XVII

Bella barely slept, spending the rest of her night in a dark apartment with nothing but her laptop screen for light as she got to work. Even though she knew of who was involved in the trafficking business in Hawaii, she still couldn't find out where it was they kept the girls they took, nor where they held auctions, and she knew she would need close contact with either Xavier's computer or his father's. The man she had an inkling that he was the man she had seen in the shadows at the club. The man that was one of the main five that were the leaders of the trafficking business in Hawaii.

She wondered then if she truly wanted to be involved in taking on such an important government figure, then again she had come to kill a lot of government figures before, what would one more be. However, this also went beyond that, this would mean getting involved with the underworld again and a sharp pain struck her heart. She had promised she would stay away, and right as she thought that, Sin perked up

[But we already have a deal Bells. You give me what I want and you get to rescue the girls]

`No I've changed my mind,` she said with a shake of her head, she pushed the laptop away. Hating that she had almost forgotten of her promise to her parents

[Except you can't stop me from getting what I want. Can you?] Sin taunted

[Even though you ignoring those young women would make you just like me.] Sin added

Bella found herself cornered between a rock and a hard place for she knew that Sin was right. Her ignoring the whole situation would make her just as bad, but if she didn't, she'd be breaking her promise and she really didn't want to do that either.

[Oh well, until you make up your mind, I'm gonna have my fun.]

Bella had little chance of fighting nor winning against the alteration of her personality, being that it had been ages since she was last on treatment, and her training techniques could only take her so far. She was easily thrown into a darkness she hadn't seen in years as her other personality took charge.

Sin drew a breath in a second later, in absolute delight, and an evil grin to her lips. She got up from the couch and made her way to her room, and straight for the closet. No longer tired from the day's events, she thrummed alive with the prospect of finally gutting someone. She found a blood red mid-thigh dress that clung to her skin and she had no doubt that it was Cassidy's idea that Bella buy it, chuckling she contemplated if whether to actually settle for white instead, thinking of how artistic the red would contrast with the pure shade.

However, she simply shook her head as she looked at herself in the mirror, with a sudden realisation that, although Bella was supposedly hiding from certain people, she had made the mistake of not even changing her appearance. Nor did the young woman have any weapons she could use. She let out a sigh and decide she would have her fill another night.

However, she left the apartment either way and made to drive to a 24-hour convenient store. A few minutes later, her basket was filled with hair products, and a pair of glasses, and she thought that that would do. Upon her return to their apartment, she changed into a pair of black sweat and t-shirt and made work to get rid of the champagne dye from her hair, only to return it back to its brunette glory.

She was most tempted to cut a few inches off just to mess with her other half but thought otherwise, for men were always suckers for longer hair, she figured it might come in handy someday.

When she finally looked in the mirror, the baby pink color gone from her hair, she looked just like the old Bella, the real Bella. She wrapped the wet strands with a towel in order to dry it up,  rather than blow dry it.

Leaving the bathroom, she went back on her laptop and created a new account on the underground site and looked for hits she could handle. It was like window shopping, except she shopped for targets that had bounties on their heads, with the specific instruction 'Wanted dead' on them. She didn't bother with writing them down, she simply memorised the information she would need.

When all was done, dawn was already approaching and she found herself dozing off on the couch, only to fall into deep slumber filled with ghosts she wasn't fond of.

When Bella woke, it was after noon and although she felt the headache first, the first thing she did was look for was any signs of blood, seeing that her clothes were changed, she went to her bedroom, finding not a spec of it, she beelined for the bathroom only to find a mess of hair products and an uncleaned basing counter.

Her heart skipped a beat then, when she read an empty box, afraid to look in the mirror, she made to clean the mess, and when she was done, only then did she finally brave her reflection. It was in that moment that everything came crashing, the image of her, the old her she tried to bury away had resurfaced.

Tears clouded her eyes at what she saw, and that was messing with her mind as memories flashed before her eyes. She couldn't stop the onslaught then nor the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

[You hadn't even bothered with a disguise, for a person in hiding, you sure suck at it.] said Sin in her mind and she furiously shook her head then.

`That's because there was no need to, I wiped every existence of me online, from the airport surveillance to social media, if you haven't noticed yet, I never take pictures nor post them.` She informed, an ounce of anger at her other half for having done what she did without her approval.

[It's funny, I always underestimate you don't I. Like when I thought you would care more for the living than the dead.] She taunted

Bella chose to ignore her jab, and decided to take a shower only to change into her gym outfit. She needed air,  or perhaps to punch something. Not caring to make breakfast, she walked out of her apartment. She didn't care to greet Lilah nor did she care to return the greetings of those she knew from the boxing gym. Familiar with her moods, they paid her no mind as she tore away at the punching bag despite her being without any gloves on.

With fury in her fists, she didn't mind the pain, more so revelled in seeing blood coat her knuckles, for she would rather bleed than take it out on anyone else like Sin would, she handled her anger differently.

"Hey, hey hey" came an urgent voice that dripped with concern as he hurried Bella's way. Although he had witnessed her in one of her bad moods, he had never seen her that bad. Bella paid him no mind though as she kept on going at the punching bag, and before she could tear her skin up any further, he pulled her small stature away from the bag.

"Bella" he started, the young woman painting in his arms that remained dead locked around her, hands firmly grasping her wrists.

