I don’t have time to assess any of that as a third man charges at Dalton from the side.
“Motherfucker!” he yells as he topples Dalton to the ground and they both roll off a trash bag.
Dalton uses the momentum to flip them further, and thanks to that proficient move, he’s on top. He grabs a bottle that’s spilled out of the trash and smashes it into the attacker’s face. It breaks after thethird blow, glass sinking into the bastard’s eye, but by this point, our assaillant’s entire face is a caved-in mess of flesh and bone.
All this happens so fast I almost miss the moment the man zipping down the building gets low enough for me to stab. The hidden needle sinks deep into muscle, no doubt depositing the entire dose, but once the bastard lets go of the line and lands on the ground, a big bore pistol swings in my face.
I knock it away, flinching when the gun goes off, sending a bullet to places unknown.
Are there any more of them? Where exactlyisDalton?
I can’t assess any of this, because when push comes to shove, it’s me against this guy who could still kill me before the tranquilizer kicks in. My training hasn’t been for nothing, I manage to lock in a grapple with him, kick his balls, but the fuck just won’t give.
What is probably seconds feels like a lifetime, but then my angel of wrath is there, and with a roar of fury, pulls the guy off me. Dalton all but throws him at the wall, and is about to punch him in the face when I grab his arm.
“No! He’ll sleep soon! We need him.”
Obedient as if he’s my hellhound, Dalton grabs the guy by the arms in an unyielding hold. I don’t even know when the gun ended up on the ground, but the fucker isn’t holding it anymore. I look around and listen, searching for any other company we might have, and when something shuffles nearby, I illuminate it with the glow of the flashlight built into my watch.
It’s only a really big rat though.
The willpower that let me survive the encounter drains from my body now that the danger’s over, and I lean against the wall, watchingthe dark silhouette of my Dalton while the man we captured struggles weakly in his hold, muttering something about ‘telling us nothing’.
But he will.
I have my ways to make any person talk.
Finally, the man zones out and Dalton lets him slide to the ground. He takes a few deep breaths as he looks around to take in the carnage. “Fuck! What the fuck? What just happened? What do we do about the bodies? Should I put them in the dumpster?”
Even now, covered in blood, he looks to me for guidance, and I kinda love that. It gives me peace to be the one in charge instead of having one more problem to handle.
“It’s fine, we’ll deal with it,” I assure him with a slur that makes everything I say sound a little bit ridiculous.
Dalton doesn’t seem to mind though, and lets me have a look at him with the flashlight. “The bullet… it didn’t hit you, did it?” I ask, trying to keep as clear a head as I can in my current state.
He looks at his own body, but with the adrenaline surely rushing in his veins, I’m not even surprised. “No. What about you? Are you okay?” he asks, cupping my face as if I’m some precious thing, and I find myself leaning into his touch, my hands resting on his firm chest.
“I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
He pulls me in for a hug with the same strong arms that broke bones minutes ago. Is it wrong that it makes me feel safer around him? Sure, I can handle myself, but he also carries his own weight so I don’t have to worry about him.
He’s such a magnificent beast.Mybeast.
“I’ll always have your back.” Dalton says and kisses the side of my head, triggering an electric reaction spreading all over my skin.It’s been years since someone was truly in my corner. Family always supports me when it matters, yes, but that’s because of who I am.
An asset.
The deadly, ever-patient torturer and poison-maker.
A relative who needs to be protected whether my company is appreciated or not.
But Dalton… Dalton is here for the Corvus no one else knows, that bit of me I keep hidden within the walls of my home, and which even my mother doesn’t get to see.
I swallow, pressing my forehead to his as a choking sensation rises in my chest.
“We should call for backup,” I say to fight off all the mushy feelings. There’s no time for them.
I assess the situation once more, instruct Dalton to tie the unconscious man’s hands, just in case, and call… Remo. Since he’s the closest person to help. Guess we didn’t escape that far after all.
