Chapter Text
Tora parked his black sedan on the side street from his destination. It was late, about 1:30 at night. The apartment complex was an older building built in the 1970s. It had good bones, but it needed a refurbishment. The tan stucco finish stood out in Narin city’s modern style, and its iron-railed balconies on the higher floors were invitations for a break-in. Tora smirked at the balcony in question. The man he was looking for was said to be in that particular unit. The floor was five flights up, but Tora had in the past scaled buildings taller than this. This was going to be cake, contrary to his 6 foot 3 stature, he was agile and could move within the shadows easily.
His mark, unfortunately, earned the title as a “ numbered”: an idiot that crossed the Clan, specifically the Bathulman Clan. With help from his personal hacker, Gyu, he tracked down the numbered ’s last whereabouts to an apartment complex called “Pattigrass Hill On 12th”. Tora’s target was 25 years old, male, brown hair, brown eyes, 6-1, and 180 lbs. Vincent wanted him, and Tora’s job was to deliver. However, tracking down a numbered took time. There was a chance he was gone; still, Tora needed to be sure. He took one final drag of his cigarette and prepared himself for a climb.
The unit number was 105, and judging from what he saw, the security was pathetic. Tora didn’t expect his target to have the balls to stick around, but experience taught him to prepare for anything. Tora was dressed head to toe in black, his hood over his head hiding his mane of black hair, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder with his climbing tools. He jumped the security fence with ease and jogged to the building in question.
He soundlessly dropped his duffle bag in the bushes on the building’s edge and stared at the railing. He could be up there in 3-5minutes, unlock the patio deck door in less than 3 minutes. Tora felt the holster in his jeans; again, no one was expected to be there, but he was ready all the same.
*****
Tora realized as he landed softly on the balcony Gyu’s intel might be wrong. His first clue, the sliding door to the balcony, was wide open. Tora clenched his jaw and flipped the strap on his holster. He listened for any movement in the darkness, nothing. Tora flipped his night goggles on. He hated wearing them, but it was safer than using a flashlight. He entered the apartment carefully. His brow furrowed; yes, Gyu’s intel was definitely off.
Green and black shapes of house plants and household furniture filled the space. The books on the bookshelves were turned inward, their spines hidden. It was unusual, but Tora refrained from investigating it. The goggles highlighted a giant stuffed animal shaped like a pear-shaped cat with a deranged grin. It watched him from the couch; Tora shuddered “ Fucking weird ass stuffed animal” .
The apartment appeared innocent enough otherwise. There were cutesy pictures and knick-knacks throughout the small living room. He smiled to himself; a plaque by a nearby make-shift desk said, “ Why Be Moody if You Can Shake Your Booty?” Even the kitchen was adorable and inviting with a cat shaped teapot and cozy. “ Goddamnit, Ronzo,” Tora thought. Screwing up a background check was an amateur move. Still, Gyu was rarely wrong. Tora had to be sure. Maybe the target was really into cute crap? Tora thought of his brother Quincy and his past obsessions with high fashion and collection of hair and skin products with funny names.
Then the crying started.
The cries sounded desperate and needy. It wasn’t human; at least he was sure it wasn’t anyway. The noises were coming from a dark doorway, a bedroom. The room was empty except for a full-size bed; Tora noted it was made, whoever owned it hadn’t slept in it.
The soft cries were in tandem now, multiple pitiful whimpers were calling to him in the darkness. A scene from a childhood memory played in Tora’s mind:
Quincy watched in absolute terror as the trio of teens on the movie screen followed the sounds of the squealing pig. Tora was eating popcorn, looking bored. “What kind of idiot just walks into an abandoned farmhouse? What’s so scary about a fucking pig?” He had thought. “ This is stupid. Let’s watch something else,” Tora said aloud, slightly amused at how terrified his adopted brother was watching horror movies. Suddenly the screaming pig noises stopped. Out of a doorway, a chainsaw-wielding maniac with a human skin mask burst through. The loud torque of the chainsaw and the screams of the teens getting hacked into pieces caused Quincy to shriek and Tora to toss the popcorn bowl and tackle his brother for cover.
Tora swallowed and reached for his handgun.
Suddenly the lights flicked on. The intense brightness from the bedroom light burned into Tora’s night vision goggles. “ Fuck!” He shouted and moved to rip them off; the other hand diving to his holster. Suddenly he felt a snap; his body turning rigid. He lurched forward, his body slamming into the corner end of the bed. His mind was in a daze, every nerve in his body was on fire, as he felt his consciousness leave him, the words filled his mind “ I’m dead .”
