Even if no one comes for her tonight, she will answer to me. Answer to why she is putting herself in danger so recklessly. Hot molten anger leaks inside me, adding fire, burning hotter.
I climb out of the car and cross the street in the dark. It’s still early in the morning, four by my phone clock.
Kai has texted me ten times, and I shut off the phone and tuck it into my pocket. I’ll answer to him, same as she will face me first.
I amble closer to her home, keeping my eyes on the shadows, waiting for someone to make a move. I can feel it will happen. After years of chasing down danger, I have a good sense when it’s nearby.
I glimpse a shiny gun in an overhead streetlight, and pick up my pace, keeping my steps light and quiet. She’ll be tired, unprepared for an attack. The perfect moment for her enemies to catch her unaware.
If they don’t murder her for arrogance, I might.
I stalk the man into the alley around the row of houses, keeping him in my sight, even as the shadows threaten to swallow him up.
He shimmies the lock on the backdoor with some kind of tool. I usually just use my boot, but I suppose he wants to make a quieter entrance. My victims usually know I’m coming.
He closes the door behind him, a considerate gesture since he’s going to try to murder my girl.
My girl.
Well, my girl to protect at least.
I keep telling myself that as I slip into the house after the man and lock the deadbolt behind me. Something that should have already been done.
He moves silently, a professional, no doubt. But no one is as good as I am. As any of the Five are.
I creep behind him in the dark, using the streetlights from outside to guide my path. The downstairs is empty and quiet. He goes upstairs, one careful step up at a time.
I keep my mind on the intruder and not Selena and what she might be doing, what this man might catch her in the middle of. I’ll allow him to get close enough before I kill him. Maybe it will give us a chance to learn who is behind this. Give us an edge.
As I sneak through the dark, I have to come to terms with the fact that I’m willing to put her up as bait to gain some answers. Hopefully, she understands the necessity. Even if she doesn’t, I don’t have time to ask.
The sound of her moving around comes from the only lit doorway at the end of the hall. The man slinks along the hallway until he stops at the door and pulls his gun from the holster under his black jacket.
Two can play this game, except I don’t pull out a gun. I grab a knife from the sheath at my ankle. It’s small but deadly and sharp. It’ll do the job perfectly.
The man slowly opens the door, and I hold my breath as light spills down the hall to illuminate me. But he doesn’t look back, cocky bastard.
I creep up on him as he enters the room. When he stops, I slip in behind him and watch as he holds the gun to the back of her head.
She freezes in stripping the clothing out of her suitcase.
I grind my teeth at the thought of him killing her here, her back to him. He won’t even show her the courtesy of looking her in the eye when he kills her. What a prick.
I inch closer, not wanting to move too fast and spin the air around him, alerting him to my presence.
Selena keeps still, waiting. “If you’re going to kill me, just get it over with.”
The man jabs the gun into her head. “All in good time, baby. Look at you. I think I might play first. The boss won’t mind as long as I finish the job when it’s over.”
Selena shifts and stands, her hands up, then turns to face him. She tenses when she sees me but doesn’t betray my advantage with a stray look. “If you think I’ll be an easy victim, you are dumber than you look.”
The man traces the gun down her neck into her cleavage.
A red haze covers my vision, and it’s like running, screaming down a long, dark tunnel. All I can see is this bastard touching what is mine. She won’t die from his perversions yet, but he’s hurting her, touching her, and I want his blood on my hands.
I step up behind him, wrap my arm around his neck in a lightning strike, and sink the blade into his flesh. It takes seconds to reduce him to a sputtering stain on her carpet, his blood sprayed across my arm and Selena, who stood in front of him.