by Rina Kent
“Only Hawk,” he says and the line goes dead.
Only Hawk for now. We’ll get the rest out, sooner rather than later.
At least Hawk’s release will make Mist less restless and she’ll get her head back in the game. I need my right hand back.
I send Hades the address then forward it to Aaron so he can pick up Hawk.
Aaron bitched about not being a ‘fucking chauffeur’ for half an hour yesterday, but once I promised him that he’ll be my first contact in case there’s someone to kill, he agreed. I could’ve sent Mist, but Hawk wouldn’t want her to see him in that battered state. Besides, she might be dead worried about him, but face to face, they aren’t on speaking terms. They haven’t been for more than fifteen years.
Time to set a trap for the rotten fruit in our ranks.
Since President Joe discarded Johnny, he has only one person to turn to for help; his partner in crime.
Our traitor.
I settle on the roof opposite Le Salon’s warehouse and check the surrounding area with my night-vision binoculars.
It’s past one in the morning. Cold air seeps into my bones and my injury hurts like being sliced open. I try to ignore the pulsing as much as possible.
Johnny hasn’t shown up for the past three hours I spent watching, but it’s only a matter of time before he does.
While waiting, Aaron confirmed Hawk’s release two hours ago. ‘He’s unrecognisable, but he will live’ were Aaron’s words. A part of the deal is that he’d also patch up Hawk. I sent Hades the money, but it won’t be long before he starts torturing one of the remaining Team Zero members.
We will deal with that. Now that one of the strongest snipers, Hawk, will be among us, our mission will be a bit easier.
I run a hand over my face. I’m so fucking tired, and I haven’t eaten properly for a day. Or two. I’ve taken painkillers, but the pain in my shoulder keeps pulsing as if it’s being pounded on.
There’s nothing I want to do other than hold Elle in my arms and help her deal with her grief. She didn’t tell me much, but she obviously loved that friend. I would do anything to make her happy again.
Perhaps, we should go somewhere in the north where it’s less hectic. Or better yet, out of the country. I can take her to visit Crow and his pregnant wife in Southern France. I want to show her that even though Crow is Team Zero, he can live normally.
Once this whole traitor business is over, I’ll whisk my firefly away. We both need that especially after everything that’s happened recently.
I’ve never had a holiday. I don’t even know what the word means, but if it’s with Elle, I’m willing to do anything.
I’m about to pop another pill in my mouth when a motion cuts from behind the warehouse. Johnny’s silhouette appears from around the corner. He creeps towards the wall like a fucking rat.
I duck behind the iron railings, only the binoculars are visible. Johnny knocks on the door.
Go ahead. Open, you bastard.
Even as I think that, I’m holding my breath. I know, I just know it’ll be one of the closest to me who will open.
Shadow, Mist, or even Flame or Scar.
I just want to know why they’re doing this. What have I done for them to betray me?
Once again, only a gloved hand appears from the door. Even from this opposite angle and with night-vision binoculars, I can’t make them out. They’re opening the door by an inch as if they know I’m watching.
Fuck this.
One way to find out.
I abandon the binoculars and stride towards the stairs. Anger and betrayal rage inside me.
Movement catches on my left. Or more like hushed footsteps. My hand reaches for my gun, but another clicks to my temple.
Damn the weakened reflexes.
“Keep your hands where I can see them.” Shadow’s closed off face comes into view.
His silhouette is half-obscured by the moon, but his shoulders nearly snap with tension.
My gut clenches.
Fuck.
Was it Shadow all along?
A bitter smile leaves me. “Why did you betray me?”
“Why did I betray you?” He barks a laugh. “I didn’t fucking stab you in the back. You did!”
My brows furrow, but I don’t face him. He’s worked up, and Shadow is reckless during a fit of rage. So I adopt a calm tone. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I thought Mist made Zoe disappear. Turns out it was you all this fucking time! Do you remember her, Ghost? Or was she erased from your memories after you put a fucking bullet in her heart?”
Fuck. I knew the whole Zoe issue would come back sooner or later.
