Kate

I fiddled with my hands nervously as Gio kept going on and on about how he couldn't believe that he was dressing someone attending a Callahan family brunch.

I could only imagine what Jason would think of his ranting.

Jason...

I hadn't seen him since last night. After Anthony caught us doing what we did, I couldn't take the suspense of what would come next. I couldn't stop thinking about what they could have been be talking about and what it would mean for me.

So I ran up to my room and sat in here, trying not to worry.

What was the worst that could happen?

What if Anthony felt like I betrayed Harry?

There was so much hatred and anger in his eyes. He's the one who talked me into saying for Harry. Not Jason.

What would this mean for me?

Would he get so mad that he would send me away?

Or worse... rat me out to the Boss...

Not if Jason had something to say about it.
A voice in my head told me.

You're right. Another one whispered.

I had also been debating whether that kiss had been my fault or his.

Who engaged it? Was it mutual?
All I knew is that I was too caught up in enjoying it to think about anything else.

I had been wanting Jason to kiss me for the longest time and it made me feel even more guilty than I already did.

I was supposed to make him fall for me. Not the other way around.

Whenever he would talk to me or stand close to me, I would get all giddy and excited. His close contact made me want to be closer to him.

It made me mad and ashamed.
I mean what was I thinking? Where were these feelings coming from?
This was Jason Callahan I was talking about. Critically acclaimed player.

He specialised in models for goodness sake. And technically, I was one now.

What if this was just another game to him?
What if I was to be another conquest?

But then again... The way he looked at me... you don't just look at someone like that...

I shook the thoughts away and tried to keep myself in the present.

Another thing that sent my nerves over the urge.

Zoila had come to wake me up and tell me that I was to accompany Jason to a family brunch.
My first instinct was to think it was a trick. A trick designed by Anthony and Jason to get me to a remote place and 'take care of me'.

Why didn't Jason just come up and tell me himself?

Should I be afraid?

I wanted to slap myself. After all I had seen of both Jason and Anthony, did I really believe they could still hurt me?

I mean why not, though? Harry and I were officially done. They had no allegiance to me.
No reason to risk their butts for me.

"Tilt your head to the side." Riley told me as she continued working on my makeup quietly.

Unlike Gio who was now saying that if there was an award for being a personal designer, he deserved it.

"Gio, there's creme brule in the kitchen." Riley suddenly spoke, cutting him off short.

"Oh!" Gio exclaimed in excitement. "My favourite. I'll be right back ladies!" He yelled before quickly rushing out the door.

I was grateful for the silence, no matter how temporary.

But then Riley shocked me by flying to the door almost too quickly to shut it and lock it.

I immediately shot up and took a step back.

"What are you doing?" I asked hurriedly
wondering what danger I was in now.

Riley remained calm.
"I work for Dean Archbald." She announced. "He asked me to deliver a message since you don't seem to be replying to his."

"What?" I asked in shock.

Just when I thought I could forget Dean and his crazy schemes for even a second, he popped back up.

"How long have you worked for him?" I asked again.

"That isn't relevant." She continued hurriedly. "I have something for you."

I took another step back from her. "Is this some kind of trick? You were employed by Anthony. And now you want me to believe that you work for Dean?"

This was it. Surely this had been what Anthony and Jason had been planning when they went away. To devise this plan and catch me in the act.

A sour look came onto Riley's face.

"My allegiance is not with the Callahans." She spoke in disgust.

I think she could still the scepticism on my face. She reached down to the hem of her shirt and pulled it up, revealing a long scar that merely eluded her belly button as it went down.

"They did this to me." She spoke with so much disgust that I wanted to believe her. But I couldn't just trust her because she showed me a scar that could have been made by anyone.

She looked back at the locked door as if to check if someone had come in. She quickly strolled to her makeup case on my bed. She seemed to open some secret compartment and reveal a small gun.

I gasped and jumped back.

This was it.

"Relax." She told me.

I then realised that she had something else else in her hand. A flip phone.

She opened it and pressed something before placing it to her cheek.

A second later she spoke into it. "Yes, she's here."

She handed me the device. I took it with scepticism and placed it on my ear.

"Hello?"

"Kate." The unmistakable voice of Dean filled my ears. "I see you've met my little double agent."

I shot a wary glance at Riley.

I felt sick. And shaky. What kind of world had I been thrown into where you never really knew who was who.

"How?" Was all I could get out.

"You'll find that they're a lot of people who despise the Callahan family and for good reason too. Let's just say, I'm not only good at getting people in and out of hotels."

My heart raced. "Dean, you said Jason wouldn't get hurt." I reminded him of our deal.
I doubted the gun in Riley's hand was just for show.

"And he won't." Dean spoke in a reasonable tone. "Riley follows my orders. She is capable of hurting someone but she won't unless I tell her to."

I gave a sceptical look at Riley who was studying me intently.

I turned around.

"How many double agents do you have working for the Callahans? What are you planning?" I spoke hurriedly.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I had really underestimated Dean.

"That's not your concern right now. All I want you to focus on is staying alive. That's why I got you that little gift."

"What gift?"

I spun around and as if she was listening in on our conversation, Riley stepped forward and handed me the weapon. I didn't take it.

"What on earth am I going to do with that?"

"Defend yourself." Dean spoke as of it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not shooting anyone." I snapped.

"What if you have to?" He continued.

I thought about Mrs Callahan's threats and how a gun would indeed make me feel safer but then again the idea of having one frightened me even more.

