Page 53 of V for Vindictive

What the actual fuck…

I let out a sound of protest before we were flying across dry, cracked earth so fast the world around us moved in slow motion.

Chapter 19

Dummkopf in Love

Phillip

The second V was drugged and taken, my worst fears were realized. I’d failed to protect her the same way I failed with everyone I cared for. And if I didn’t act fast, I’d lose her. Which wasn’t an option.

I refused to let her go.

I’d been so concerned with whether or not I should love her that I forgot how swiftly the ginger-haired spitfire could be taken away, and regret sat in my chest for the entire week we organized and tracked Lux to his secret desert location. A week where friends became foes as Sloan and I hurriedly pored over the documents and files we’d stolen from the archives.

I had left Blood Slayer, knowing Lux would want to use it to find me. The arrogant prick would think a little abracadabra magic might work on my favorite weapon, but it wouldn’t. Blood Slayer would never betray its owner, and I made damn sure that it’d find its way to her side; only to later hear Sloan had given V a special tracking ring on some fairytale date they shared, and my efforts were moot.

I wanted to hate him, and I did greatly dislike how he found a way to tie himself with her in ways I never could, but the only person I could truly hate in that moment was myself. I should’ve told V I loved her;that I would die for her, kill for her, burn this world to the fucking ground to be with her, and that I no longer hesitated when it came to her.

My jaded heart only beat for her.

I’d make a proper arse out of myself with nothing but sweet words if it meant I could have just one more chance to be with her. I’d say fuck all to the world and tell whoever listened that I was smitten and shamelessly her slave.

I didn’t give a fuck.

If by some act of whatever deity was listening she was safe, I’d make bloody sure to love her to every extent of the word the second she was back in my arms. I’d give her whatever she wanted, however she wanted it.

Lux was the sort of clever bastard with a black heart that, while he may have kept her alive long enough to get whatever information he sought, which was likely what her powers did and how to replicate them if the information we received was accurate—and it was—he’d make damn sure she didn’t live beyond those purposes. He couldn’t risk it, not when V’s mere presence gave hope to those rebelling from the Organization.

Many had already secretly defected. Far more than I was aware existed. With the information we obtained, a list of over a hundred defectors was among it, many of whom I suspected but could never confirm.

Rose was on the list, the wily old fox.

Unsurprisingly, the Organization was tracking their movements and attempting to subjugate them through pointed allegiance tactics. But quite a few on the list I recognized as being “killed in action,” which meant they were executed by the Organization because they were unable to sway them.

And from what I learned thanks to a few informants, one who helped us escape with our lives when Lux attacked and the Organization hadn’tcaught onto it yet, they operated with a secret code and were quietly organizing for the day when V fulfilled the supposed prophecy foretold to end the Organization’s reign.

The known defectors on the list were aware and moving carefully without alluding to the rest, so the Organization had already lost their edge.

But one thing was for sure, Lux would kill V before an organized rebellion could take place. The information we recovered indicated there was a known work-around with her abilities. They’d developed a two-part serum to shut down her regenerative abilities and magic. Once she was sufficiently paralyzed and unable to fight back, they could decapitate her and end her life.

Upside was I could counteract their serums by creating a reverse serum to both, like with the one that shut down our vampire blood. It wouldn’t take very long to figure out with my propensity towards chemical genius, but I’d need to get V to safety before I spent any time preoccupied with lab work.

What I hadn’t expected was to come to this highly guarded facility, ready to kill everyone in sight and get my lost love back, only for V to have already done all that and more. I’d hazard a guess by saying she likely used her chaotic power to escape. And by the smell of smoke on her clothing, she’d burned the facility to the ground and destroyed all evidence with it.

Aside from the security footage, whatever experiments or information they had on her burned with the rest. The clever lass dealt a deadly blow to Lux’s operation, and he’d need time to recuperate the loss and explain away the sudden departure from his responsibilities.

But most surprising was the blood dripping from Blood Slayer, clearly after use, as she walked from the exit, red hair glistening in nothing butsunlight and gorgeous eyes a vibrant red glow. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen the color change in her eyes, but for some reason, its deadly beam had unsettled me greater than any time before it.

Still, V was beautiful in spite of being a hostage for over a week. Her powerful eyes found mine, and I’d never fought so hard to keep my hands to myself. But with Rose already taking the young woman into her arms, I spent several minutes trying to wrap my head around the sword choosing her.

Never in its history had it chosen another owner while its first master was still its decided master. When it came back to me like always the moment V tossed it to me, it felt like the act of my special sword taking both of us as its master was confirmation our fates were connected. Hope unlike I’d ever felt burrowed into my heart.

Not one to get romantically poetic, I couldn’t help but think,“She was always meant to be mine.”

One look at Sloan solidified that my longtime mate understood the gravity of the sword choosing her and I both at the same time. The despondent sadness was in his expression when the usually aloof Hunter turned and headed for the helicopter, somehow smaller with his shoulders sunk down and his head dropped.

But as the rest of the group left us, I reverted back to the old Phillip tactics. I struggled to say what I truly wanted to say. Instead, I taunted and teased her. I acted out like a bloody child, relishing her petulant sighs and grumbling compliance.

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