… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 ,

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀“ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪᴛs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀, ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪᴛs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 ” ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀

⠀ ‵’ 𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙𝘠𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘚 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏
⠀⠀﹙˙⚘˙ ⠀﹊︲ 𝘈 𝙇𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘖𝘕 ’‵

⠀ ⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
⠀ ⠀⠀︲﹎∘﹙𝙃𝘜𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝙂𝘈𝘙𝘊𝘐𝘈 ﹚ ！⠀
⠀ ↳ ⠀⠀# 𝘾𝙊𝙍𝙑𝙄𝘿
⠀ ⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

people I’ve asked for favours to turn a blind eye.

Tell me what’s going on.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
You know I’m not going to agree with what you say about yourself so don’t start.

[ Hunter immediately intervened. One slope they weren’t going to go down is Ivan’s need to be seen as a 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯.

He unlatched his fingers from his forearm, to instead settle ..

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

here?——doesn’t help me.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

on his hip. ]

You aren’t helping yourself. You’re being self-destructive and — you’re ramping up and I don’t know what has you spooked but it’s putting you in danger.

I’ve had to remove your 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 3 times from CCTV in the past two weeks. Let’s not mention how many …

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

trying to keep you safe and to do that you can’t continue spilling more blood as you like.

You can’t solve this problem by gunfire, it’ll help if you learn that.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
Right. Mercy. Does that apply to the ‘evil’ people or do you get a special privilege of killing and harming people without repercussion?

[ Hunter snapped back. Posture straightening. Fingers digging in the sleeve of his suit jacket. Ruffled. ]

𝘓𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘷. I’m

⠀…

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

safe.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
It’s my duty of care to make sure the person I’ve interviewed doesn’t get 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.

Oh and I’m not in the business of using the same tactics of violence that the ‘evil’ of the world use. You shouldn’t either.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
[ Hums — annoyed. Tapping his finger against his forearm. ] How original.

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
mh. you ever get tired of protecting the evil of the world? does it make you feel good?
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
Well, it does get me the results I want. Am I to blame or should you blame yourself for being unable to resist my utter charm?

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
fuckin’ brat is what you are.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
If the answer is yes then I’m putting him in witness protection as a valuable informant.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
Will I be wasting my breath if I asked, one more time, for you to reframe from killing him?

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
yes. world ain’t stoppin’ for you, definitely ain’t gonna stop for him.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
I’d never use your affection as a bargaining chip to get what I need.

[ Innocently grins. ]

Most of the time.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
Me ❓❓❓

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
‘` @TALONEDENIGMA … wanna send this to you but i think you’re gonna use it as a bargaining chip, bring up my target and argue morals with me again.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
Regardless, thank you, Ivan. Even if you are becoming a professional headache.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 . Are you really going to kill him despite my request for you to not do that?

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
mnnngh … [ * HUFFS, contemplating. ] george reyes. he’s dead in a week. get your interview in before then, ‘kay?
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
[ Jolts. lips pressing tightly together. ]

Because under no circumstance is he going to be dead. He's important for my investigation and that’s why I need to know his name, to interview or talk to him.

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
[ deep inhale, tight smile. ] babydoll, i just don’t understand why you need to know the name of a soon—to—be—dead man when you’ll be seein’ him on the news later this week.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
But, I could always accept the office meeting for two hours instead of seeing you.

⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
It would provide me with the believable excuse to see you during my work hours. 𝘈𝘯𝘥, I still want to know — it’s important.

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
:/ … why can’t i ask to see your pretty browns without you beggin’ me for information.
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

⠀
Depends. Will you be disclosing the name of your target on your stakeout?

😙 for me?

⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
‘` @TALONEDENIGMA …
⠀

[ˊ 𝑻𝒀𝑮𝑬𝑹 .ᐟ 𐦬 ̖ ̖ ̖ * ❨ …̶ 💣 ❩ @ILLICITHANGMAN]

⠀
‘` @TALONEDENIGMA …
⠀

[… ‘ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮 ོ 𝙃𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 , @TALONEDENIGMA]

@ILLICITHANGMAN / my SHAYLAAAS