This is about the worst time for Shadow to find out what happened to her.
Footsteps sound from my right. My eyes snap that way. Everything turns black.
Elle.
Her silhouette is bathed in the moonlight and her loose, long hair is flipping all around her. Her arms are shaking. In fact, her whole body is shaking.
She’s holding a gun and aiming at me. “You’re G-Ghost?”
28
Elle
Julian is Ghost.
Ghost is Julian.
And he killed Zoe. My best friend. My family.
I’m shaking as I come out from behind the door and to the moon-bathed rooftop. The strong wind whips my hair, and it’s fucking cold, but that’s not what causes my body to shudder.
I don’t even know what I’m doing. I have a gun, and I promised to shoot whoever killed Zoe between the eyes. I promised to take revenge for her. To not let her die as a nobody.
However, this isn’t how it was supposed to go. Julian wasn’t supposed to be the one staring at me. Julian shouldn’t be the one who killed my friend then comforted me after I’ve seen footage of him shooting her.
Shadow’s body is rigid, stance wide as he holds a gun to Julian’s temple.
No.
Ghost.
His name is Ghost.
I’ve been looking for him everywhere but he’s been in plain sight the entire time. Right beside and inside me.
Oh my God.
I’ve been sleeping with my friend’s killer. I’ve been letting him into my body, heart, and soul when his hands are smudged with Zoe’s blood.
I don’t mean to, but tears are streaming down my cheeks as I point the gun at Julian. My voice is trembling and filled with hurt and anger. “Why? Why did you kill her? Why?”
His brows furrow for a fleeting second before he throws a questioning look at Shadow.
“Elle is Zoe’s friend. She came here to find her. I told you I knew her from somewhere.” The rigidness in Shadow’s voice and body is completely different from the trembling mess in mine.
Julian’s eyes shoot my way. The amount of hurt in their dark depths almost shreds my heart open.
Almost.
He remains silent for a few seconds. Expression closed.
“So you used me,” he says with a bitterness that wraps a noose around my heart.
“Yes, I used you!” I cry out, my anger and the breaking of my heart rush into my voice. “I used you to find my friend, but you killed her! You fucking killed... her...” My voice chokes over the last words and the gun nearly falls from my hand.
“What are you going to do about it?” Julian is so eerily calm considering that he has two guns pointed at him.
“I’m going to kill you.” Although I try to get as much bite in my words as possible, they come out weak. Distorted.
“Kill me, then.” He taps his chest. “In the heart as I taught you, Firefly.”
“Don’t call me that!” I’m sobbing now. “Don’t... don’t...” I meet his gaze, and the pain in them almost matches mine.
My finger trembles against the trigger and I know, I just know that I won’t be able to shoot Julian. Even if he killed Zoe. Even if he deceived me this entire time. I can’t simply kill him.
The gun slips and falls to my feet with a clank.
Julian’s attention snaps to the weapon with disapproval. Probably because he told me to never throw guns since they can go off. I don’t have the capacity to think about that right now.
“Why?” I ask, voice trembling. “Why did you kill her? What had she done to you?”
“I would like to know the answer to that, too.” Shadow’s hold on the gun doesn’t falter. Because of my stupid feelings for Julian, my heart is doing a tiny jump every time Shadow’s finger hovers on the trigger.
“I didn’t kill her.” Julian faces Shadow, completely erasing me from his view.
“But I analysed the video and saw your face on the footage.” Shadow sounds as hurt as I feel. “How could you do that?”
“I did shoot her, but she had a vest on. And obviously, you didn’t see the entire footage because I only kept the part where I shot her. It was supposed to be used in case you kept pestering about her.”
“What do you mean?” Shadow asks, and I hold my breath. I’ve been unknowingly approaching them until Julian is in arms’ reach.
“She asked to be stage-killed in case you or the police kept looking for her.”
“She faked her fucking death?” Shadow’s tone is deeply hurt. His astonished expression matches mine. “But why?”
