By my hand.
When I escaped, I hid for days making sure they couldn’t find me. I stumbled upon The Warehouse. It’s a refuge for people like me. Those with no name. I colored and cut my hair to shoulder-length. I became a warrior. Instead of letting the atrocities I’d faced break me, I allowed them to make me stronger.
I’ve been in this place for almost eight years. My birthday is coming up, but nobody here knows. I’ve kept as much of my past a secret as I could. There is only one woman who knew me, and she’s dead.
When I walked in here a scared sixteen-year-old girl, she showed me not all adults are evil. Not all of them are out to hurt and maim. I allowed her to instruct me. Train me. With her voice in mind, I’ve decided to go back. To face the nightmares and finally lay them to rest. If I ever want to move on, this is the only way to do it.
Absentmindedly, I reach for the pendant that hangs from a silver chain between my breasts. The shape is that of a blade, with a jewel concealed in the handle. Hidden inside the gem is a rare poison. I’ve managed to have another four made. Those I’ll take with me when I exact my revenge.
Every one of those assholes will die. I’ll sit back and watch them choke, gurgle, then I’ll slice them like they did me. I want blood to flow, to pool on the floor at my feet. The sizzle of excitement races through me. Diana always taught me revenge isn’t meant to be taken lightly. She told me about her own childhood, which was as dark as mine, if not darker. We shared a common hatred for the people who took from us something they were never meant to have.
Then she told me how she finally overcame it. How she returned to her past and took back not her innocence, but her revenge. And that’s what I intend to do.
Stalking into the makeshift kitchen we set up in a corner of the enormous building, I find the boys chuckling about something. When I notice Hunter’s holding a Playboy magazine, I can only shake my head. He glances up, taking in my appearance with an appreciative stare. “Hey, sweet thing.” Pinning my glare on him, I meet his deep green eyes, which glisten with mischief and desire.
“Call me that again and I’ll cut your dick off,” I bite back, knowing he’ll throw me a cocky response. We’ve known each other for eight years; he was here when I arrived. Diana put us together in combat, and since then we’ve been training together and fucking for about the same amount of time.
After he wore me down, I allowed him in. He was the first man I fucked willingly. Relationships are nonexistent in my world. But over the years, I’ve found I enjoy sex with him. The way Hunter gives it is the only way I take it. Rough and hard.
“You’d be sorry if you did that. But it makes me wonder, though, would you keep it to fuck that tight little cunt every night?” He chuckles darkly.
I may love my kink, but that’s one step too far. The thought has me shuddering as I scrunch my nose at him. “You’d be so lucky.”
“Why don’t you two just fuck and get it over with?” JT retorts on a smirk from behind his laptop screen. He’s our IT guru. Need someone or something found, he’s your man.
“Shut it,” both Hunter and I snap at the same time.
“Besides, he’d be so lucky to get pussy in that outfit,” I respond, pointing at the tight tank top molded to Hunter’s thick muscles. Prominent veins line his arms and hands, making the space between my thighs tingle. The ink that adorns his skin is colorful, adding to his tough appearance. Only, I’m not afraid. I’d easily take him down, and he knows it.
Grabbing a sandwich from the plate Hunter is nursing, I take a bite, savoring the mustard and beef flavors. “Not bad, Hunt. Maybe there is hope for you.” Winking, I turn to the fridge and grab a bottle of water. Settling in the chair beside JT, I lean in to steal a glance at his screen. Lines of code fill the display, which I don’t understand.
“I’ve got all the info you need,” he informs me.
“Thanks.” Opening the bottle, I take a long swig. I need coffee, but I’ll stop on the way into town and grab some. There are a few more items I need to get before I can get on the road. As I get up, I shove my phone into my pocket and my gun into my shoulder holster.
“Going somewhere, Buttercup?”
“Out.” My one-word response earns me an arched eyebrow from Hunter. Shrugging on my leather jacket, I offer him a cocky wink. I make my way to the door and twist the handle, but before I can step outside, Hunter is behind me. The spicy scent of his cologne swirls around me. If I was capable of something more, he’d be someone I could see myself with. His messy, light-brown hair always looks like he’s just run his fingers through it. His body is beautifully toned, lean muscle with taut abs, and a delicious V-shape which points to a thick erection. The smirk he wears is enough to melt panties, and I’m sure he takes full advantage of it more often than not.