Page 25 of Anathema
I continued to stare at the boards, examining them for any distinct markings that could confirm where this passage would lead. My eyes stopped on a symbol burned into the top right corner of the barricade, and I pointed my flashlight at it. A rabbit with the letter A on its body, the symbol marking Anathema.
“There’s your confirmation, Dean. Mark this location on your GPS, and we will return later—better prepared.” I whispered before checking over our shoulders in case anyone was headed our way.
They were indeed using these tunnels, and we needed to get the fuck out before they caught us snooping around and ruined everything.
“Right. Done. That way.” Dean gestured to our left, and we ran to exit the tunnels. I don’t know how he managed to get a cell signal when I couldn’t, but as long as we could get the hell out of here before anyone saw us, I didn’t care or question it.
Once Anathema was aware that the CIA was searching for them, it was all over.
Chapter 11
Alexis
Rollingoverontomystomach, I groaned as the warm sunlight hit my face. With a sigh, I pushed myself up into a sitting position and looked around to find I was alone in my room.
When did Derek leave?Not like I actually cared; I told him it was one night, and it looked as though, for once, he listened to me. Good. It was one less thing for me to deal with, and yet, part of my heart squeezed at the thought of missing him, his arms wrapped around me tightly.
I looked down to my right and saw where I had ripped through my sheets while we fucked last night. Blowing out a breath and running my fingers through my hair, a shiver of need rushed through me, my thighs pressing together without a second thought.
Oh, Derek…Last night was fucking incredible. I hadn’t had a man fuck me like that in…ever—and that climax…
Of course, this didn’t change my feelings towards Derek. I still hated him, but I seriously considered turning this into a regular routine. He fucked like a god, and I wanted so much more of it—without the strings, of course; fuck buddies, to be exact.
I was more than okay with using him for sex. Men constantly used women as their fucktoys; why couldn’t I do the same?
Falling back onto the mattress, I stretched out, a smug smile of satisfaction on my face as I recalled the events of last night. All that mattered was that he came to me, and he always will.
Derek showed up atmydoor, practicallybeggedfor me, and I gave him what he wanted—not the other way around. I’d never beg for him; that’s not the kind of woman I am. My body might burn to cinders for him, but emotionally, I sure as hell didn’t need his obsessive, stalking ass that badly.
I’d much rather suffer in silence than beg for something that he would gladly give me without asking.
After a few more minutes of laying in bed, allowing myself to wake up fully, I slid off the mattress, pulled on an old oversized white T-shirt, and left my bedroom for the kitchen. Ripping orgasms tend to make a girl hungry, and I was famished.
As I entered the kitchen, I froze in place, seeing yet another vase in the center of the kitchen island. This time, there was a single red rose in the center among the dozen black roses. Another envelope was leaning against the glass vase.
How do they keep getting in here unnoticed? There wasn’t a single sound in the night—aside from my screaming, courtesy of Derek. It was as if Anathema were nothing more than shadows. Ineeded to get a security system installed or something because the thought of Adrian creeping into my apartment and watching me while I slept half-naked sent a shiver down my spine.
I scoffed at the thought; the fucking asshole would do it too.
Was he the one leaving me these letters, or was he sending one of his followers to do the job for him? What was with the single red rose this time?
I picked up the envelope and opened it, pulling out the card and flipping it to read the printed text:
At least this time, he signed his name, no longer the mystery man behind Anathema’s name.
“Instructions should be apparent upon arrival,”I mumbled under my breath, pressing my fingers to my lips and contemplating what it could possibly mean.
Anathema, while known for committing senseless, paid acts of murder, also took on more purposeful jobs. Ridding the earth of useless scum as a means to tip the scales back in order. They weren’t actual vigilantes but worked in a similar way. Perhaps that was how they made up penance for their true crimes and black souls.
Regardless of the why, they were anything but the heroes here, and whatever they had planned wouldn’t earn me any honor points.
It was more than clear that they thrived on murderous acts of senseless violence, so that was already on the table with my next task. But, was this going to be an ‘innocent’ killing, or someone who deserved it? I know they dabbled with both sides of the moral coin, but I wasn’t sure which one it would land on for this second task.
The reason for the assignment left me curious for answers.
Would they test my moral compass so soon with a black task? Probably… I wouldn’t put it past Adrian to throw me to the wolves right out of the gate. He knew me well, or at least thought he did. His routine of stalking me was just as bad as Derek’s; although he hasn’t run a background check on me—as far as I know.
Should I have considered Monika, innocent? In a twisted way, she was far from it if she had worked for Anathema for severalyears. The blood on her hands could speak volumes to her perfect Barbie doll facade. I’m sure that’s what paid for all of her plastic parts.