******
“ No, no, no, no, no!” Poppy cried as she watched her intruder fall hard onto the floor. The edge of her bed broke the fall, but there was no mistake he was down for the count. “ I killed him, oh god,” she fretted. Poppy looked at her pink taser; she knew it was powerful, but Erdene was vague about how much damage the device could do. Tears filled her large brown eyes; she wanted to subdue him, not murder him.
Poppy eyed the bathroom door. The kittens were meowing for their late-night feeding. She looked at the large burglar on her floor; she needed to call the police or a paramedic. She was pulling her phone from her sleep shorts when the black-clad intruder began to move. She grabbed her taser, pointing it at him, dropping her sparkly pink cellphone.
“ Don’t move, or I’ll tase you… Again!”
Poppy’s intruder rolled over crazy-eyed; she swallowed hard at his angry gaze. Almost immediately, his topaz eyes changed from anger to confusion.
“ The fuck you doing? ” He yelled.
Poppy jumped, “ me ? You’re the one who broke into my apartment!”
The man groaned and sat himself up; he looked down at his waist. “ Goddamnit, I pissed my damn pants!” He snarled.
Poppy blanched, “ he sure did” .
“ If he wasn’t going to kill me before, he sure is now,” Poppy thought. Erdene didn’t mention that peeing one’s pants was also a side effect of a taser. If Poppy made it through this, she would have a long conversation with Erdene about many things. The tall man staggered up before she could react, he snatched the taser from her.
Tora was ready to beat the hell out of the asshole that tased him. Yet, when he realized his attacker was a 5 foot 2 female wearing a hot pink tank top and boxers, the idea was less pleasant. “ Oh fuck,” he thought, “ she’s gorgeous.”
Never in all his years as an enforcer did anyone get the advantage on him like this.
Even in his angry daze, she looked like a heavenly vision; beautiful brown eyes and flowing chestnut hair, the ribs of her cotton tank top, and the cut of her shorts did everything to emphasize the attractiveness of her curves. In another time and place, he would’ve tried to talk to her. Maybe give her his private cell phone number, but now she looked terrified out of her mind. “ I,” she stammered, “ p-please, I didn’t mean to.”
Tora’s nostrils flared; Gyu was going to need crutches after this. He grimaced. Even the taser was pink and cute. He couldn’t blame her for being frightened, let alone defending herself. He had to de-escalate the situation. “ Don’t,” he said, “ ya did the right thing.” He had hoped the statement would put her at ease. Instead, she backed away, to the bathroom entrance that was in the bedroom. She was backing away towards the little squeaking cries. “ Great, now she really thinks you’re a murderer,” Tora thought to himself.
The piss on his pants was starting to feel cold. Here he was, The Tiger of Ares Street, mafia guard dog, not only caught in the act of a break-in but he peed himself in front of a beautiful girl. He might as well end himself now. “ Wait!” He stepped forward. She shut the bathroom door, barricading herself from him. He noticed she didn’t pick up her phone. He looked at the door and debated booking to the balcony and forgetting the whole situation. Something told him not to.
Poppy locked the bathroom door and attempted to control her breathing. The burglar was big. Likely one of the tallest men she’s met; he looked terrified when he came too, like a crazed animal. She had never seen such eyes. They crackled like fire, a mixture of topaz and gold. And yet, when he spoke to her telling her “ it was the right thing” to tase him, they softened, serious yet apologetic at least, so it seemed.
Instinctively she rushed to the gray tub of squalling kittens. There were four of them now; the fifth had died a few days before. They were estimated to be about ten days old, their eyes were slowly opening up, and their ears were unwrinkling. They were so small and helpless, not to mention starving. Poppy bit her lip and protectively huddled around them, her hands in the large gray storage tub lined with blankets and a heating pad. The orange and black one was her favorite and was squirming her way towards Poppy’s hand. “ Who will take care of them?” She thought though she knew it was ridiculous. The kittens were the least of the worries she should have at the moment.
She heard rustling around outside the bathroom door. He was strong enough to break it down; she was sure of it. “ I’m not gonna hurt ya,” he said through the door; he sounded frustrated and tired. Poppy shrank by the tub. She realized she had left her phone outside, and fear lurched into her gut. “ But I need your help,” he continued. That caused Poppy’s brows to rise. “ Why?” She asked.
It was a long shot, but Tora already dug himself a hole, so he might as well jump in. “ I’m looking for a guy named Adrian, Adrian Valencia,” he said. The door was silent. He could hear the meowing; that’s what crying was, little meows. Were there cats in there? Again, The Tiger of Ares Street: Scared shitless over fucking cats. At this rate, this night could not be any worse. Then yet, by thug standards, the night was still young.
“ Adrian ?” A soft voice asked through the door. Tora cautiously stood beside the door; he did not dare stand in front in case this little woman had something else up her sleeve. “Yeah,” Tora replied.
“ SON OF A SEABISCUIT!”
