CHAPTER 197: CHAPTER 197 HUNTER

"Unless he’s in a mood," Jace finished with a small smirk. He let his head rest on the back of the couch, still speaking with that slow, teasing drawl.

Jay blinked at him, trying to read if Jace was joking or actually serious, then gave a slow nod.

"So just text him, okay? It’s dangerous to call someone when they’re driving," Jace added, his tone so casual it almost sounded like he didn’t care but the slight curve of his lips said otherwise.

"You’re right," Jay said, already pulling out his phone to quickly type a message to his brother, his fingers moving fast while his eyes flickered toward the door Leo had stormed out of.

***

The man’s knees were shaking so badly he looked like he might collapse right there, his hands tugging uselessly at the rope that bound them. His wide, terrified eyes darted from Leo’s towering frame to the dark, empty stretch of trees behind him, as if hoping the forest would somehow swallow him whole.

"I believe you came here to meet the spy you left in my house... or in my company," Leonardo’s voice was smooth and low, carrying that deadly calm that was far more frightening than shouting. His black gloves caught the faint glint of moonlight as he flexed his fingers slowly, deliberately, each motion like a warning.

"N-No... no, leave me, I don’t know anything," the man stammered, voice cracking. "Please... I really don’t know—"

Leo tilted his head slightly, those dark eyes locking onto the man like a predator assessing prey. "You’re trembling too much for someone who ’doesn’t know anything.’" He stepped closer, his tall frame casting a long shadow over the man. "Tell you what..." His lips curved into a dangerous smirk, the kind that made it unclear if he was being merciful or just toying with him. "If you can run from me... I’ll let you go."

The man blinked in disbelief, his eyes darting to the open forest. "Run?"

Leo gave a single nod. "Run. Now."

It was all the permission he needed—the man bolted, crashing into the undergrowth, his breath loud in the still night. Twigs snapped, leaves rustled, and his panicked footsteps echoed in the darkness.

Leo stood still for a moment, watching the frantic escape. Then, with a slow inhale, he started after him—silent at first, like a shadow sliding through the trees. The muscles in his legs coiled and stretched with each stride, his pace unhurried yet impossibly fast, his black shirt pulling snug over his chest and shoulders. His eyes never left the shape moving ahead of him.

The man glanced over his shoulder once—and froze when he realized Leo was closing in without even seeming out of breath. The forest around them felt smaller, quieter, as if it too was holding its breath for what came next.

Leo’s smirk widened. "Faster," he called out, voice deep, taunting. "You said you didn’t know anything, so prove you’re worth letting go."

The man stumbled, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. But the chase was over before he even realized it—Leo moved in a blur, his gloved hand snapping out to catch the back of his collar. The sudden stop nearly yanked the man off his feet.

Leo spun him around effortlessly, his grip unyielding, his other hand braced at his side like he hadn’t even used half his strength. "You almost made it," he said softly, leaning just close enough for the man to feel the heat of his breath. "Almost."

Then, without looking away from those terrified eyes, Leo added with that same lethal calm, "Now... we talk."

The man’s voice trembled as he stammered, "I swear... I don’t know anything." His whole body was quivering, the ropes cutting into his wrists as he shook his head frantically.

Leo’s jaw ticked, his dark eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Last chance," he murmured, his tone smooth but coiled tight like a spring. He stepped closer, one gloved hand gripping the man’s chin, forcing his head up.

Suddenly—like a cornered rat—the man lunged forward and sank his teeth into Leo’s leather glove. The sharp pain was nothing compared to the audacity of it.

Leo’s eyes went still. Cold. A dangerous stillness spread over his face, that kind of calm that only meant something terrible was coming.

The man wrenched free and bolted into the trees again, stumbling over roots, tearing through the underbrush. His panicked breath echoed through the quiet night, the slap of his shoes against dirt loud in the emptiness.

Behind him, there was no sound of pursuit at first. Only the suffocating silence. Then—footsteps. Smooth, measured, and terrifyingly fast.

Leo was moving like a predator now, cutting through the forest with long, powerful strides. His black shirt pulled across his shoulders with every step, the moonlight brushing over his sharp jawline. He wasn’t just chasing—he was hunting. Every muscle moved with precise control, every breath was steady, like this was nothing more than a warm-up.

The man dared to look back—and saw him. Those cold eyes locked on him like he was already dead.

"Run faster," Leo’s voice carried through the trees, deep and mocking. "If you think you can bite the hand that spares you... you’d better earn that mercy."

The man tried, but his legs were burning, lungs on fire. The moment he stumbled over a fallen branch, Leo was there—hand fisting in the back of his jacket and slamming him against a tree. The impact rattled his bones, and before he could breathe, Leo’s gloved fingers pressed into his shoulder, not enough to break it—yet—but enough to make him cry out.

"You’re wasting my time," Leo said softly, his voice almost a whisper, but it was the kind that slid down your spine and made you shiver. "And I don’t like games I didn’t start."

The man’s knees gave out, but Leo yanked him back up, holding him upright like a doll. "Talk," Leo ordered, his thumb pressing into a nerve just above the collarbone until the man’s whole arm went numb.

"I’ll tell... I’ll tell—" the man gasped, eyes wide with terror. "It was... it was—"

And then it happened.

His body went slack, his head jerking once before his eyes rolled back. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and Leo instantly knew—poison. Someone had silenced him.

For a moment, Leo’s grip didn’t loosen. His gaze lingered on the lifeless face, the unfinished confession burning in the air between them.

Then, slowly, he let the man’s body slide to the forest floor, straightening to his full height, his jaw tightening. "Cowards," he muttered under his breath, pulling off the bitten glove and tossing it aside.

The forest felt even quieter now, but the storm building in Leo’s chest was anything but.