Page 28 of Angelic Vengeance

I attacked him again, my knife slashing through the air. He diverted everything I threw at him. It was clear we’d both received professional training.

And then, my razor connected with his skin.

We both froze when crimson dripped down his tatted chest, staining his crisp white shirt. As he glanced down and ran his tongue over his teeth in annoyance, I couldn’t help it; I laughed – a real, genuine laugh.

What the fuck were we doing? Two adults play-fighting in an industrial abandoned zone on the outskirts of New York.

I didn’t even care that I showed him emotion. His pissed-off face was hilarious.

Zachary slowly looked up at me in disbelief. I was about to say something snarky and bitchy, but then understood his eyes.He’d never heard me laugh before.

I took his shock to my advantage and attacked him again.

Ring.

Time ran out just as my knife stopped at his throat.

Dead.

El Diablowould’ve been my forty-second confirmed kill and the first Drug Lord to join the list.

Zachary watched me in disinterest, but there was a subtle spark of respect. My heart beat in suspense.Would I take advantage of the situation and cut his throat anyway?

I wasn’t a woman of my word. There’d been many times before when I had lied and cheated to get what I wanted. To me, there was no such thing as ‘dirty fighting’; there was just surviving. I should’ve cut his throat but something stopped me.

I lowered my weapon.

Zachary took me down. The ground knocked the air out of me but it didn’t hurt; I had felt worse pain. One of his hands protected my head from the fall, but the other held my own knife to my throat.

He turned my own weapon against me.

Pinche pendejo.

I guess there was a world in which I would lose a fight after all –Zachary’s world.

A victorious smirk turned his lips. He was unnecessarily close; simply to rub it in my face. His body was between my legs, and when he straightened up on his knees, the friction burned against my inner thighs.

“You cheated,” I stated through gritted teeth, the blade close to cutting into my jugular.

“I put you on your ass, didn’t I?”

Had I actually expected honesty from a liar and a cheat? I should’ve known better; I was one myself.

I angrily got out from underneath him. He could’ve held me down if he wanted to, but he didn’t attempt to stop me. Though, he didn’t make it easy for me. I struggled to push out from underneath him while keeping physical touching to a minimum.

I wasn’t a sore loser, but my first lost fight wasn’t necessarily the reason for my anger. I had let Zachary see too much of my real self. I allowed him to see too much of my emotions. Whenever he was around me, I couldn’t seem to control myself. I didn’t know why, but whatever it was, I needed to get a hold of my self-control.

The Angel was dead. And so should’ve been this side of me.

“Be ready at seven,” He said after I began walking away.

I couldn’t believe him. I wouldn’t even entertain the idea by facing him. “In your dreams.”

Something changed in his tone. Something darker; more dangerous. “You shook on it.”

I shrugged, finally turning to look him in the eyes. I forced the rejection to leave my lips, “Guess I cheated too.”

Two could play this game.