Page 97 of Pretend
I’ve been stabbed.
A sharp sting melts through me, and I grunt from the surprise. A thick blade breaks through my uniform, and I know I’m in trouble. I know this feeling too well. I was tortured for weeks.
Time to have some fucking fun.
I manage to elbow whoever the fuck stabbed me in the nose, and they stumble back. I stand within seconds, dropping my sniper to face a man smaller than me, wielding a thick, long knife dressed in all black. He tries to slice me again, and I take a step back, causing him to miss. His eyes explode with pure evil hatred, and he plunges forward. His body strikes me in the stomach, and I tighten my muscles to lessen the blow. He manages to tackle us both to the edge of the rooftop, and I burst into laughter.
“If I’m falling off this roof, you’re going down with me, buddy.” I elbow his face as he hovers over me, his spit flying everywhere as he shouts.
He’s snarling at me, and he gives me a good hard punch. My head falls to the side, and I smile. He got me good.
“What the fuck is going on?” Operator Cobra shouts into my mic, but I’m a little busy with my new friend here to give him an answer.
A wicked grin transforms the scowl on my face, and it only angers the man before me.
He tries to finish his job and raises his knife over his head. It’s a big mistake if he thinks I’m going to let him take me from a world where my little valentine exists.
Even when I’m fighting for my life, even in a moment like this, she’s all I fucking see. And that’s when it hits me.
I’m falling for a woman who is forbidden, and I’ll do whatever it takes for her to be mine. Even if we have to hide it, I want it. I want all of her.
I smash my forehead with his, causing him to lose his bearings. I take full advantage of the disorientation spell he’s under, twist his hands until his bones break, and grab the knife for my safety.
It all happens within a blink of an eye. I stab him in the chest, where his heart is, and it goes through like butter. I’m chuckling the entire time, humming the same song I do when I shoot.
I throw him off me, and he falls to the side as he struggles to breathe and attempts to pull the blade out of his chest. I watch for a few seconds, my chest heaving, and I wipe the blood off my mouth as I wait until he takes his last breath.
He stops reaching for his wound, and goes still. Unfortunately for him, he’s no longer holding himself up, and he falls off the roof once his body goes still.
Zeke enters from behind me a few seconds after the threat falls off.
“What the fuck happened? I go to take a shit, and this? You alright, bro?” He asks me, but I ignore him. I walk where the man falls and look down at the edge of the building. He lays there lifeless in a pool of his own blood, his knife deep into his chest next to Operator Cobra. Rooker takes a step back from the dead body and looks up at me, bewildered.
Mics go off, everyone shouting for answers, but I need a damn cigarette first.
“Umm...explain. How and why did this person fall off your roof right fucking next to me?” He orders an answer through the mic.
“One second.” I huff out, breathing hard. I light my cigarette, the bitterness taints my tongue, and I hum, satisfied.
“What the fuck happened? You look like shit. You’re bleeding,” Zeke stands beside me, studying my shoulder.
I shrug nonchalantly and hollow my cheeks to take a hit.
“You should see the other guy,” I nod towards the ground, smirking.
“Creature,” he scolds.
“I don’t fucking know. Once you left to take a shit, I got stabbed in the back. I defended myself, we wrestled, and I eliminated him, and he fell off once he took his last breath.”
“That’s fucking enough, Creature. Get your ass to a medic to get that wound checked out. Akana, take Creature’s place, please.” Cobra orders.
“Fuck no, I’m finishing the mission, then I’ll get myself checked when I’m goddamn ready, Cobra,” I spit back, and Rooker grows quiet.
38
ALESSIA
“You slut.”