"Breath" he whispered.

Although all she heard was the frantic beating of her own heart, the feel of his steady heartbeat against her back returned her rapid breathing back to a sense of normality. Sensing that she had slightly calmed down, he released his hold on her and turned her around so that she faced him, and he leaned down enough that his face was level with hers.

He automatically made to wipe away at her tears, and when her inky black eyes clashed with his own brown eyes, the torn look in them prompted him to pull her against his chest only to hug the life out of her. She felt squeamish for but a second until the familiar scent of his cologne hit her and she calmed down.

She didn't weep in his arms nor let anymore tears fall, she simply stood and stoically so, although she didn't hug him back, he kept his arms comfortingly wrapped around her and she found it in his heat that wrapped around her.

[Gosh, you can be so pitiful sometimes] Sin spat

`If you didn't exist I wouldn't be.` She retorted

[If I didn't exist, you would have lost the fight a long time ago]

`But didn't I already, you're in my head after all`

[Mhm, you've got a point I guess.]

"I'm Fine Kendrick" she muttered into his shoulder, a sign for him to let her go, and he did so, albeit reluctantly. His hands on her shoulders, he shook his head

"No, you're not" he said, her eyes lifted up to his

"But I will be" she reassured. Pursing his lips, he gave a nod. She felt her hands intensely throb and held them up to look at them. Noticing that blood was dripping onto his gym floor she couldn't help her words

"Shit, I'm sorry" she said, he chuckled then, taking hold of her wrists, cocking an eyebrow in question, he asked

"Since when do you cuss?" having never heard her spew profanity even during her lowdown moods. Shrugging she said

"Today, I guess" with a tight lipped fleeting smile.

"Hey Jim! think you can and me the first aid kit under there?" he shouted across the gym, to where the teenager sat atop a counter watching the scene from afar. She felt the eyes on her then, and she shot the few a cold look that made them look away. Seeing this made Kendrick chuckle

"It's always funny how such a little thing can scare even my toughest guys" her straight face remained, and Kendrick cleared his throat, having failed to make her lips stretch eve for a bit.

When the young man finally handed him the first aid kit, he sat both of them on the mat and started working on Bella's hands. She barely flinched at the sting of alcohol on her wounded knuckles, her mind stuck within a place in her mind haunted by her memories. Her parent's death flashed before her eyes, then came the fire, then came the ashes, then came the prominent burnt bones scattered on the rubble that accumulated on the entirety of the large land where the building had been.

All gone, both good and bad and she still lived somehow. Why was happiness so hard to attain? why did long lasting peace evade her and why did pain become like an incurable plague? Why was she alive? why hadn't she been killed with her mom and dad? why had she not killed herself in that house? why had she not been burnt down along with everyone else?

Why? why? why?

It rang in her mind like an endless haunting mantra and she didn't realise that Kendrick was done covering her knuckles until he incessantly tapped on her knee. Blinking back to the land of the living, she ignored the concern in the man's eyes and looked down at her bandaged hands. She unconsciously flexed them, only to look back up to give him another fleeting smile with a muttered

"Thank you" turning her eyes to the floor where she had stood, she got up with the intent to fetch cleaning supplies. Seeing this, Kendrick was quick to reassure

"Don't worry about it, I'll have it cleaned up, how about you go on home to rest yeah? Or you can stick around and coach with me, take you mind off things" he suggested. Bella hated how he acted like a caring big brother she never had, because she didn't want more attachment and he was making it hard for her.

Attachment is bad, very bad. She thought to herself. But in some cases she found that it was too late, she might be fighting against caring for the grown man, but with Cassidy, she was a goner, perhaps she was so with all her few friends and it was just a matter of denial. Sighing out, she contemplated his suggestions, she didn't fancy returning to her empty apartment, nor did she fancy being around anyone else, the gym seemed like a better option.

Nodding she let out a sigh and walked towards a bench against the wall adjacent to the ring in the middle. Kendrick let out a sigh himself, wondering just what it was that was haunting the young girl. figuring that she would open up when she finally chooses to, he made to walk toward the store room for those cleaning supplies.

That became Bella's day, in one of Kendrick's sweaters that drowned her figure, she had sat and watched everyone train, listened to Kendrick's orders and shouts here and there, listened to the groans and pants and the footfalls and punches, to the point it became a therapeutic noise to her ears. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep until she felt herself being lifted up into arms that weren't familiar.

She went rigid then and her eyes flew open only to clash with Xavier's, whom became startled by her sudden gaze and she felt him almost miss a step. She thought she would have probably laughed at his comical reaction had the situation been different. She wiggled out of his hold and he finally set her on her feet

"Sleeping beauty's finally awake I see" he started, still in the gym, she noticed then that it was dark outside and the gym was empty save for Kendrick and Cassidy in a distance along with Xavier and herself. Furrowing her brows, she looked at the young man before her in question

"What are you doing here?" she questioned

"I dropped by your apartment a few hours ago, only to find you friend there too, and you weren't there. Then another woman said you might be here, and so here we are" Cassidy as if having heard their voices glanced their way, seeing her awake, the young woman made to march her way with a sense of purpose and a serious face, and Bella knew that she was in for a long night.

"Great" was all she could mutter under her breath and Xavier all but chuckled at her predicament.