A Bounty Hunter's Conundrum (BlisteredBlood x Candira)

"That's true. And it seems as though they choose to spring it on you just when you're bringing the bounty head in. God, how I hate it. It aggravates me beyond all comparison." Dante answered with a shake of his head and a sigh. "Either they just tell me what I need to know or else they can go take their money and go shove it up their asses while I go on to the next person who'll provide me both money and information about the particular target. Mirage is good for it, but some of their offerings are a little low-brow for my liking." He added as he caught the offered shot glass in his left hand.

"Jaded?" Dante asked as he lifted it up for a moment and peered into it, seeing his own reflection in the small amount of liquid then narrowed his eyes at it. "If you only knew. You'd probably feel the same way that I do when some of your closest friends that have stayed by your sides always suddenly turns on you for no apparent reason other than saying the one thing you'd never want anyone to say, that it's 'just business' and 'hopefully there's no hard feelings'." He added as his tone took on a hint of bitterness for a moment.

"You're also right about that. Even if you did run from me," Dante added as he then kept his drink in his left then brought his right hand up to his heavy bangs that covered his right eye, showing her the other iris and its odd coloration of green to her, like that of a bewitching bright hue of a poison sumac leaf. "My right eye has a way of catching you from about 500 yards off. All I have to do is draw a bead on you from that range and put a bullet in your brain." He spoke as he then lowered his bangs back down over his eye.

At Kelly's proposition, Dante listened closely before he drank down his shot, smacking his lips afterward then set the glass down before wrapping his arms around his chest then tapped a finger against his upper arm thoughtfully while thinking over her offer. After a little bit of thinking, Dante then looked over to Kelly before he gave his reply.

"Fair enough. But I'll accept under one condition." Dante said, holding up a finger at her. "If you choose to go back on your word or use your influence in any way, I'll see to it that you're begging me to kill you myself. As for those friends of yours that owe you a favor, I'll see to it that they are found. Once I do, I will see to it that they suffer from an 'unfortunate accident'. I say this to you now because you shouldn't underestimate me." He explained.

"How does that sound to you?"

"You know, it's kind a funny that you haven't used any of your contacts to find out more about me. I'd have thought I'd made more of a name for myself amongst the underworld than that...then again, I'm very careful." She shrugged and listened to his story. It certainly struck a chord with her. She knew exactly what he was saying, although she wouldn't let him know any of it until they were closer to their destination. She simply nodded as he finished.

When he showed her the eye he kept hidden, it was a little startling. But in a way, it was also fascinating. It really only added to his attractive features. The strangeness of it added something to his face. Just like the set of his jaw in a way that was both a bit strained and natural. What a curious fellow...

And, of course, then came the threats. "I'll only go back on my part of the bargain if you go back on yours. Honestly, though, I've no wish to suffer any more than I have to. Least of all by your hand." She smiled and got up, stretching a bit. "Sounds like we have a deal, friend. Or rather, hunter. I'll be a good girl if you're nice to me. That said...I'm afraid I'll have to challenge your trust for a moment while I use the lady's room. I promise I won't be long. You can wait right outside the door for me, if you're concerned. And there's no window, so no worries about that."

She offered him her hand. "You have my word. And believe it or not, I'm full of integrity." She smiled in a way that was both charming and nervous. Hopefully he trusted her. The last thing she needed was for him to change his mind.

"I have no contacts other than my employers." Dante answered simply as he shook his head. "To be honest, I operate alone and that's how it's gonna be." He added as he arched a brow at her, seeing the rather surprised expression on her face. Just what was it that she was seeing that made her now have a more interested in him, he wondered.

Thinking nothing of it, Dante simply eased back into his seat as he looked at her with his arms crossed. "I don't really trust you as far as I can throw you, but I think that just for this once... I will, despite my better judgement." He answered as he then - reluctantly, anyway - extended his hand out to her and shook her hand once. "I'll be here waiting on you." He added as he then took his hand back from her.

