"Stewart is the name." He smiled, then quickly glanced at his silver watch. Stewart. Wasn't he the one who'd introduced him to the gang?
"Stewart." She nodded. "You're in the gang, too?" An unpleasant question asked cheerfully.
Giselle saw his smile turning into a smirk. "Yeah!"
It was as if he liked it.
She eyed him. "It's good to meet you."I guess.
"The pleasure is all mine."
Giselle scooted a bit toward Xavier, but couldn't place a finger on the reason why she felt so irritated with everything. It was probably because of the argument she'd had with her father, she told herself, probably the regret of ending it with those spiteful words.
All she wanted was to go to her room and sleep. Maybe she'd need Chris to sing to her this time, too.
She blinked twice at her thoughts, and then managed a tight smile as an answer to Stewart.
"Xavier," Stewart began, "I have to go. It's late."
"Where?" he asked.
"Social work." He turned to Giselle as he got up. "Sorry, Giselle. I waited an hour for you. I need to rush now. Hope Xavier doesn't give you a hard time." He winked. "You have my blessing, by the way." He chuckled and walked away after bidding him and her, goodbye.
She turned to Xavier with narrowed eyes. He'd once told her something similar. "Social work?" she asked.
He turned to her. "It's nothing." His answer was quick.
"Tell me."
He gulped, fixed his black jacket, looking around. "G-gang work."
She shook her head. She'd dreaded this answer but it still came as a shock to her. "Social work? You call that social work?"
His lips twitched downward, his brows merging. "I don't know what you expected. Did you expect me to tell you outright that I murdered people for a living?"
She bit back a retort and told herself that she wasn't angry because of him.
Silence followed for a few minutes. Xavier gestured for the waiter to come and then placed his order for two cups of cappuccinos.
"Giselle?" He began, sounding desperate to change the topic. "Did you talk to your dad?"
She looked up at Xavier with a weak smile. Chris's face swam in her eyes. "We're driving back tomorrow evening. Are you free to come meet him?"
He smiled, though it looked strained. "Tomorrow? Yeah, I have this important thing to do, then I'll be free."
She nodded, deciding to talk to her father despite how messed up everything had gotten.
Chapter 13
Xavier wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve, gulped through his dry throat, and looked around the deserted field as he waited for his victim in Lunaris. Mentally he could smell the rotten bodies of the people Xavier and his gang mates had shot dead in this very place.
It was always this hard.
His trembling hand gripped the gun tighter. At any moment, the unfortunate man was going to be there. It was Xavier's last murder—the reassurance was setting his restless mind off the fact that he was about to kill someone in cold blood.
Xavier walked silently over the wet grass, waiting for a sign of movement. The cold wind blew. Goosebumps formed all over his skin despite his leathers. The sun was about to set, and the nature's painting before his eyes was so beautiful, it ached. He thought of every marvelous sunset he was going to see after this day, its red reminding him of blood, its purity tainted with regret.
He told himself that he didn't have a choice, but then a voice echoed through his system.You'd made your choice the night you killed your father.