Any fear Poppy felt dissipated into anger. “ Of course, this would have to do with Adrian ,” she muttered. Poppy stood at the door “ Adrian doesn’t live here, but if you find him. Tell him to return my damn scooter!” Memories and red flags from the four-month affair flashed through her mind. It wasn’t a day too soon when she broke it off with Adrian. Poppy heard what she thought was chuckling. “ I don’t know where that jerk is, but I have nothing to do with him!” She shouted through the door.
“ What the hell is a Seabiscuit?” Tora thought; his snickering was involuntary. She was feisty, and it was a shame he had to meet her this way. “I think the taser fucked up my brain, ” He thought. “I’ll make ya a deal,” Tora said “tell me everything ya know on Adrian, and I’m outta ya hair. No harm, no foul.” The door remained closed.
“ How do I know you won’t hurt me?” She asked; the door did little to hide her worry.
“Honestly?” Tora said, his voice was low as he leaned into the door. “Honestly, you’re the first person to take me down in years; gotta say I’m impressed.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie, he didn’t see her coming. “ And, uh,” he looked at his pants. “I’d like to end this nightmare with some kind of lead to go on.”
“Oh?” She said. Tora could almost hear the confusion and slight intrigue from the door, “ you know, your negotiating skills need work. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just giving you another excuse to murder me.”
Tora smiled “ I don’t hurt women. Even if they use guerilla tactics to blind and electrocute me.”
Poppy could feel his smirk from behind the door. Was he flirting with her? “The audacity!” She thought. “ Alright, I’ll believe you if you slide my phone under the door.” Poppy was certain he would not follow through but when her sparkly phone case slid carefully underneath, she snatched it gratefully. “ Now we had a deal, sweetheart,” he rasped, “ you help me, I will leave. I ain’t enjoying this anymore than you are.” “ No one can know about this night. Ever”
Poppy felt herself blush when he called her sweetheart. Despite being terrifying, his voice was husky and deep. She liked listening to him. “ This is too soon for Stockholm Syndrome, Poppylan get it together,” she scolded herself. The kittens, who hadn’t halted their cries the entire time, brought her to her senses. She tried soothing them, but it wasn’t working.
“ Why the hell do you have cats in your bathroom?” Tora asked. The noises had gone from frightening to annoying to pathetic.
“ They’re babies, okay? Kittens ? They’re hungry. This whole break in business has thrown off their feeding schedule.”
“ You a vet or somethin?”
“ Yeah, somethin like that.”
It wasn’t that Tora didn’t like animals, but up to this point, he had given the idea of their existence little to no thought. The realization of baby animals starving made him feel worse than he already did. “ Ya can come out and feed them if ya want, but I need a favor,” Tora said, looking at his pants. “ What kind of favor?” She asked.
He hesitated, then sighed, “ do you have a washer and dryer here?”
*****
If someone told Poppy she would finish her tech shift to spend her night feeding kittens while her burglar did laundry, she wouldn’t have believed them. Poppy sat on the floor with the tiny bottle holding the black kitten. In a week, each little feline took hold of her heart. Each kitten was a different color, black and orange, white and brown spots, buff-colored, and black. Poppy had been hesitant to name them in case they died, but the temptation lingered.
Speaking of temptation.
The man sitting before her, despite being a dangerous burglar, was handsome. It didn’t help that he was dressed only from the waist down with a pink towel: her fluffy pink towel with strawberries on it. He strategically wrapped the towel to prevent Poppy from seeing anything scandalous. His legs were muscular with a curious-looking tattoo of a tiger creeping up his left thigh. He had clear-cut facial features, his hair was long, dark, and alluring. Blips of handsome men from Poppy’s collection of romance novels, especially her favorite series The Secret Garden crossed her mind. She mentally slapped herself, “ this isn’t a romantic comedy. This is just a weird situation caused by your dumbass ex-boyfriend” she reminded herself.
The burglar sat in the towel on the floor, his gun in the towel wrapped around his lap watching Poppy intently. Poppy pretended to be occupied by her work, her phone was next to her knee. It was confusing at first when he asked to use her small washer and dryer, then she remembered why...Well, she didn’t know what to say. He looked uncomfortable, and frankly, she didn’t have the heart to tell him his intimidation factor went downhill quickly wearing her favorite bath towel.
He grunted something and Poppy glanced towards him, “ what?” she asked. He motioned to her hand “ they look like hamsters,” he said. Poppy let out a laugh, “ what kind of hamsters have you seen?” The intruder was watched in childlike fascination as took her time feeding each kitten. The black kitten was the glutton of the bunch, he had milk all over his face. “ I’ve never seen them so little,” the burglar said softly. Poppy sat the kitten down in the small gray storage tub and reached for the finicky blonde-colored kitten.“ So,” Poppy crossed her legs while helping the kitten attach to the bottle “ do you have a name?”
