past few weeks had tested her limits and would make even the strongest soldier crumble. She had been tortured, abused, humiliated, starved, and left to die. It was a miracle I had found her in time. I looked at her fragile form, her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. Memories of our time together flooded my mind-her laughter, her fiery spirit, the way her pussy tightens around my cock, the look on her face while she screamed my name. She was a force of nature, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

“We need to step up our game,” I said, my voice filled with determination. “Double the patrols around the estate. Make sure every corner is covered. And keep pressing our contacts. Someone has to know where Roman is hiding.” Hermine nods, already moving towards the door.

“Consider it done.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“How’s Alex?” Hermine is silent for a while. Her eyes darts around the room in guilt before she responds.

“Much better. Slowly coming to,” she says.

“Anything on her father?” I asked and Hermine shakes her head. “Find him. He might lead us to Roman,” I add.

As Hermine left, I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes for a moment. The weight of the past few weeks settled heavily on my shoulders. I couldn’t shake the image of Zinnia, broken and bruised, from my mind. It fuelled my anger, turning it into a burning desire to she’d blood. The door opened again, and this time it was Dr Jacobs, the same doctor who has been tending to Alex. He gave me a reassuring smile as he checked Zinnia’s vitals.

“How is she?” I asked, unable to hide the worry in my voice.

“She’s stable, Reed. It’s going to take time, but she’s a tough one. Physically, she’s recovering. The emotional scars will take longer.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help her heal.”

Dr. Jacobs patted my shoulder. “You’re doing everything you can. Just be there for her when she wakes up. That’s what she needs most.” As he left, I turned my attention back to Zinnia.

I reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’m here, Zinnia. I’m not going anywhere.” The room fell silent again, except for the beeping of the monitors and the soft sound of Zinnia’s breathing.

I sat back, the coffee forgotten, and let my thoughts drift. I couldn’t lose her. Not now, not ever. Hours passed, blending into one another. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, it was dark outside. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. I stood up, stretching my stiff muscles, and walked over to the window. The estate was quiet, the grounds patrolled by my men. It was a fortress, but even fortresses had their weaknesses. Roman had proven that. I needed to find him before he could strike again.

A soft moan pulled me from my thoughts. I turned back to see Zinnia stirring, her eyes fluttering open. My heart skipped a beat as I rushed to her side.

“Zinnia, it’s me, Reed,” I said, my voice trembling with emotion.

“You’re safe now. You’re home.” She blinked, her eyes focusing on me. For a moment, there was no recognition, just fear. The same fear that lingered in her eyes when I first found her. But then, slowly, her expression softened, and she reached out, gripping my hand weakly.

“Reed,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You found me.”

Tears blurred my vision as I squeezed her hand. “I’ll always find you, Zinnia. Always.” She managed a small smile, and I could see the strength returning to her eyes.

She was going to be okay. It was going to be a long road, but we would travel it together. As I sat by her side, I knew that our fight was far from over. Roman was still out there, a shadow lurking in the darkness. But we would face him together, and this time, I wouldn’t rest until I watch him die. For Zinnia. For us.

The night stretched on, but for the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope. Zinnia was back, and with her by my side, I knew we could conquer anything.

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