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“Enzo,” I rasp. But it sounds like I’m in a wind tunnel.
A shadow looms over me, and my eyes droop before I snap them open. The form is blurry, but I know who it is. I anticipate the next blow, but it never comes. Instead, another figure tackles the shadow to the side and a loud crash drowns out the roar.
I try to sit up, but I can’t. Blackness invades the edges of my vision, but I push it away as I try to sit up again. Crashing and banging surrounds me, and a scream, one like I’ve never heard before, one full of anger and rage and hate, fills the room.
It’s the last thing I hear before I pass out.
Kiwi
Axel washes the blood from his hands, letting the red water flow toward the drain. I stare at it, a sick sense of pride swelling inside me. I’ve never seen anyone kill someone the way Ax killed Ginger. He was ruthless and brutal in a way I can only aspire to be. It was beautiful, like watching a ballet.
But it’s the grim satisfaction on his face that has me pausing.
Is that how I look after I kill?
I’ve never thought about it before—I’ve never really cared. But something has changed. Maybe it’s Kennedy. Maybe it’s Ian. Maybe it’s because I have a family now I don’t feel the need as strongly anymore. At least when it comes to killing strangers. If it came down to killing someone trying to hurt my family, that’s a different story.
But that’s still not normal, is it? I can’t expect Kennedy to trust me, to ever love me, if I’m still unhinged. If I still want to kill.
Maybe I do need therapy.
I clear my throat, and Axel shifts his eyes to me. We’re still in the kill room, Bash and Reid in a hushed argument on the other side of the room. Ryder and Gage, one of the Nomads, are taking care of Ginger’s body.
“How do you feel?” I ask, and he blinks at me.
“What?” he says, then shakes his head. “I mean, I—I’m fine, I guess. The threat to my baby is gone.” I analyze his words.
“So, it’s fine to kill someone who’s threatening your family?” I ask, and he shrugs as he dries his hands on a towel. He tosses it in the steel sink and turns toward me, leaning his hip against it as he folds his arms over his chest.
“I don’t think it’s fine,” he says slowly. “But I don’t give a shit. I’ll go to prison, or Hell, wherever, if it means I protected Koda and Skye.” I nod, my eyes narrowing.
“And what does Koda think?” I ask. He tilts his head to the side, his messy waves falling across his forehead.
“She’s protective of Skye, too,” he says. “What are you asking?” I twist my lips to the side.
WhatamI asking?
“I don’t know,” I admit. “She doesn’t care about this?” I jerk my head to the bloody floor. Axel glances at it, grimacing slightly.
“I don’t think she loves it,” he says. “But she’d rather know Skye is safe, even if I don’t have clean hands.”
“But—” I let out a sharp sigh. “Does it make you a bad person? To kill someone?” His head rears back.
“That’s a new one,” he says, laughing awkwardly. “You find Jesus or something?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I found Kennedy.” His face softens and understanding fills it.
“Oh,” he says, smiling softly. “I think if you’re killing just to kill, you’re probably a psychopath. If you’re killing for a reason, then no. I don’t think it makes you a bad person to protect your family.”
“What if Skye finds out?” I ask, and he takes a deep breath.
“Well,” he runs his hand through his hair, “I’d hope she’d understand that anything I’ve ever done was to protect her.”
I nod a few times. “I think I’m over killing and torturing people,” I say, and he chokes on a laugh.
“Just like that?” he asks, amusement filling his face. I shrug as I slide my hands into my pockets.
“Yeah,” I say. “Unless I’m protecting my girl or our boy, I don’t think I need to kill anyone again.” He nods a few times, his smile spreading.