"Aww, back in a jiff." That said, she left her wallet with him. "If you want, you can order something else on me. Otherwise, that's got all my stuff in it. I'll have to come back." She smiled and then made her way through the crowd to the lady's room. In that time at least three other women who were obviously hitting on him walked by and flirted a little. It was almost 5 minutes before Kelly returned, but she made it back with a grin. "There was a line. Sorry." She paid her tab and glanced at a few girls who were getting a little too close.

"I guess I'm ready when you are. Do you mind if we stop by my place to get some clothes for the trip? Just a few clean things."

"Yeah, go ahead." Dante answered as he watched her leave, thereby leaving him at the bar by himself. During the time that he waited, he didn't seem to bother with the three women that had come up to him and tried to flirt with him, for his expression seemed as though he wasn't really interested in anything else as of right now except for just getting his quarry out of this place posthaste. When he saw they were going to leave however, he simply looked back at them all and explained that he was already on his way out with someone he had just met here and he respectfully said to them all that he really didn't feel like being bothered right now.

Soon enough though, he noticed Kelly coming back to the bar before shoving her wallet back to her. "Yeah. It'll be a few days' time before we arrive at Zio Matrix's headquarters, so you might as well get packing." Dante explained as he once again passed a hand through his hair thoughtfully, itching at his scalp a bit. "In any case, I came here by bus. My car's in my garage in town." He added.

"We can take my car. I think it's a little weird that you came looking for me and didn't really have a way to get back though," she said with a little laugh. "Oh well. I promise there will be no tricks. If you really want to, you can drive. She got the key to her car out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Time to make it a little more convincing to everyone else." She smiled and took his arm in hers, leaning against him a little. "Sorry if you don't like being touched, but I'm just trying to make it easier on you."

Aside from the fact that he was cute and it was nice to hold onto his arm this way, the people around them seemed to relax a bit more as she showed some affection to him.

At first, Dante thought about declining her offer of letting him drive the two back to her place and pick up her things so they can be on their way, but then again, he didn't really see any point in arguing with her about it and decided to just roll with it. Besides, as far as he knew at this point, he had already gotten what he came for and now came the arduous task of delivering her to the organization that hired him in the first place. Soon enough though, he felt Kelly's arm wrap around with his own, making him look at her with a quirked brow before he began to lead her out in a casual way. "Fair enough." Dante answered.

"I bet you're a regular lady killer," she teased. "It just seems to come so naturally for you," she said with a laugh once they were outside. She let his arm go and got out her key to hand to him. "So, did you want to drive? Or do you trust me to keep our deal?" She held the key up and tilted her head to the side, her hair taking on the effected color of brandy. The sweet curls remained, though they were starting to wear out. her eyes were still alive with mischief, though she promised to be good. So far she had been. Would she continue was the concern.

Dante once again rolled his eyes at Kelly's tease, showing her that despite every single teasing word or taunt she threw at him, he was once again completely uninitiated by all of this as the two began to walk out of the bar. "I don't really view myself to be much of anything, really." He replied in a straightforward tone of voice as he walked over to her vehicle that was parked out nearby. Looking over to when she still offered him to drive, Dante only shook his head and held out a hand. "Nah. I think I can trust you enough. But no fancy crap. Last thing you need to do is draw attention to us on the highways." he informed her with a quick glance and a point of his finger at her.

The car in and of itself was not particularly fancy. It was a nice car--well maintained, but it was nothing special. She unlocked the doors and chuckled at his little warning. "Oh, you're silly. Honestly, the whole point of being in hiding is to not garner attention. Why would I start now?" she smiled and slid into the driver's seat, obviously comfortable there. She put on a seat belt and smiled at him. Once he was in, she got them to her place which wasn't terribly far off.

It wasn't a very long trip, and when she parked, she sighed. "Alright. I won't be long. Are you coming with or staying here?"

