Micah stiffens beside me. Adriana huffs softly. She doesn’t particularly like it when other people are mean to me. No, only she and Nolan get to do that.
Something inside me twists tight.
Alexei chuckles, swirling the liquor in his glass. “He sings. Very well, as you’ve just seen.”
“Sure,” Bravera drawls, smirking. “Pretty face, dirty veins, famous name. You really are collecting broken things these days, Alexei.”
That’s it.
It isn’t rage exactly—it’s everything that’s been festering under my skin for months. The drugs, the guilt, the leash around my neck. Adriana’s eyes burning through me like she’s got a claim on my body. Nolan’s fake smiles. Alexei’s quiet commands to kill his enemies before an official deal is even fucking struck. And this smug bastard is standing here like I’m nothing more than damaged goods.
Alexei’s gaze flicks between us, cold and amused. He tilts his head, voice low and deliberate. “Show him what happens when he doubts me, boy.”
My eyes dart to Nolan, and he just grins.
I’m a strung-out executioner with a pretty voice. That’s all I fucking am to these people.
Something inside mesnaps.
The next seconds come in flashes—Bravera laughing, me lunging, the sharp crack of my shoulder slamming into his chest. His drink spills, glass shattering against the floor. He staggers back with a curse, then swings. I barely duck in time, and the blow grazes my jaw, igniting white heat down my neck.
What a wild feeling it is, being set loose on someone like a dog set to kill mode. My hands move on instinct. I grab his shirt and drive him back into the table. Papers and bottles scatter. He’s stronger than he looks, twisting, landing a hit to my ribs that knocks the air out of me.
Micah’s shouting my name now, but I can’t hear him over the blood roaring in my ears. Bravera’s trying to shove me off, and it splinters whatever’s left of my control. My fist connects with his jaw. Once. Twice. There’s a dull, wet crack, and he drops to his knees, gasping. My own breathing’s ragged, my vision swimming. Someone’s yelling for me to finish it, but I can’t tell who anymore. The last thing I remember is my hand closing around a piece of the broken glass. A flash of movement. Then—
Silence.
The air is thick and heavy. My chest heaves. My knuckles are slick and red. Bravera isn’t moving anymore. Alexei’s slow clapbreaks through the ringing in my ears. He crouches beside the man, checks his pulse, then stands.
“Messy,” he says, adjusting his cufflinks. “But effective.” He turns his gaze on me, the faintest smile curving his lips. “Good fucking job, boy.” Then he looks to Nolan. “You were right, he’s an animal. Could be trained a little more, though.”
The words land like a brick to the chest. My stomach lurches. I want to scream, to throw something, to run—anything but stand there. But I can’t move. Micah’s wide-eyed beside me, breathing hard.
That’s when I notice the gun at Bravera’s hip that he never got to use. Without thinking, I snatch it, my fingers curling aroundcold metal. I spin it up, pointing it at Alexei and Nolan. “I’m keeping the damn thing,” I growl, voice raw.
For a heartbeat, silence. And then...they grin. It makes my gut fucking twist. Alexei tilts his head, clearly entertained. Nolan raises a brow, not saying a word. They let me keep it.
Adrenaline courses through my veins, my fingers flexing around the grip, pulse racing. I’m high, wired, and alive in a way that feels dangerous, and it’s...intoxicating.
That’s when Adriana slides up beside me. She leans close, nails grazing my arm. Her breath is warm against my neck. “Mmm,” she purrs, voice low, eyes glittering.
I snap my gaze away from her, but I feel the way she’s turned on by the gun, by me losing control. My hands shake slightly, not just from the high, but from knowing how close I am to something Ishouldn’tlet happen. I want to put a bullet in every one of their goddamn heads.
Micah’s beside me, shaking his head. “Dude...are you...are you okay?”
I nod, gun still in hand, chest pounding.I feel untouchable. I just killed that asshole.
Adriana steps forward. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Micah’s staring at me like he doesn’t recognize me. Maybe I don’t even recognize myself right now. How many kills until I lose myself? Until the darkness chips away at me so much that there is nothing left to salvage?
I follow Adriana out because I can’t think of anything else to do. My heart’s pounding so hard it hurts. Her laugh echoes in my ears as she pulls me into a nearby bedroom. The door shuts behind us, muffling the blaring music from the main area, though I can still feel the bass thumping through the walls.
She moves like the predator she is, and before I can think, I feel the sharp sting of a needle in my arm. My pulse spikes. My body jerks, crawling out of my own skin.
“Relax, baby,” she purrs, voice sickly sweet and teasing. “We’re just having fun. We’re calming you down after that.”
I try to steady myself, every nerve seizing. My fingers tighten around the gun tucked at my hip. The world sways, lights flicker, and the music keeps thudding.