Page 40 of Rising from the Ashes

“The Huntress…That’s not who you are anymore, and you know it,” he breathes out. “You may want your dad off the board, but you don’t want to kill him anymore, because you know deep down it won’t change what he did to you.”

My eyes frantically search his face, trying to decipher the emotions that are coursing through my veins. I want to act on the rage that is swallowing me whole as I am reminded of Silas, but I’m torn knowing he saved me. I want to love him with every fiber of my being.

“Let me be the one to rid the world of him. Let me take on that darkness, Calista.”

As if a fortress made of bricks were surrounding my heart, every one of them begins to come crumbling down.

“Why? W-why did you lie to me?” My voice begins to crack as the hot tears prick at my eyes. “I ripped myself wide open for you, Shado.”

You should never have fallen for this man, Cal. Now look.

“Calista, I swear. At first, it was to gather intel about the organization. I didn’t expect any of this to happen.”

Running towards him, frustration bubbling over, I place my heel back inside of his wound.

“But it fucking did, Shado!” I scream, shoving my heel deeper.

“Aghhh! Dammit!” He hangs his head before continuing, grunting, “I didn’t realize you were the job.”

“I confided in you. I trusted you!” I shout, pulling my heel away from his leg.

His head doesn’t move. The only way I know he is still conscious is by his ragged breathing and moans from the pain.

“I heard the conversation earlier. You’re not working for Reign anymore, or at least you don’t want to. You’re looking for an out.”

Looking up at me, his eyes beg for forgiveness. “Calista, I swear. Drake knows nothing. I made up excuses for why I couldn’t find usable intel after you and I started working together.”

He pauses and takes in a deep breath before exhaling.

“I could never hurt you like that.”

“But it does hurt, Shado. You betrayed me.” I pause, looking at him, my heart torn.

Hopeful that this next question answers everything, I choke out the words as barely even a whisper, “Why did you lie to Drake? Why not just go through with the job?”

“You know the answer to that, Cal.”

Bending over with my face mere inches from his, I twist the arrow deeper into his shoulder, “I need to fucking hear you say it, Shado.”

His head falls back against the back of the chair as his pained groans ring through the room. “Because I fucking love you, damn it! Fuck!”

A fluttering sensation fills my stomach, replacing the anger, one that had been unfamiliar to me until I met the man sitting in front of me.

Smirking, I gently pull the arrow from his shoulder, “Now, was that so hard?”

I twirl around and drop the arrow to the ground. It clangs against the concrete floor. “So, what are we supposed to do now?”

“Well, first you could untie me from this chair, and stop the bleeding before I lose consciousness.” He half chuckles as his breaths begin to even back out.

Walking over to him, I straddle his lap as he flashes me a half smirk, “You are fucking psycho.”

I graze my hands across his bloodied face and tangle my fingers in his hair, smiling. “Your fucking psycho.”

Grinding my hips into him, he grunts, “Are you going to untie me?”

“Hmmm.” I croon, “Nope. I think I’m going to have fun torturing you in another way.” I whisper as I lean in to kiss his swollen, bruised lips, a metallic taste filling my taste buds as the blood from his mouth meets mine.

Breaking our kiss, I back away from him, kicking my heels off. Pulling my pants down as I step out of them, I peel my shirt off, letting my breasts fall free.

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