Dante sighed before he shook his head indifferently. "You think I don't know that? But to blunt with you, I can't even recall the last time I've even been on a date." He answered her outright before he joined her in the passenger seat of her car then buckles up as well. Soon enough, he then rested an elbow up on the windowsill as she drove, looking out the window in thought.

After some time, he would soon see her place coming up after a short trip. "Might as well come inside. However, it's late. We'll have to start again in the morning." He said as he looked to his watch after pulling up his left sleeve to look at his watch.

She blinked a little as he mentioned not being able to remember a date. What did he mean by that? It's not like they were on one now--she'd just been trying to make it look like they'd been on one earlier. That thought on her mind, she got them there in one piece. It still stayed in her mind as he answered her question. "You mean you don't want to leave now? Well, I guess if you're sure. It'd be nice to have one last night here. You can stay with me then." She shrugged and got out of the car, locking it behind her as she walked up the steps to her small, rented house. Again--nothing special, but nicely kept.

Dante noticed the look Kelly was giving him once they had arrived at her place after some time out on the road then came to a stop in front of it. Of course, he couldn't remember his last date. But then again, he couldn't even remember the last time he had been able to relax for at least a minute or two and even if he could, those rest periods were very limited. But when a client offers a high paying job, Dante couldn't refuse it. It wasn't so much he was forced into it, but there were certain conditions that each job contained and this one was no different.

Soon enough, Dante began to notice that the two were beginning to pull up to her place which was a relatively short distance away from the bar. "Of course." He answered as he got out of the vehicle next after unbuckling himself. "I don't see any reason to start leaving for the organization's headquarters now. Besides, I need to get in contact with my employers and let them know about what's going on." Dante added as he followed her inside her house, already reaching for his phone in his jacket.

She frowned at his answer, not really sure what he was hoping to get done. He sure was an odd fish, this Dante fellow. As he reached inside his jacket, she put her hand on his arm, and shook her head. "It's fine if you have to check in, but it would be wise not to tell them you have me just yet. Also, not telling them about our little deal would be a good thing as well. As long as I've known these people, I've known they're not ones for patience. Or for forgiveness. And if you go back on your word, I'll have to go back on mine to protect myself. So please, just say you've got a lead and leave it at that."

She looked into his eyes, pleadingly, but there was a tone to her voice that conveyed danger--not from herself, but from his rather tight-lipped employers. She hoped that he would believe her over them. For this time, she was absolutely guileless and there was a dead look in her eyes that would frighten most people. Though Kelly was certain that he was not afraid, he didn't seem the kind to take unnecessary chances either.

Just as he was about to operate his contacts menu, he was stopped midway through when he felt Kelly pull at his arm, causing him to look at her with an arched eyebrow questioningly when he heard her response to him. Now she was being odd here. If he didn't make his phone call to let his employers know what was the news, Dante was at an increasing risk of getting into trouble. However, he also knew that would mean he was going back on his word in their arrangement. Even the way she conveyed the message to him made him look at her incredulously as indicated by his other eyebrow raising upward and in the silence that soon followed, Dante knew she probably wasn't bluffing.

For the most part, Dante kept his eyes on hers, pondering what was it about her situation that made her former employers act in such a way. But for now, he decided to play ball with her for now as indicated by his reply. "Fair enough. We'll do this your way. But if there's something you're not telling me, then you might as well get it out of the way here and now for your sake and mine." He said.

His looks made her wonder if he'd really listen to her, but he agreed. Sighing in relief, Kelly let go of him. "Thank you, Dante." His last statement seemed more of a warning than anything and she frowned a bit. He was probably right. He did deserve to know at least a few things about this mission that he hadn't been told, but she wasn't sure how much she could rightly say.

"Well since we're free to talk here, I should probably tell you this now. The entire reason they've not told you what I've done to deserve a bounty head like this is because if you knew you'd be in a position of power. If I told you, and they somehow found out that you knew...there's a good possibility that the bounty on your head would be even bigger than it is on mine...and there wouldn't be an option of bringing you back alive. I'm worried that I'll break our little deal if I say anything. But if you really and truly want to know, I'll write it down for you and leave it somewhere safe."

