“Hunt, I’m ready for our next mission.”
“Who’s on the list, babe?” he questions, gripping my hips and pulling me closer to his chest. His solid frame is calming, as if he’s attempting to wrap me in his warmth to alleviate the guilt that seems to be plaguing me.
I know this because Hunter was the one who taught me how to kill. He showed me the easiest way to make men bleed. And at first, I hated it. I never understood why I had to do this, only that I wanted to.
Yes, revenge is warranted, but the violence that now courses through my veins was never there. I look up at him, his hazel eyes glistening.
“Dr. Monroe,” I tell him. Even the mention of the woman’s name is enough to have my skin crawling.
“Diana would’ve been proud of you,” he affirms, gently stroking my arms with the tips of his fingers.
“Would she though?” Shaking my head, I step back, turning away from him to watch as the moon beams down at us. Our mentor died on a job only eight months ago. A revenge mission, similar to what we’re on right now.
“Yes, she would, Sam. You know she always supported you.”
Sighing, I nod. It’s true. She wanted what was best for me. Each time I felt guilt creeping in, she told me that closure is the best medicine. The problem is, I don’t know if I’ll ever find closure, not when I have no idea where Archer is. I never got to say goodbye. Perhaps they found him and killed him. I’ll never know.
After Monroe, there’s only two more people on my list. Dr. Kingsley and Dr. Chamberlin. The last remaining monsters who run The Factory.
A shrill ring of a mobile phone drags me from my thoughts. Hunter’s phone vibrates on the countertop in the kitchen. He leaves me to answer.
“Yo, man. What’s up?”
I leave Hunter to his call and head into the bedroom. Grabbing my holster, I shrug it over my shoulders. The gun weighs heavily on my torso along with the sleek steel blade I used on Hickson yesterday.
“Babe,” Hunter says tentatively from behind me.
I turn to find his tortured gaze looking back at me. “What’s wrong?” I question.
He closes the distance between us, and my heart kicks wildly in my chest. Something’s wrong. “That was TJ,” he starts slowly. “He found out who’s helping Ward with the kids.”
My brows crease in confusion. “Okay?”
“It’s Archer King.”
The mention of his name knocks the breath from my lungs in one swift punch to the gut. My mouth falls open, but no words come out. Archer. I thought I’d lost him forever, but it seems he’s found himself a job. A life.
After all we’d seen and been through, he’s working for them. Anger warms my blood, prickling my skin as awareness settles over me.
“Sam,” Hunter’s voice sounds so wary, perhaps even fearful. “Maybe he’s undercover? I mean, he wouldn’t be working for assholes like that.”
“Let’s go. I’m ready,” I say, steeling my voice of any inflection that I’m hurt. Instead, I stalk by Hunter with my body vibrating with violence I’ve never felt before. I pull on my leather jacket and head for the door.
“Sam, you’re angry. Maybe we should do—”
“Why don’t you focus on helping me tonight instead of telling me what you think we should do? I’m ready. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be heading out.”
I don’t wait for him to respond. I know what he’s going to say, and I don’t want to hear it. Once I have Monroe in my clutches, she’ll tell me exactly what the fuck Archer is doing working for The Factory.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I wait for Hunter to settle in beside me and start the engine. The SUV purrs to life as I pull out onto the road.
“All I’m saying is, we need to be wary. He isn’t the—”
“Please, Hunter, just let me have this time to think.” My eyes flit to meet his. There’s tension between us, thick and angry, but I can’t change my feelings overnight. I thought I could. But deep down, I know that as many times as I’ve wanted to say goodbye to Archer, I can’t. He’s burrowed into my being, woven into the fabric of my bones, and no matter how hard I try, there’s no way I can get rid of him.
The road takes us out of the small town and into the scenic hills with forests on either side. Gloom shrouds us in its evil mist, and I wonder if it’s because of the devils that live out here.
The road winds farther into the forest, which welcomes us with its breathtaking darkness. There’s a small break in the trees when we turn another long, winding bend. It opens up to the starlit sky, and just beyond the bank of ghostly trees, we find the mansion we’re about to enter without permission.