Page 13 of Dark Angel

Putting on my T-shirt turns into a circus act of discomfort. He tosses one of his own shirts my way, as if offering some sort of truce. I hold up my hand, halting him. I got this, thanks. The freezing cold from earlier still clings to my skin, but as I stretch to pull the shirt over my head, a surge of pain lances through my shoulder like a live wire.

Shit. I muster the strength to descend from the gurney, each muscle movement shooting new flames of agony through my frame. I brace my good arm against the bed, consciously avoiding yanking the stitches right out of my damn skin.

"Easy, you'll make a full recovery. Just give it time." Jaden's voice washes over me, his touch brief yet unsettling as his fingers graze the nape of my neck.

Fuck. My synapses sizzle, like I've been given a shot of something divine. Part of me wants to dive deeper into why this troubled man has such an effect on me. But there’s a cacophony of other voices in my head—what about Summer, what about Viper—and I shove them into the mental closet where I keep all my other inconvenient truths, locking it up tight.

"Why the hell do you know so much about medical stuff? What's your story, Jaden? And what's Viper got that you want so bad?"

His demeanor shifts, his face going from approachable to a frozen mask in a millisecond. I trail him into a room plastered with monitors. A rush of air escapes him as his eyes scan the screens. I peek over his shoulder. On display is a real-time manhunt—Viper's goons, room by room.

"As long as we're holed up, might as well get comfortable." His voice carries a finality that halts further questions.

He strides out, not even a backward glance. I hesitate for a nanosecond before chasing after him.

"Wait. They won't find us here?"

"No."

Not a talker, are we? "Explain."

"It's a safe room," he curtly replies, "make yourself at home. I'll be back."

His words hang heavy, an irrevocable full stop, as the elevator doors slide shut, trapping me in the ambiguity of his world.

7

JADEN

I creep through the darkness, my feet crushing the pavement in silence. The compound hangs thickly with an eerie quiet, punctured only by the occasional cricket's chirp or a rustling leaf. I've been waiting for Viper's enforcers since leaving Rayne in that safe room, and I can sense them drawing near. Rayne, my little dragon. I shake my head as thoughts jumble through my mind. I can think about what the fuck’s going on with her or avoid the topic all together once I’ve made sure she’s safe. Right now, that’s all that matters.

I slip my cell from my pocket and text Sasha.

Me:Pest invasion. Clean-up in aisle four.

I press send and make sure the phone’s silenced. By the time I’ve handled Viper’s goons, Sasha will be here with our special ops clean-up team. As I slink through the shadows, their presence presses against me—tangible in the night air. I stop, steadying myself for what lies ahead, gathering strength to deliver justice.

I summon my Brazilian jujitsu training, allowing my body to move in unison with my mind. My breathing is slow and steady, the chorus of crickets and birds a tranquil backdrop to my trance. I heighten my senses, letting my angelic perception open itself to the presence of three enforcers. I can sense their malice, their cruelty, their maleficent dismissal of life and humanity.

I creep up on the first enforcer, a man. My dark clothes help me blend in with the evening shadows. The closer I get, the more of his vile crimes against the vulnerable flood my celestial perception until I become a killing machine. Some small part of rationale quells the blood-thirsty demon wanting to make him suffer as he has so many young girls and boys. I don’t have time to prolong the pain right now.

I reach out to my celestial gifts for strength and skill as I conjure an obsidian blade into my hand then drop into a crouch behind the human trafficker. Summoning my magic, I hurl myself toward his back like a missile, calling on all my speed. He barely has time to turn around with terror in his eyes before the blade sinks into the flesh below his clavicle. His body drops silently into the waiting arms of the soft grass.

The second is a woman, her scent reminiscent of strong coffee. The creases in her face are not from age, but experience. Her body is poised for the fight, and for a split second I think about letting her go. Killing women goes against my values, as I understand the pain and suffering that most of them have experienced that turned them from human to depraved.

But before I can make up my mind, she launches an attack—a feint followed by a violent kick aimed at my head. Instinctively, I step forward and wrap both arms around her thighs, lifting them off the ground and destabilizing her balance. She's quick and agile but I’ve faced tougher adversaries before. Anger wells up within me as visions of how she’s abused young boys overtake me and eliminate any rational thought. She deserves to answer for all of her crimes.

I deliver a precise and powerful drive forward, taking the perp to the ground and maintaining control as she fights back with a wild ferocity. I transition into a dominant position and take the killing stroke, this time slicing her carotid artery.

Suddenly, I sense someone else in the air–the third enforcer. With extreme care, I creep closer until I make out the imposing figure of a tall man clad in an impeccably tailored dark suit. His features are sharp and chiseled, his hair jet black, and his eyes intense and piercing. I can feel an underlying evil emanating from him along with something else that sends a chill down my spine: this man is the leader, here to take Rayne away for interrogation by some of the most sadistic methods imaginable.

A booming voice echoes through the darkness. "Where is the girl?" I freeze on the spot and clench my fists, sending ripples down all five inches of my shimmering celestial dagger. "Tell us where she is, and no one will be hurt." The threat in his tone is as unmistakable as the sadistic violence rolls from him in waves.

When you hear something like this there's only one answer: it's time to deliver justice. The promise I gave her when we met. Rayne won't be threatened by these savages, not while I'm alive.

I inch closer as the enforcer's vile essence grows more potent with every breath I take. My muscles tense as I ready myself for battle. In one fluid motion, I draw out my dagger and lunge forward. They will fall just as they entered—mortals who won't survive the day—and justice will be served.

As consciousness drains from the man's eyes, I raise my arm again to deliver another blow, but a sharp jolt shoots up my forearm and draws me back to reality. "Enough, Jaden", Sasha's gravelly yet commanding voice rings clear in the battlefield strewn with bodies. "We need one of them alive."

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