Page 59 of Lady of Darkness
I close the door and tap the roof of the van as he drives away.
So many people think we’re pure monsters. Killing machines with no heart or empathy. I can be. I can put the Lords mask on and kill without remorse. We all can. But when it comes to thegoodparts of this life–making connections, helping others, having a reliable support network that makes it all possible–that’s what makes this life worth living.
That’s what makes this job bearable.
I watch Monty turn the corner, and then I jog up the stairs to Kitt’s house.
He’s already treating Alaric, cutting his jacket and shirt off slowly. Harlow is sitting down next to him, holding his hand as Kitt inspects the gashes.
“You have glass and concrete imbedded in your skin,” Kitt mumbles. His hands move to Alaric’s head. “You don’t appear to have a concussion, and I suspect you don’t have blast lung, either.”
Harlow pales. “Blast lung?”
Kitt nods. “It’s when an explosive shock wave passes through the thorax and penetrates the lung tissue.” He turns to face her. “You have a piece of glass embedded in your forehead, but it’s a minor wound.”
I sag with relief. “So, nothing fatal?”
Kitt shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Let’s get both of them hooked up and check their vitals. Alaric lost consciousness from the blunt force trauma, so I’ll have to check for internal bleeding, but otherwise, they should both make full recoveries.” He looks down at Alaric. “You saved her life. You should be proud.”
Alaric’s eyes find Harlow’s, and he squeezes her hand.
A few minutes later, after Kitt cleans Harlow up and gives her a couple of dissolvable stitches, she walks over to me.
“So? Are they dead?” Her voice is low, and I turn my head to face her.
“They are. My men confirmed it a couple of minutes ago. Thirty-six bodies.”
She nods, her face hard and angry. “What about the staff?”
I shake my head. “They were all Acadia.”
She swallows. “Good. I’m–I’m glad they’re dead. I’m glad this nightmare is over.”
“Me too.”
“I’m just glad it worked. I was convinced Jurgen was going to follow me into the bathroom, and I’d never get a chance to detonate the bomb.”
I smirk. “I was pretty certain he would leave you alone.” She looks at me questioningly. I can’t help the wicked grin that spreads across my face. “My specialty is in finding what makes others tick, little monster. It’s why Rose left to go help her daughter with the break-in, why we threatened and chased you. I knew burglaries were your trigger. And when we put you in that cage with Harrison, I knew it would cause something to snap inside of you. Something pivotal for your growth as a Lady.”
She scowls up at me, and I continue.
“I do the same with all of our targets. Armin’s weakness was little girls. Luka’s weakness was his arrogance. Savo’s weakness was his sex addiction. And Jurgen? He had emetophobia. An extreme fear of vomiting. Seeing vomit, watching other people vomit…” I chuckle. “We had to utilize his weakness somehow, and we couldn’t have him following you into the bathroom.”
As she stares at me, it’s with a mix of shock, adoration, and horror. “You guys really are psychopaths,” she mutters.
I place an arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight into my chest. “I never claimed we weren’t.”
She scoffs. “I suppose that’s true.”
“So… your first real mission was mostly a success. How does it feel?”
Her lips quirk to one side, pondering. I brush a piece of hair off of her forehead delicately, and her dark blue eyes find mine. As I look her over this up close, I notice her lipstick is still fully intact, and aside from her wild hair and large bandage on her forehead, I’d say she walked away unscathed. Hopefully she believes in herself enough to realize how vital she is–how well she did tonight, despite the complications.
We couldn’t have done it without her.
“It feels… good,” she concludes, smiling. “I feel strong. I feel like we did the right thing.”
“Good,” I murmur, kissing the top of her head and closing my eyes. “You should also feel proud, Harlow.”
