Page 25 of Lady of Darkness
It’s war tactics 101. We basically wrote the manual for this shit. Every once in a while, someone thinks they’re so novel, so tricky. But we always come out on top.
We are the ones who came up with this shit.
We are the ones whoinventedevery single resource these guys use.
Tonight would be no different.
Sterling and I climb out of the car, hands on the guns tucked into the back of our belts. We walk into the lobby of the building, and several men twist around with guns, but they’re dead in a matter of seconds. Blind rage is fueling me, and my thirst for murder is as high as it’s ever been.
Thanks to Theo, he opens up the elevator without the requisite keycard. We take it all the way to the top, and I look over at Sterling as we grab our guns, aiming them forward. Surely there will be more guards once the door opens.
We always err on the side of caution, waiting for the worst scenario. When the doors slide open, Luka is standing there with his hands in his pockets, grinning.
My finger hovers over the trigger.
He stole Harlow. I should kill him.But I resist. Instead, I aim my gun at his skull as my pulse whooshes in my ears.
I will fucking rip his heart out.
“Where is she?” I growl, feeling my blood begin to boil with the pent-up rage that’s barely restrained inside of me. My teeth are so clenched that they could crack at any second. I flick my eyes to Sterling for a millisecond, and he looks just as furious.
By now, Theo will have seen and heard Luka, and he and Gideon will be on their way up the stairs. I hold my arm with the gun steady.
“You mean the whore you call a Lady?” Luka barks out. Something low and deep begins to rumble in Sterling’s chest. “She’s fucking one of my clients right now.”
Sterling cocks his gun, but I shake my head, signaling for him to stand down.
“You’re lying.”
Luka laughs. “I’ll show you. We have cameras. Everyone’s enjoying the show.” Looking at Sterling, I see him compose himself and give Luka a cold, indifferent stare. We can’t show our hand too soon. We can’t show weakness. I stand up taller and mask my face into neutral indifference.
I want to blow his fucking brains out, but I need to think rationally.
I need to think with my mind, not my heart.
“Oh, and if either of you attempt to hurt me, there are about forty men on the roof waiting to kill you and your two friends who just walked into the lobby.”
Fuck.
We’re obviously not the only ones who are wired and connected to a larger network. Luka is either way more equipped than we thought… or… he’s bluffing.
It’s likely the former.
This is Acadia, and they are powerful.
Just not as powerful asus.
“Come on. I’ll show you. Your little slut will ride anything with a cock.”
He turns and walks away, and I amso closeto shooting him in the back. I can’t, though. I don’t want to put Harlow in any danger. This isn’t our normal mission where we take down the bad guy at first glance. It’s a goddamn rescue mission, and one fuck up could mean a bullet in Harlow’s head.
I’d burn the world down before that happened, so I have to get my emotions in check.
Theo and Gideon are on their way up the stairs. They’d take out any threats, and Sterling would help me find Harlow.
We have this planned.
We do things like this all the time.
