Page 4 of Burn for Me

“Don’t worry about Depth. Cordelia picked our replacement, and I’ve taken extra precautions,” Caspian says.

“I still—”

I slam my hand on the table, interrupting Jasmine. She is going with me whether she likes it or not. Her lips press together, and her head hangs droopily. While Sharkie and Caspian continue their conversation, I focus on Jasmine’s steady breaths, trying to align mine with hers. Her usually tight bun is looser today, with soft strands framing her delicate features. I’ve always kept women separated from my duty, but she feels like my damnation.

A rookie shifts in his seat, leaning close to Jasmine's ear, and my mouth curls into a snarl. The beast inside starts to claw through my bones, scratching at my muscles, pulling them taut,just looking for a way out. I cross my arms over my chest as if it’ll physically keep it restrained.

There’s no question that his past is dark; he'll drown her in it, and that’s not going to happen.

Her life ismineto do with asIplease. If I choose to keep it, I will; if I want it to remain hidden from the world, that's how it will stay.

If I don’t want a fucking soul to touch it, then they won’t.

It has already happened once, and I’ll be damned if it happens again at the hands of someone unworthy.

“Sam and Jasmine, this mission is yours. We will brief you before we leave. Dismissed.” Sharkie announces, and the soldiers stand. The man's hand falls to the small of Jasmine's back, and I scramble to recall names until I finally remember his—Jeremy Oswald.

Convicted for a series of killings. All victims were found with rope burns around their wrists, a harsh gash across their throats, and a cigarette burn on their shoulders. The explanation was ‘because it was fun.’ Born January 2, 1986. Social Security number– irrelevant. Mother deceased, father convicted of domestic violence, no living relatives. Average in hand-to-hand combat, but only against smaller sparring partners.

A life I’d typically be allowed to take.

Jasmine laughs, her stunning hazel eyes shining as she looks up at him. That'smysmile,mylaugh. I follow them down the corridor, my steps slow and deliberate, trying to consider the consequences of my actions, but my grip on sanity slips as his hand moves lower to the high curve of her arse.

A dark cloud of smoke seems to follow me, slowly overshadowing the fluorescent lights above as I eat away at the distance to my destination. I'm spiraling into rage without any intention of calming down.

“Jasmine!” I call out, my voice low and warning.

She glances over her shoulder, rolling her eyes before looking back at her destination. What is it Tide says? I don’t even have time to recall it before my fingers grip the back of Jeremy’s shirt, wrinkling the fabric in my fist, and my knuckles connect with his cheekbone.

She left me alone with the voices.

The only faces I saw were broken and bloodied.

Now, she can see what it's like inside my mind when she's not around to calm the chaos.

“Sam!” That sweet, soft voice floats into the air, blending with my heavy breaths and Jeremy's grunts. What a beautiful symphony. He throws an elbow into my healing rib, causing it to ache and fueling my anger. Using the leverage of my hand around his throat, we tumble to the ground. Blood splatters against my cheek, and each harsh punch I throw creates a cracking noise against his face.

“Someone stop him!” I laugh at Jasmine's desperate plea as her delicate fingers grip my bicep, only to be removed for a good reason. I have no intention of stopping.

Picking Jeremy up by his throat, I slam his head into the cold concrete floors, letting his screams echo with the gorgeous cracking of his skull. He touched the one thing he shouldn’t have and marked himself with a red X on his chest. Now, it’s time for me to collect the life that is mine to take.

"It's too late now," Caspian mumbles, and my mind spirals into an unforgiving pit. Each movement feels sluggish as I reach for his throat in a desperate attempt to finish the job, but instead, I'm transported to a past reality.

“Beautiful. Gorgeous. Again.” My superior, Carlisle, claps, and I wipe my thumb across the corner of my mouth, grinning. It's not the life I wanted right now, but it’s the one that started it all, so I don’t mind reliving the moment. The soldier steps to theedge of the mat, his skin marked with welts, bruises, and cuts that mirror mine.

“If you don't succeed, it's back to the pits, Sam.” The threat snaps in my head, and I rush into the soldier.

“Sammy?” My cousin calls, but I know he's not here. He ran away before my uncle could sell him into the same fate.

“Sam.” It's deeper, with a thicker rasp that makes a bead of sweat trickle down my spine and my chest heaves. I grab the rock from the broken floor, bashing it into the skull before the voice can come again. Faces merge, blending the first life I ever stole with the one I was never meant to take and then with the one currently slipping away from my hands.

“Sam!?” A voice booms, echoing off the concrete walls and sending my mind into a dull ringing. I take a deep breath, bracing for the worst when I open my eyes, but instead of finding a pool of blood below, I’m standing with Jeremy's collar wrapped tightly in my fist.

“Let go.” A soft voice whispers. I glance at Jasmine's fingers on my bicep, then at Jeremy’s wide eyes. It was just a hallucination.

“Come on now, Sam. Let go,” Caspian demands from behind, tapping his chest to calm himself. I shove Jeremy hard enough that he crashes into the wall.

“Everyone clear out! Nothing to see here!” Caspian barks as the footsteps fade, reminding me of the crowd that witnessed my outburst. I thought I had changed, but I swear to the devil, if one more person touches what’s mine, they'll be buried in a plot so shallow their bodies will wash out so that I can bury them again.

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