22 Luke's story

Following Cages departure Hunter was looking at Luke with a new kind of impatience. Waiting. He wasn't going to drag the answers out, even though he wanted to. This kid was going to spill, and he would do voluntarily or Hunter was going to excommunicate him and let him live in his own mess.

Luke stared down at the jacket in his hands numbly. He was trying desperately to make heads or tails of out this mess.

He challenged Hunter. Charlie interfered. They left.

He challenged Hunter again. Hunter found out he was a girl.

He left.

He fought a group of gang bangers at the nearest bar.

This is where it got weird. Hunter rescued him? What the f*ck?

And now, here he sat, a Foot Soldiers jacket in hand with matching colors. These things did not add up. Luke looked up at the other man while shadows of doubt danced across his eyes. He was skeptical.

"...."

Where to begin? He had so many questions. Leaning his head back against the arm rest, he decided to start at the beginning. Or at least, the more predominant question on his mind.

"Do they know?"

Hunter stood back, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. Impatient. Did he look like he had stupid written across his forehead? What did he mean, 'do they know?'. Seriously?

"Do I even look dumb enough to leak to my entire crew that some punk ass kid managed to take down some of the strongest men in my initiation? Not to mention the men at the bar? And the fact that you're a girl? Do I really look that dumb to you?"

Honestly! It was like this kid wasn't even thinking. There was no way he could admit to his men, that he had been fooled by some punk kid. Not to mention that she had been found out, and was still breathing. He would lose all the respect of his men. It was better to let them think that Hunter had took her in personally. He would find a way to smooth it over.

Luke nodded. Then, looking again at his jacket.

"Why?"

That was the other question that was eating away at him. Why was he still inducted? How did he still manage to earn his colors after all this. Not just that, what was Hunters angle?

"What? You think I'm gonna let you walk into a bar and stir up sh*t and walk away? Even if I did those men would find away to have you dead within a week. I saved your ass, now I own it. You will work off that debt, got it?"

Luke nodded his head again. It made sense. He knew it could be for his protection so he went along with Hunters suggestion. Truthfully, it was a win-win for him. This gave him the in he needed so desperate to find those thugs. It also gave him protection from the members he had pissed off at the bar. So, if he had to stick to Hunter for a bit, even if he had to run as a drug mule, he would it.

Hunter watched the kid take in the line bullsh*t he had just fed her with a sigh. This really was not his style. That being said, there was no way at all , he could let him go. After the mess he made in that bar those colors and insignia would save his life. Even if Hunter didn't like it much. He really had no choice. His ethics, the little that he had, wouldn't allow her to be hurt because of a gang war.

Stepping forward to stand in front her, Hunter leaned over the sofa, tipping her chin until she was forced to meet his eyes.

"I answered your questions now answer mine, who are you. Why are you here. What do you want. Tell me now, or I will hand you over to all those men downstairs. Your call"

Luke experienced a moment of hesitation. Would he really out him to the men below? Wouldn't that backfire? Although this was Hunter. There was no way he couldn't find away to play it off in his own favor. Especially if he acted as if he had just now been found out. He'd be treated as a mole. More than that, Luke needed Hunters connections. He had no choice.

He sighed.

n

"My name. My name is Amalia Patterson.." He began.

Sometime after Luke had finished speaking, Hunter looked at the kid with a bit more respect than before. Only a cold hearted idiot would not feel sympathy for this kid. Most people would cry their heart and move on. This girl however, somehow was complete opposite. Thinking back it explained a lot of the previous behavior he had witnessed from her. There was a ruthlessness in her fighting style that almost made even him fearful. She would be hard to be controlled that was for sure.

"These guys, you know their names? Faces?"

Luke nodded pulling out a crumpled paper from his jeans pocket. It was a news paper clipping for an earlier article. It had been written just before her home invasion, it detailed the escape of a few x cons. Hunter's eyes skimmed over the article taking note of their faces and approximate size and appearance.

"You're a soldier now. Leave this with me. I will get the intel you need, in the meantime you follow my orders. Tomorrow you train with Cage. You'll be taking on position as my lieutenant to replace the one you killed."

Hunter had no idea why he wanted to help this girl so bad. Maybe it was because he felt sorry for. Maybe it was, just maybe, it was because he seen a bit of himself in her. Either way, he had to keep her close to ensure that her secret didn't get leaked. This was his main purpose in having her work with Cage. That way she could be monitored as well.

In the meantime, Luke was listening to Hunter intently. His eyes growing wide as he listened.

He had killed Hunter's Lieutenant?