Damian on the other hand has dirt and scraps all over hisuniform. Only a small amount of blood trickles down from his left glove.
“Holy shit, you look like hell!” Damian’s eyes blow wide as he yanks me down to crouch with them. It’s then that I notice that there is a guard behind them. My heart skips a beat and I grip my rifle, lifting it to shoot him before Gage’s hand comes down on the muzzle quickly.
“Hey, cool it. We’re keeping this one,” Gage scolds me.
I look at them like they’re crazy. “Why?”
Damian puffs out his chest. “Remember my specialty?” He winks at me. Oh that’s right, he and Bree were great at manipulating people and garnering information.
Gage adds: “He’s leading us to Mavestelli.”
I steal another glance at the guard and consider how young he looks. Fear is riddled all over his face. He lowers his chin at me and mutters, “Miss Mavestelli, it’s an honor.” My eyes widen. Gage and Damian share a bewildered look.
“Jesus, I didn’t know we were in the presence of fucking royalty,” Gage mumbles wryly.
Damian follows that up. “My God, right? Would you like some avocado with your fucking toast, my lady?”
“You two are the perfect dumb-ass duo, you know that?” I snap at them before looking pointedly at the guard. “Hurry up and take us to my father.”
37
CAMERON
I’mable to fist my hands again by the time Wraith finally reaches me. He sets down his gun and unzips his front left vest pocket, pulling out a black syringe.
I groan as I try and fail to lift my head. “Not that one. I’m fine, I just need a second.”
Wraith only shakes his head and has the balls to look at me like he actually pities me. He removes one of his black gloves and handles the injection with care.
“This is the only thing I have. Lieutenant Erik said to use it on you or Morphine if we needed it, and I’d say you being unable to get up is a pretty good reason to use it.” He shoves my sleeve up.
“This one hasn’t been tested yet. It might—” I cut myself off and wear my teeth down together as a sour taste rises in the back of my throat. Wraith’s eyes flicker with dismay. “It might kill me.”
He lowers his hand and curses. “What should we do then? I can’t exactly give you this and expect Emery to ever look at me the same.” He turns toward the door as footsteps approach, lifting hispistol up and shooting a guard square in the chest who looked like they were only trying to find a place to hide.
I take a deep breath and try to move again, but my muscles and tendons refuse to listen. “Fuck.” I exhale and shut my eyes.
My squad needs me, but more than anything Em needs me. I have to get her out of this wretched world if it’s the last thing I do. Even if it means I don’t get to go home with her. If I can push until they’re running freely into the goddamn sunrise, then I’m doing it.
“Give it to me,” I command him. The building shudders with another explosion and shouts roll through the halls. A crackling, pained voice moves over the headset briefly before cutting out, and it puts stones in my stomach. “Quickly!” I snap.
Wraith gives me one last hesitant look before biting down on his lip and sticking the needle into my radial artery. “Let’s fucking go!” he shouts as he presses down on the plunger.
The black liquid moves into my veins and a hot, burning sensation zips through my bloodstream. I react by jolting straight up, eyes wide and heart hammering a hundred beats a second.
“Holy shit that woke your ass right up!” Wraith gives me a wicked grin as he slides his glove back on and picks up his machine gun.
I stare down at my hands, moving them with ease now.Nolan, what have you created?Every inch of my body is electrified. My mind fogs and everything feels like it’s moving in jagged motions.
I grip my assault rifle and insert a new ammo pack into it.
“You good?” Wraith pats my back as I step past him.
I grunt at him in reply, and shoulder my way out the door, stepping on the center of the dead guard’s spine. The crunch levels something in my brain and makes me smile, the endorphins flowing into me.
A familiar sensation, much stronger than I’ve ever felt before, slips into my mind. I turn and look at Wraith with darkness clouding my vision and that urge to kill skating across my teeth like venom.
“I’ve never been better.”
