Battousai, draped in black, strode purposefully through the neon-lit streets – although in reality he had no purpose at all. In fact, he had been wandering the city with a determined stride since nightfall, waiting impatiently for the appointed hour to come. His measured steps helped to easy the tension that stung his muscles together. But his mind was wandering unacceptably.
His orders were to be at the door to Morton’s penthouse suite at exactly 2 AM. His brain told him to wait. His body spoke otherwise. For the first time since the beginning, Battousai felt the urge to rush to the scene of the crime.
Unfortunately, he had the intelligence to recognize the reasons for his feelings of urgency.
The damn girl.
Her incompetence was screaming for him. Battousai strode through the gritty streets, ignoring all around him. The damn girl was bound to get herself into some kind of trouble. She would jeopardize the mission, he knew it.
But was it only about the mission?
Kenshin stopped dead in his tracks, causing a raucous young man to crash into his back.
“Hey,” the halfway drunk man stuttered angrily, “What the-”
The sudden yellow glare that Battousai sent him over a black-clothed shoulder sent the man staggering away. Kenshin, still standing still on one of the busiest street in Kyoto, berated himself. It was only this morning that he had decided to avoid her at all costs and dismiss her from his thoughts. As an assassin there was no place in his mind, let alone his heart, for frivolous emotions. His eyes narrowing in concentration and staring blindly at the pavement, Battousai weighed his options. If he rushed over the Moriya hotel before the appointed time, she might think that he was doing it for her. But then he might be able to stop her from ruining the well-planned out assignment. Even with his little lesson on self-defence, he seriously doubted that she would be able to take on so many trained bodyguards. On the other hand, if he did NOT go right away to the Moriya hotel, he risked letting her destroy his chances at getting to Morton. If she was discovered, Morton’s bodyguards would whisk him away. Battousai frowned.
Of course his worry was only about the mission.
With a determined nod, Battousai broke into a smooth, controlled run towards the Moriya hotel, Allan Morton and …
Kamiya Kaoru.
Chapter 12