"I wouldn’t be so curious if you would just tell me what this is about," she hissed. "Why are we here?"
Dust caught in the weak moonlight that filtered in through the broken glass window behind them—their point of entry.
"A drop that I didn’t approve." Rhyden’s finger tapped against the trigger guard. "Noctis has priority on all arms trading. Anything having to do with arms or Aetherborns goesthroughmefirst. Some slip through, but I fucking try. Everyone in Lunar City knows to go against Noctis is a death sentence. I picked up on this trade happening, Aetherborns being trafficked by LunCo, outsourced to an out-of-city buyer. With deep fucking pockets. Even my hackers couldn’t find much info on it. Only a cryptic posting for a group of undocumented Aetherborns being sold off here—" His eyes swung to the floor below as a vehicle rumbled, car doors slamming and guns cocking.
A ripple of familiarity washed over Rin—it was just like before, when she, Cyrus, Auren, and Rhyden had staked out in Nova Zone 21. This time, everything was different. Because when Sabine Blackfall exited the vehicle, Rin didn’t feel shock. Only rage.
She didn’t realize she was moving until Rhyden gripped her arm and yanked her back down so hard all the air left her lungs in a whoosh as her stomach hit the concrete.
"Back the fuck off, wife. Do you want to get yourself shot in the head?" Rhyden whispered harshly in her ear, lips brushing her piercings.
Rin’s eyes stayed locked on Sabine, as the woman whom she’d once called her adoptive mother shook hands with the man holding the briefcase.
The guards’ postures were uneasy as they watched the exchange.
"I’m going to fucking kill her," Rin vowed quietly.
Rhyden blew a soft breath into her ear. "I know, I know."
"I didn’t know she was back on Earth. It’s the perfect opportunity." She reached for his rifle. "Give me that."
Rhyden’s hand pressed over hers, his fingers stretching hers uncomfortably as he dragged her hand down to her hipbone, where the gun he’d given her was holstered. She’d nearly forgotten about it.
"If you want to kill her, use this. The bullets are laced with Aether. It’ll hurt more."
He forced her to tug the gun out of her waistband, bringing her arm up to rest beside his, the muzzle of the gun resting on the concrete lip jutting out before them. He curled her finger around the trigger, nearly crushing her beneath the weight of his arm as he settled half on top of her.
"One shot, right in the head," he murmured.
She breathed out, placed her eye to the sight, and lined it over Sabine’s forehead. Sabine was waving her hand, calling for one of her own guards to pull a briefcase out of the trunk of her car. She popped it open, revealing stacks upon stacks of large bills. The man with the briefcase had sweat at his temples, fingers visibly shaking around the handle of his own briefcase. Sabine’s face took on a look of impatience.
"It’s up to you, wife," Rhyden, the devil on her shoulder, whispered. "Whatever you want." His confidence in her made her head swim.
If Rin did this… She was a killer.
But she would be half avenged, as would Kit.
Could the ends really justify the means?
Her finger brushed the trigger. Was she really going to? She breathed deep and?—
Chaos exploded below.
The doors exploded inward in a wash of dust as a sleek figure barreled into the warehouse.
Rin’s grip grew slack on the gun as she stared below. Kit was covered in his uniform, mask over the lower part of his face, but his eyes—she’d know them anywhere.
The guards burst into action. Gunfire exploded as they shot at him. She wanted to yell for him, tell him to run,hide!
Kit grabbed one of the guards by the neck and threw him against the wall. He kicked out at another, and his booted footwent right through the man’s chest. The sick crack of bone breaking reverberated through the warehouse. In the flurry of chaos, Sabine ducked, herded by guards as they got her in the car. They sped away, almost crashing into the wall.
No sense hiding now.
Rin rose on her knees and fired after the retreating vehicle. The bullets pinged off the walls.
"Shit!" Rin cursed as the vehicle disappeared.
The guards below were scattered in pieces. Legs and arms. Rin’s throat closed up. Heads.
