جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 110

He lets out a strangled cry.Disgust crawls through me the second my hand touches him, even through my gloves.I release him immediately like his skin burns.Victor turns shakily toward me.“W-Who are you?” he stammers. “Did Gerald send you?”My lips twist. “I have no idea who Gerald is.”I raise my gun slowly, leveling it at him, the silencer gleaming beneath the dim light.“But if Gerald is the grim reaper…” I tilt my head. “Then I guess you can say he sent me.”His face drains of color.“H-how much did they pay you?” he blurts, his voice reeking of desperation. “I’ll double it… No, I’ll triple it.”“I don’t need your money,” I sneer.I step closer slowly.“People like you always think you can get away with anything because you’re rich.” My voice lowers. “Like money somehow places you above consequences.”River’s voice cuts sharply through the in-ear.“Nikolai. Stop playing with him. We’re running out of time.”Victor reaches into his pocket with shaky hands and pulls out a gun.“Th

JULIANThe realization hits me so suddenly I nearly stop running.Nikolai glances back at me once before slowing near a massive tree.“Relax,” he says casually, still looking put-together like we didn’t just run for what felt like miles. “I told you already. If I wanted to kill you, the woods are the last place where I’d do it.”Then he smiles. He actually smiles, like he finds his casual joke about literal murder funny.What the fuck is wrong with this man?He crouches near the base of the tree and pulls out a hidden duffel bag buried beneath leaves and dirt.My heart pounds as I watch him take off his bloodied gloves and then, he unzips the bag.Then he starts taking off his bloodied clothes, his exposed abs gleaming in the moonlight .I immediately look away.My brain feels like it’s shutting down.I should call the police.I should run.But where do I even start?And will I be able to make it far before he stops me?Oh God, what if he kills me and starts targeting my family next?

NIKOLAIThe silence that reigns is almost unbearable.River rubs a hand down his face. “How did this even happen? You’re always so careful… how did you let a normie follow you?”“My exact question,” Derek says, folding his arms. “How did he manage to follow you and you didn’t get alerted? You’re not exactly new to this.”I swallow hard. This is the part where I have to tread carefully. Derek is awfully good at sniffing out lies.I manage to shrug casually. “I guess it was a bad night. I was so focused on the mission, on the target, that I didn’t think of the fact that someone might be following me.”Caleb throws his hands in the air. “Unfuckingbelievable. Are you listening to him? This guy brags about how good he is, about how he’s oh so untouchable, but his ‘boyfriend’ follows him and manages to discover a secret and all along, he wasn’t even aware?! Does he even deserve to be a part of the team?”My entire body goes rigid as I stare at Caleb coldly. “Watch your tone.”“Oh, I’m sorry

JULIANI’m sipping my morning coffee, trying to focus my bleary eyes, when the scrolling words on the TV catch my attention.Mug in hand, I head into the living room, turning up the volume when I find the remote to the television.“It’s a few hours after the suspected remains of local philanthropist and CEO of Hale Enterprises, Victor Hale, were found at a local warehouse after the only surviving member of his security team called attention to it, shortly before he passed out and had to be admitted to the ICU. The body was said to be too badly burned for identification and the police are now running DNA but this could take weeks.”The reporter’s voice drones through the living room while footage of the burnt warehouse flashes across the screen.It’s burnt beyond recognition but the image still makes my chest tighten anyways.“An anonymous file containing evidence of alleged criminal activity was delivered to the police earlier this morning. The documents reportedly contain financial r

NIKOLAI“Has your boyfriend contacted you yet?” Caleb asks that Saturday morning as I enter the kitchen.I ignore him as I pass him by and head to the coffee machine.If I knew he was going to be in here, I wouldn’t have come.He scoffs. “Seriously? You’re giving me the silent treatment? If anyone has a right to be mad, shouldn’t it be me?”He points to his chin and I’m very satisfied to see that there is a bruise there, from where I punched him.It’s a shame, really, that it has already started fading.I don’t say a word, focusing my attention on the coffee maker as I press the brew button. It hums to life and a few seconds later, the first drops begin to fall, dark liquid dripping steadily into the glass pot below.The fresh scent of coffee fills the air, calming me a little.“I already made coffee for you, dumbass.” He points to the steaming mug sitting on the counter.I cast a disdainful glance at it. “No, thanks. Not interested. Who knows what you’ve put in it?”I know I’m being