Page 60 of The Merciless

“When’s she getting here?” Ciera continued, probably snapping at the man who had yelled at Ira earlier. Ray’s gaze narrowed, the yellow light more prominent as she stepped to her left and saw the same pole she’d seen in the video. Her breath caught when she saw Zahir tied against it, his body slumped forward dangerously as he lay there, unconscious.

“She’ll get here soon enough–”

The man began but a growl shifted through the air,

“I didn’t ask for your fuckingopinion,”Ciera snapped, “Check her location.”

Now,she had to move now.

Ray inched forward, taking quick but soft steps closer and closer to the yellow flickering light. Closer to Zahir and closer to Ira. She neared the very end of the stacked boxes when the light flickered again. Ray crouched, peeping carefully to see how many people she had to deal with.

Her brows rose when she realized it was Ciera and two other men standing on her either side, all their backs turned to her. Her eyes darted around in search of Ira and Micah, the dread in her stomach dissolving when she saw the two of them tied to their chairs, their backs touching one another’s.

Three people. She had to get rid of all three of them and not risk it getting back to whoever their superior was.

Because there was no way inhellCiera was the brain behind these operations.

“Well?” Ciera asked, shaking Ray out of her reverie, “Where is she? She better be close or he’ll have my fucking head on a spike.”

Ray’s gaze narrowed.He?

“One second.” The man on her right murmured as Ray took him in. Muscular, long hair and a body that belonged to an athlete. He could be a pain. The man to Ciera’s left was another bother, especially judging by the height advantage he had over her and his lean body that showed he’d probably done martial arts.

The light flickered again, leaving her vision dark for a second.

She looked up at the light, her brows furrowing. And itclicked.

Ray blinked, forcing herself to calm down and steady the gun in her hand as she breathed out. Prepared for the next flicker of light.

“Is shehere?”

“Ma’am,” the man to her right began, his voice confused as he said as clearly as he could, “It says she’s close.”

Ray saw Ciera shuffle closer, saw her brows furrow as she grabbed the phone out of his hands and peered down at the screen, “What?” she started and Ray smirked, watching the play of the light, “It says she’s right outside. What’s she waiting for–”

Darkness enveloped them for three seconds.

One.Ray stepped forward, right beside Zahir. Removed the knife from her pockets and slid it in Micah and Ira’s direction, the sound emitting a loudscreech.

Two.The twist of feet as Ray extended her gun up ahead, blinking past the darkness as she let a maniacal smile curve her lips.It’d been a while since she’d done this.

Three.A while since she’d seen the mix of sheer surprise andfearlight bright on their faces.

The light flickered back on, and Ray tilted her head, her gun aimed at the guy to Ciera’s right.Bang!And he went down, a bullet embedded deep in his heart. She moved it to her left andbang!Another one in his heart.

And turned itrightbefore Ciera. The woman who was now looking at Ray as if she’d never seen her before. Ray grinned, her eyes crinkling as she heard Ira breathe out,

“Surprise bitch.”

Fear often tended to change.

To morph into something far more dangerous. Far more deadly.

Ray saw it now as Ciera’s beautiful face contorted into something devastating. Something lethal. And she went right after Ray’s weakest point.

“Iramove!”Ray screamed before Ciera whipped out a knife from her waistband and pounced in Ira’s direction.Bang!Ray shot the rope that Micah had been trying to cut for a few seconds and both of them ripped apart with a yell. Ray darted forward, her footsteps nimble as she made to step between Ira and Ciera, and went toshoot Ciera,but she’d been too fast.

Ciera grabbed a hold of Ira’s hair and wrenched her upright. A scream ripped from Ira’s throat as Ciera poised a clean knife against her neck, glaring at Ray maliciously,murderwritten in her darkened eyes as she dug the knife deeper. A whimper left Ira’s lips, and goosebumps erupted on Ray’s arm, her blood running cold at the sight.

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