“Because she wanted to escape this life. That’s why.” Julian sighs. “She asked me and Mist for a way out and we provided it. New location. New life. Everything. She helped us bring down the old factory, so it was the least we could do. Besides, Hades wanted the traitor who gave the tip to the Met Police killed and Zoe’s fake death paid the bill.”
Zoe is alive.
My heart pounds as if being resurrected. Relief washes over me like a cool wave. Perhaps I shouldn’t believe what Julian says until I see proof, but from the bottom of my heart, I know he’s telling the truth. He didn’t kill Zoe. He helped her escape.
I want to hug him and cry in his arms, but since he’s not paying me the slightest attention, I remain rooted in place.
He thinks I betrayed him. I used him.
Shit job, Elle.
Why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut and tell him about it without the whole anger?
Shadow lowers his gun, seeming to believe Julian, too. However, his brows are drawn together and his shoulders are stiff as he glares at his friend. He might not want to kill him, but he’s still furious at him. “That doesn’t explain why you hid it from me. You know how much I’ve been going crazy searching for her.”
Julian pauses for a moment then sighs. “Zoe didn’t only want to escape this life. She also wanted to escape you.”
Shadow staggers backwards as if he was punched in the kidney. Actually, I’ve seen him punched in the kidney and he’s never had such reaction.
If I weren’t feeling so sorry for myself and how much I screwed things up with Julian, I would’ve consoled him.
“Where is she?” I ask, tentatively.
Julian doesn’t face me. Doesn’t even acknowledge me. My eyes sting at how easily he can write me off.
Why can’t I do that? Why is the only urge I have is to run into his arms?
When Julian speaks, he’s still addressing Shadow. “I’m not to disclose her location without her approval. If she wanted to contact any of you, she would have.”
Now, I’m the one who feels like I’ve been punched. Zoe has been alive this entire time but never considered to let me or Liam know. Both of us were going crazy. We even believed that she was dead but kept lying to each other about it.
What the hell happened to Zoe? I understand if she would run from Shadow and the dangerous life he leads, but why hide from me and Liam? We’re her family.
I’m still mulling things over when I feel warmth at my back. Shadow doesn’t seem out of his daze yet, but Julian lunges my way.
He freezes mid-way, face turning stone cold. And that’s when I feel a gun to my temple. My throat dries and my body stiffens, but I slowly shift my gaze back.
Kyle is watching me with that mischievous gleam. His skin is a bit pasty, not sure if it’s due to the moonlight or his injury.
Why is Kyle pointing a gun at my head?
“Don’t be scared, love.” There’s a smirk in his voice. “It’s only that Godfather is getting too close to revealing me and I like to be one step ahead.”
“The fuck, Kyle?” Shadow stares between Kyle and the gun.
“Keep out of this, Shadow.” Kyle stares at Julian whose posture is upright. “This is between me and Godfather.”
A tremor shoots down my spine, and I’m about to start shaking all over again. Holding a gun is one thing, but to be under the mercy of one is entirely another.
I don’t want to die. Not now. Not after the taste of life Julian has offered me. I don’t want to die having him believe that I used him. I want to talk to him, make it up to him, and beg him for forgiveness.
I look around me, searching for something, anything. There’s the gun I threw earlier a few feet ahead, but if I even attempt to reach it, Kyle would shoot me.
His betrayal hurts. I always considered him one of the kindest and easiest people to be around in Le Salon.
What a shit job at being a spy.
I remain stiff like a board and bide my time. I focus on Julian’s face, and although his shoulders are tense, his presence gives me a strange sense of calm.
He always manages to make me feel this way.
“Why?” Julian asks, and the amount of pain in his tone knots my chest.
“Why?” Kyle barks humourless laughter. “Let me see... Ye saved me that day and although I don’t believe in superheroes, ye became mine. I don’t remember having a father, but ye were mine. We were great together. We were the perfect team.”
“That’s why I’m asking why. Fucking why, Kyle?” Julian’s jaw ticks, and everything in me wants to spring his way and hug him close. He must be in so much pain. If Kyle’s betrayal hurts me, then it must be tearing Julian apart. Perhaps it’s similar to the betrayal I felt when I thought he killed Zoe. “I’ve given you everything.”