Tora was intrigued by this girl on the floor across from him. Not only did she kick his ass, but she was also willing to cooperate with his requests, and let him wash his pissy pants. If it had been anyone else in the world, they would be done for. This chick had a lot on Tora now; if word got out in Tora’s circle that he fumbled a break-in, embarrassed himself he was doomed. Worse still, she was his type. All curves and sass. This was dangerous and yet he kept himself here. He had 20 minutes until his pants were out of the wash and a lot of information to get.
“ Tora” was his answer. She looked up at him, her hair was tied into a messy bun, her face both a mix of being angelic and adorable. But it was the expressions in her eyes, the curve of her plump lips that was doing him in. “ I need a life,” he thought. He knew that was not going to happen any time soon. Since he was indoctrinated into the mafia, civilian life was something that existed only on television. Street kids like him had few options in the city. Even less if you were an orphan. So much for keeping this simple.
.
Her doe eyes, now skeptical, were evaluating him. “ As in, Tiger?” She asked, the blonde kitten yowled in protest when she sat it down with its siblings. He shrugged, street cred didn’t travel far into this part of town. If only she knew what kind of tiger he was. He looked down at the pink fluffy towel around his waist, on the other hand… Maybe it was better she didn’t.
“ What’s your name?” Tora asked. She looked hesitant. Tora also noticed her curiosity and her faint blushing looking at him. “ Fine, I’ll call you sweetheart, but it hardly seems fair. I told you my name and now you’re holding out on me” he teased. She twitched her nose, and he snickered. She looked at him “ what are you laughing at?” He smiled, “ nothin.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “ Are you a cop? Why do you want to know about Adrian?” And now it was back to business, the reality of the circumstance slapped away any sense of mirth Tora was feeling.
“ Adrian pissed off the wrong people; it’s in your best interest to tell me where he is,” He watched the worry fill her eyes. “ What kind of people?” She asked. Tora hated watching her fear return. He watched her pick up the brown and white kitten and hold it close. Tora sighed, this was hard. “ Ya told me he stole from ya a scooter? Yeah, well, he stole from a dangerous person who wants,” Tora paused, “ who wants more than a scooter.”
Poppy bit her lip. Adrian had initially seemed like a regular guy. He was an IT specialist at the local bank. Adrian made good money, but as time went on, things were off-kilter. “ Is he… Are you going to kill him?” She asked. He stared at her; his glimmering eyes seemed to be evaluating and processing his answer. Suddenly there were the sounds of footsteps in the hallway of Poppy’s front door. “ What the fuck now?”
Tora gripped his Glock and stood up. “ You expectin’ company?” He asked. The girl stood up too,“ I have neighbors, maybe they’re coming home late?” She watched Tora, he looked intimidating despite the black hoodie and girly pink towel wrapped around his hips, at least he hoped he did. He cocked his weapon and edged to the front door, the sounds of footsteps ended there. “ Why on all days does this have to happen to me? '' Tora thought. His voice came to a low murmur “ go to your room. Quick.”
There was a clicking sound. It was the bad kind of clicking sound. Then Boom!
Poppy was hustling to her room, kittens in tow when her ears felt like they exploded. The blasts nearly numbed her ears, causing jarring-buzzing pain. The deafness of the noise nearly drowned out the sounds of men's voices and furniture breaking. “ Oh, fudge it’s a shoot-out. A mother fudging shoot out!” Poppy ducked on the other side of her bed, holding the kitten’s tube tightly. Pop! Pop! More shots, smaller this time. She covered her ears, and she was hunched over the bin. Tears pricked her eyes. For once the kittens were silent. The chaos felt like an eternity. Common sense kicked in, Poppy had thrown her cell phone into the tub in her escape and she now reached for it. No battery. “ Did he know that my phone was dead when he gave it to me?” Poppy thought. All of those years never fully charging her phone were now catching up with her.
Then silence.
The two men wore ski masks and black clothes, one now had a hole in his chest. The other face down on a broken coffee table, a hole in the back of his head. “ Mother fuckers!” Tora hissed. The first masked idiot who blew the door open shot wood shrapnel into Tora’s leg. Now his legs fucking hurt. It was a miracle nothing hit his balls. Tora could already hear the sounds of panicked neighbors yelling and screaming. “ Fuck fuck fuckity fucking fuck!” He hissed and snatched his wet clothes from the washer. No evidence. No more than he had to have.
“ We gotta go sweetheart” Poppy heard Tora call. The bedroom door swung open. Poppy looked over nervously and her eyes widened and turned away. He was pantsless and covered in blood.
“ Oh Snap.”