Dean continued speaking. "You've seen how easy it was for me to get a double agent in a Callahan's house, think about how much easier it could be for Mr or Mrs Callahan... think about Jason. I know I told you to make him fall for you but you don't have to sleep with him.
That one has a temper on him in case you didn't notice. So if he tries something-"

"He won't." I insisted sharply.

I heard Dean click his tongue. "My, my Miss Lancaster, you're getting way too defensive for someone who's only supposed to be pretending to fall for someone."

I felt the blood rush to my face and refused to look at Riley.

I wasn't going to start talking to Dean about my mixed feelings. Especially not about Jason.

"I just don't want to have to shoot anybody." I told him honestly.

"I know. But I'm afraid you'll have to do some things you don't like."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I immediately asked.

Before I could get an answer I heard the door handle shake as someone tried to get in.

"Kate?" I heard Jason call.

Riley was in action immediately. She took the phone away from me and practically shoved me back in my makeup chair and concealing the gun and the phone at the same time. All before rushing to open the door.

Jason walked in and furrowed his brows at me.
"Why was the door locked?"

I glanced at Riley but she had returned to being her usual quiet and in different self.

"I was getting dressed." I answered way too quickly.

I saw the suspicion on Jason's face but he didn't question me.

Instead he stepped further into the room. I just noticed that he, himself looked smart but sort of casual in a striped collared shirt tucked into khaki codrouls with a black blazer thrown on.

His hair was swept back in a sleek fashion.
I had never seem Jason with his own glam team and I wondered if he got dressed all by himself. If he did, he had a good sense of style.

"Lets have a look at you." He spoke.

I realised he was talking about my outfit.

I stood up and took off my robe, showing him the dress and shoes Gio had picked out for me.

He had also brought along jewellery that looked really expensive. I almost forgot all this was probably going on Jason's tab.

He looked at me in what I could only describe as appreciation.

"You look beautiful." He breathed out.

I stared at the ground trying to hide my face in embarrassment. Then I looked up again remembering that this wasn't Alex who would make me blush whenever he complimented me. I refused to have them share any similarities whatsoever.

"You look very handsome too." I told him.

He only offered a curt nod as if he was used to getting the compliment.

"Gio said he could do much better if I let him." He muttered with an irritated look on his face.

I giggled. "Maybe you should." I offered.

"I'd rather saw a limb off." He responded.

Again, I laughed.

It was strange after all the awkwardness of the night before, he could still joke like this.

Riley cleared her throat.

I jumped almost forgetting that she was in the room. I wondered what she would report to Dean about how I interacted with Jason.

"I'll just put your vanity bag back in your closet and be on my way, Miss King." She announced.

I gulped knowing that was where she had concealed the pistol.

"Thank you Riley" I told her.

She performed her action then nodded at Jason before leaving.

It really bothered me how she just walked past him. At that moment I felt like I should have revealed her real identity to Jason.

It was so easy for her to just appear behind him and attack or shoot him or something because he was still incredibly unsuspecting.

I thought about what Dean said: 'you'll find that they're a lot of people who despise the Callahans.'

The minute Riley left. Jason closed the door behind us.

"Wouldn't want Gio eavesdropping, would we?" He tried at the joke.

But at that moment I felt the tension rise in the room now that it was just the two of us and the full weight of what had happened came crushing down.

He stood away from me and I just rubbed my arm nervously waiting for him to say something because I sure as hell wouldn't know where to start.

"Anthony won't tell Harry what happened." Was what he started with.

Great. He just had to start with making me feel guilty.

"And it wouldn't matter if he did anyway." Jason quickly added.

He looked at me, challenging me to say otherwise. But I kept my lips shut. I still didn't know where to come in.

"What we did wasn't wrong." He spoke firmly. This time he looked at me more desperately.

Begging me to say something. Looking for assurance. Wanting me to agree with him.

I found myself shaking my head. "No." I spoke in a soft voice. I cleared my throat and tried to sound more firm. Tried to convince even myself that what I was saying was true.

What we did wasn't wrong. I kissed Jason because I wanted to, knowing fully well that no part of me was obliged to Alex anymore.

"No, it wasn't." I told him.

He looked at me almost hopefully.

"I kissed you because I wanted to." I found myself confessing. I didn't know where I had gotten the confidence to do so.

But the words brightened up his face.

He moved closer to me as if drawn but stopped almost awkwardly right in front of me.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." He spoke. It was in his 'business like' tone but it had an inch of nervousness to it.

I wanted to hear him say it; that he kissed me because he wanted to too. That it wasn't just a natural boy response. That he did it because he was into me.

But alas, the words didn't come.

"This changes a lot." He simply stated.

I nodded. "What does it mean for me?" I asked.

Obviously Anthony's plan had long ago been dissolved. Now I wondered where I stood.

"Anthony can't be the mastermind anymore. In fact, he can't be associated with you at all anymore." Jason spoke in what sounded like a regretful tone.

I frowned. He really must have thought I had betrayed Alex.

"Can't or won't?" I whispered.

Jason pursed his lips.

"My thoughts exactly."

He reached out and placed a hand on my cheek, moving his body closer to mine as well.

"You need not worry. I've got everything under control now."

Yes but for how long? I thought to myself.

I could only picture Dean beaming at me somewhere, telling me I was doing a great job.

"What do I mean to you now, Jason?" I asked.

It felt embarrassing for me to voice my thoughts but I wasn't going to let him be elusive.

Things like kisses were as intimate to me as sex was to other people. I didn't just give them away.

He opened his mouth but closed it again.
I looked at him more curiously waiting, no -anticipating his response.

But he only checked his expensive watch.

"We should get going." He spoke in a hurried tone before spinning around and gliding out the room.

I wanted to scream, tell and cry all at the same time.