I feel Indie’s wicked smile against my lips. We’re hidden in the car park at the far end of Kingstone University where the feeds have already been cut for us arriving. The rest we’ve been waiting for Regina and Dawson to work their magic.
Having those two minds together is something I wish we had in the beginning. Fuck, we’d have been unstoppable.
Her hands paw my chest, giving me a slight shove that I allow, and I take her hand in mine as we make our way onto the grounds.
Kingstone University sits on acres of land, smack bang in the middle of the city of Harriston. It’s left the natural habitat of the tree line as its borders, giving nothing away that two different types of civilization rest on either side.
From the city, you’d think you were driving into the rest of its land before hitting the next town. And from the school’s placement, you’d never know that a metropolitan area engulfs the perimeter, once riddled with the underbelly that controls the entire state.
Not for much longer.
The snow has washed away here; slushes of white are dotted along the pathway as we make our way to the edge of the building. Indie lets go of my hand. Her own pats over her belt and legs. A handgun and at least three knives still intact.
She’s got a vest and hoodie on top, concealing an abundance of other weapons. We’ve come with enough to take down an army, and it’s overkill, but who was I to deny her vengeance?
The Omnia have no guards left, their clients we know of being hunted one by one. Word has spread that we’re responsible for taking down their hierarchy, and anyone daring to fuck with us will meet the same fate.
“You see anything, Dawson?” I ask, keeping my voice low whilst sticking to the shadows as my gaze travels across the courtyard.
The old, weathered brick is illuminated in a low amber glow, fading into black as it reaches the gothic spires disappearing into the night.
“Nothing on my side. What about you, angel?”
I grimace.
The fuck did he just call me?
My head twists to look at Indie. She’s holding back a smile as Regina clears her throat. “Uh, nothing on mine.”
Well, it seems like the couples who hack together, get together. We all have our niches. Mine and my woman’s just happens to be butchering people who wronged us.
“Come on,” I whisper to Indie, slinking our way around the other side of the building. There’s been nothing on the feeds that anyone’s come and gone, no campus security patrolling either. Conrad and Louisa have to still be in this school.
That is if there isn’t another fucking tunnel system.
We make our way past each of the arched windows until we reach a large wooden double door, the mosaic glass revealing the monochrome checkerboard flooring that both of us have walked through many times.
It feels like stepping into a time warp, a completely different life we once lived. Where I’ve stood and admired her fromafar, her laughter filling the halls and my hearing zoning in on nothing else.
Who would have thought all these years later, I’d still be stalking their halls, only this time I have her in my snare.
My hand grips the brass handle, easing it round and finding it unlocked. I hold my hand back to keep Indie from charging ahead, listening for any signs of movement. All I’m met with is the bite of the chilled and undisturbed atmosphere.
A soft hand slips into mine, and I guide her inside as I close the door, sealing us in with the evil that’s lurking within these walls. My footsteps stay light; it’s something I learned during training and comes as a second nature, even when I’m not stalking.
Indie though?
She might have small feet, but it’s like her boots are filled with fucking concrete, pounding them off the tiles as she prowls into the foyer. Her gun hangs by her side in one hand, a knife in the other as the metal blade glints under the moonlight.
Her head moves slowly as she stares up at the stone staircase, gaze lazily travelling from one end of the room to the other. Her eyes fixate upwards to the right. The moonlight casts a shadow over her devious features as she looks over her shoulder at me. Dark hair frames her face, revealing a smile that ruptures something in my chest.
That tortured, breathtaking and extraordinary being right there will be my wife.
My queen of fucking demons.
And I love her with a fury that puts every other mythical god to shame.
I make my way towards her, and she nods towards the library. We head up the stairway, the entire corridor dimmed as the exterior spires yawn into the night, the faint light cutting through the window grilles.