Here she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything that could put you in danger or make more trouble for you. I've done some pretty awful things, but I refuse to have that on my hands." There was still a bit of honor left in her after all. Sighing, she took off her boots and stretched a bit. "What I can do is to expand on what your employers tell you. If, for instance, you're walking into a trap, I'll warn you." Here, she started to walk into her kitchen and grabbed two water bottles, tossing one to him before heading back toward her room, the nice couch and chairs in her living room were obviously rented since they didn't quite match, and the tv as well. "Walk with me."

She showed him the bathroom and got her things ready for a shower and to brush her teeth and then turned to him and said, "Do you want to sleep in the bed with me or on the couch? Either way is fine. Not like I'm going to get any ideas, so you're safe either way."

So there is more to you than meets the eye... Dante began to think as he listened to Kelly explain herself to him as he then replaced his phone back into his jacket slowly all while keeping his eye on her. Now I'm beginning to wonder just what it is someone isn't telling me. He added to himself all while keeping an eye on her, but he didn't give a reply just yet.

"Here's a better question for you," Dante answered as he took his jacket off and then slung it over his left shoulder for a moment. "What if for some reason if you did tell me what was going on that made my employers so angry with you in the first place and yet I still decided to keep my word on treating you as a human being regardless?" He asked as his expression soon became a bit more curious as he followed her towards the kitchen then extended a hand out to catch the incoming water bottle that was tossed his way before following her back to her bedroom.

"I guess I can hang around here. Besides, it's been a while since I've had time to relax anywhere." Dante answered with a shrug of his shoulders and then looking around the bedroom before hanging his jacket up on the nearby coat rack before reaching down for the holster that held his customized .38 pistol, unbuckling it from there and then hung it near his coat.

She blinked a bit in surprise. He...he was willing to trust her? She frowned and sighed softly. "It's not that simple." Kelly smiled softly at him and watched as he disarmed himself. "Look, even if you still decided you wanted to be nice to me, which would be great...I still worry about what might happen. I really am concerned that you'll be the one getting the rotten end of the deal." With that, she tilted her head. "You really really want to know, huh? I just keep making you mare curious about it too, don't I?" She chuckled. "I'm sorry. That's not what I had intended to do. I'll take a shower first, then it can be your turn, okay? I'll answer your other questions soon. And I'll tell you what I've done when we get closer to the organization. No need to put you in danger this soon."

That said, she walked into her bedroom, a nice soft king size taking up a bit of space there. Kelly picked up her pajamas and some clean undergarments before walking back into the bathroom. "I think there's a new tooth brush under the sink when you want it." Then, she calmly walked into her bathroom, closed the door and started to strip down for the shower.

Dante blinked at her reply. For some reason this woman was just making her much more curious than he first realized. For most of his life, he had gotten the raw end of the deal, so what made him think any different than he was already? "Alright, I'll let this little question session end for now. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna get any answers from you right away, anyway." He answered as he walked over to the bed then turned his back to it before he fell back onto it, flopping onto it backfirst with a grunt and nearly sinking into the softened fabric.

But don't think this is gonna be over so soon, though. Because if what you're saying is true, then I may have been set up for something after all. He thought with his eyes closed in relaxation as he heard her offering him to take a shower after she did. Come to think of it, it had been about a day or so since he had last taken a shower as well, so maybe it might be a good opportunity it for him to freshen up a bit.

It didn't take her very long to finish with the shower itself. She combed and dried her hair, brushed her teeth and got dressed in a loose t-shirt and a short pair of shorts. She got out some fresh towels for him and the new toothbrush, plus an extra glass. She finished up her little routine and then came out and saw him lying there. She chuckled and leaned against the door frame. "I put out some stuff for you. If you need some different clothes to sleep in, let me know. I think I have something that would fit you."

