No one is coming.
I’ll be damned if I let myself fucking die like this. I bury my heels in the ground and twist my body with all my force, knocking his hand off my throat. I inhale sharply and take advantage of his moment of confusion, pushing myself up to my hands and knees and knocking him off balance.
Fire wells in my chest as I grab my KA-BAR and sprint back into the thick smoke and gunfire. I don’t stand a chance against this guy without some other advantages.
I don’t make it ten steps into the smoke before I trip over a body and eat shit. There’s no time to think about the morality of any of this. I quickly pat it down for a weapon and find ahandgun in the man’s hands. He doesn’t fight when I pull it away, so it’s safe to say he’s probably dead. I don’t look at his face or pay attention to his uniform.
Whoever it is, it doesn’t matter.
Not if I want to live.
This is who I have become. I check to make sure the safety is off and eject the ammo pack swiftly—three bullets. It’ll have to do. I smack it back in and cock it.
The soldier comes after me full bore. I fall back on my ass just fast enough to evade his knife. It goes straight into the chest of the dead body. The man looks into my eyes, seeming to realize his mistake as his eyes shift to what’s in my hand.
He’s a person… But it’s him or me.
I don’t hesitate. The muzzle of the gun is lined up with his head in less than a second, and I pull the trigger without blinking. The moment the bullet leaves the gun a different face flashes in front of me—the face is gone in a matter of seconds, and it’s the Sub-Rosa soldier once more.
His blood splatters everywhere. My eyes are wide, and even though the smoke burns them, I can’t look away from what I’ve done.
My hands tremble, and I drop the gun. I stare into his vacant eyes for a few seconds before I come back into myself and a gasp escapes my throat. I quickly push myself across the pavement a few feet.
The smoke clears, and the bullets and shouts slow.
I can’t bring myself to look up as footsteps approach. My mind feels broken.
I killed someone.
“Chloe.” Callum’s voice is calm, as if nothing at all has happened. His hand wraps around my jaw, and he guides my face to look up at him. His face is half crimson, coated in blood asif someone threw a bucket of paint over him. But those blue eyes are gentle and seem like he’s satisfied with me.
The face of evil.
My eyes are dry, yet I don’t blink as he leans down to wipe something wet from my lower lip.
“Come now. It’s done.” He offers his hand.
Tears spill from my eyes as I take it and struggle to stand. I’m only now realizing how injured I am. Shards of glass are stuck in my knees and palms. The bottom of my left foot is soaking wet and warm, which means I must’ve stepped on glass or a nail.
I swallow the knot in my throat and let Callum lift me in his arms.Is he going to kill me?I wonder as I stare at his sharp features, defined by the flickering firelight.
“Where are the others?” I whisper, letting my eyes fall back to my torn-up hands so I don’t have to look at the dead bodies Callum steps over as he walks me back into the laundromat.
He chuckles. “Did you think I’d just kill them? That’s not how you get a message across very effectively. I’ve learnedthatmuch,” he says with an amused tone.
I’m not sure how to process the warmth that dances in my chest at his words. Roman is alive… Everyone is still alive then. At least, I hope.
Only once we’re in the center of the room where the washers and dryers are covered in debris do I let my gaze move to the ground. All five of them are gagged, their arms tied behind their backs. At least twenty men stand behind them, holding assault rifles and decked out in tactical gear.
They never stood a chance at capturing Callum. Not with this many men at his disposal.
Roman’s eyes are filled with loathing unlike I’ve ever seen before. His face is smeared in blood, and his brows are firmly pinched together.
Why is he looking at me like that? My jaw flexes.
They’re all looking at me like that.
Callum sets me down gently and nods to Grahm. “Ungag Roman.”