“Ye fucking didn’t!” Kyle’s body turns rigid. “Ever since ye started that fuckin’ detox, ye didn’t need me anymore. I used to tell ye everything when ye were out of it. Ye used to seek me out every time. Ye only put yerself back together after ye had a drink with me. But then, ye just stopped. Every fucking thing stopped. Ye put yer head into this whole thing and forgot about me. Ignored me. It’s like ye regretted saving me.”
“I never regretted saving you!” Julian bellows and then breathes through his nose. It’s clear that he’s fighting for control. “I only regretted bringing you into this life. Turning you into a killer. I wanted a better future for you. You deserve better.”
“I deserve better?” Kyle laughs again, the sound malicious and sadistic. “I deserve staying by yer side, Godfather. Why the fuck can ye abandon me so easily? Especially since she came along. I wanted to test ye, but ye actually coveted this wee thing.” His gun digs deeper into my temple, and I shudder. “Yer whole bleeding attention turned to her and ye forgot all about me. So I wanted to hurt ye. I teamed up with Johnny and paid mercenaries to make yer life miserable.”
Shadow starts to point a finger at Kyle, but obviously thinks better of it, and lowers his hand. “But you were fucking shot.”
“A small price to pay to take the suspicion off me.” Kyle sounds so resilient and calculative. He was always playful and fun, I never thought he harboured such a dark side. Although I should’ve suspected it considering that he’s also a killer.
Kyle continues, “I wanted to cause ye so much fucking pain so ye would know how it feels to be hurt by the person closest to ye.”
“Kyle...” Julian’s tone is soothing. “Don’t do that.”
“Why not?” There’s a smirk in his tone. “If she’s out of the picture, I’ll get my godfather back.”
“Don’t be fucking ridiculous.” Shadow points his gun at Kyle. “I’ll shoot your arse if you hurt her, you sappy fuck.�
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I’m so touched by Shadow’s words, I want to cry. He’s probably doing this because I’m close to Zoe, but it still counts.
“I don’t care.” Kyle’s attention is only on Julian. “I just want my godfather back.”
“If you hurt her,” Julian grits out, his body angled forward, but he remains still. “I will never forgive you, Kyle.”
“Ye will never forgive me betrayal anyway, Godfather. Might as well get rid of the woman who’s turning ye for the worse.”
I’m going to die. It’s as clear as the bright moon above us. Kyle won’t back away no matter what they tell him.
I will be damned if I die without a fight.
Adrenaline pushes into my system, and my muscles tense. The last thought that fills my head is not being able to tell Julian how much I love the hell out of him. How much my life has become tenfold brighter ever since he came into it.
“Don’t forget me, Julian,” I murmur, and tears stream down my cheeks.
He shakes his head, but I don’t hesitate.
I elbow Kyle in his side and try to duck. A strong hand yanks me forward as a gunshot echoes around us. I smell Julian’s natural scent with a touch of cedar. That’s when I know I’m surrounded by his warmth. His arms are secured around my waist and we’re both tumbling on the ground.
There’s no pain. But perhaps that’s how it feels to die. I’m just thankful I get to die in Julian’s arms. My only regret is not telling him about my feelings.
I open my eyes, but there’s still no pain.
I run a hand on my forehead. Oh. I’m not shot. I frantically check on Julian. He’s holding me tight with one arm. The shirt is soaked with blood at his shoulder, but it’s not due to a shot. More like his stitches broke. He’s pointing a gun ahead, face darkened.
I’m disoriented. My breaths come in and out in a frenzy. Julian is alive. I am alive. Both of us are alive.
Wait...
If none of us is shot, then who is it? I turn around, and Kyle is wheezing on the ground, clutching his bloodied hand. Shadow has his gun pointed at him.
Whoa.
“Ghost was merciful and only shot your hand,” Shadow says. “I’ll end your fucking life if you keep acting like an idiot.”