That said, she yawned a little and walked to her bed, pulling back the covers on her side and cuddling up to her pillow. She pulled the blankets up and closed her eyes peacefully. "Do me a favor and turn out the lights when you're done, okay?" She yawned and closed her eyes, slowly falling asleep.

As he waited for her to come out of the shower, Dante continued to lay there on the bed with his eyes closed in relaxed thought for the time being before he brought his hands up to the back of his head which elevated his head a bit. He hadn't had much time to think for long though as he heard Kelly come out of the bathroom a little while later when he heard the door open, causing him to glance over to her, seeing her there on the door frame looking back at him with a smile on her face, offering him a change of clothes if it was needed. Dante only shook his head in reply before he gave his reply. "Don't worry. These clothes of mine are still pretty clean, but I thank you for the offer, though." He answered as he eventually got up from the bed next when he saw her come over to the bed and got herself under the covers.

Soon enough, he meandered over to the bathroom and shut the door behind him then began to disrobe in there, operating the nozzles to get the water to the right temperature for him to clean himself off in then stepped into the heated water with a comforted sigh of sorts.

Kelly was more tired than she thought originally. The dancing had really taken it out of her. She was dropping in and out of sleep the whole time he was in the shower. What she really wanted was to stay asleep for awhile, but her back was killing her, and her neck wasn't much better off. With a little groan and a yawn, the criminal got out of bed to look for her medicine, only to remember the stuff that would help was in the bathroom.

Knocking on the door, she hoped he was decent enough for her to quickly get her things.

As Dante began to lather up with a soap bar that was here, he had just gotten started with scrubbing the suds on himself when he heard a knock on the door which made him glance over to it with an arched eyebrow. There was no way Kelly could be rested that quickly and this was perhaps one of the worst times for him to be bothered. But then again, what could be such a pressing matter that she had to do this just now, he wondered to himself.

"Hold on a minute." He called back to the door as he scrubbed himself off with the suds he applied onto himself then rinsed off after a little while before shutting the water off then stepping out of the stall to then reach over for one of the towels that was laid out for him here then wraps one around his waist securely. Once that was done, Dante padded over to the bathroom door and opened it, seeing Kelly there in front of him.

"Yeah?" He asked her. "What is it?"

"Sorry. I just wanted the medicine I take for my back and neck. They really hurt, so I just wanted to sneak by and grab them." She was blushing with a tiny bit of embarrassment and needing them at all, but also because she was nervous. And there was a mostly naked man right in front of her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'll be quick about it. I promise."

What she took was a muscle relaxant and some aspirin for the pain. Apparently her condition at the bar was one that wasn't all that uncommon for her for any number of reasons. "Can I just, slide past for a second?" And so she did, grabbing the pills she needed and then sliding back out. "Thanks. Sorry to bother you." And then she went off to her kitchen to take them. Drowsily, she shuffled back to her room and set the pills on her dresser, climbing back into bed.

"Not a problem." Dante answered as he then backed up a bit to let Kelly go by him to get her medication. Granted, it was a bit awkward for him to show up at the door with nothing on but a towel wrapped around his waist, but then again, she was the one who came up with the bright idea to knock on the door while he was showering.

Looking over at her, Dante began to notice the meds she took out from the cabinet, these in the form of a muscle relaxant and a couple of aspirin as well. This made him quirk an eyebrow at her curiously, possibly wondering if it was when the two were dancing together back at the bar. But then again, if her back pain was that severe, then maybe perhaps he should offer his assistance to her whether she liked it or not.

Soon enough, he saw her leave him in the bathroom by himself, allowing him to return to it after a little while to brush his teeth, finishing that some time later and then getting just his cargo pants back on and just retrieving the rest of his clothes before setting them in a neat pile beside the bed.

"You know Kelly, if you said your back was hurting you like it was, the offer to help get the kinks out of there is still on the table. Besides, while I might be a bounty hunter for hire, I also know a few tricks to help reset your back. They mostly came from the holistic and chiropractic fields." Dante explained as he eventually joined her on the bed some time later, laying on his side facing her.