Page 59 of Wrecking Ball
I hear feet moving towards me, and from my position on the floor, I take full advantage of being low to the ground and waiting for this fucker to come into view. Feet appear in my vision seconds later, and my gun fires, shooting the bastard in the shin. A cry of pain rings out, and I move my gun and eyes higher, hitting the kneecap. And higher, hitting the chest. And when I look up and meet Alessandro’s eyes, I smirk before raising the gun higher and hitting him right between the eyes.
I quickly move to my feet and check that the other guy I took out is dead, which he is. I don’t think too much as I lean down and grab Kat’s hand, pulling her to her feet and making sure we get the hell out of here before any other shit can go down.
Bodies line the halls as we move, and I step over them as if this is just another day at the office––which it totally is for me.
I stop at every turn and do a quick scan of our surroundings before leading us to the front doors and seeing my men stood there, waiting, watching, guns in hand.
I open the doors and Mitchell––a guy who has worked for me for the last five years––looks at us and I see him physically breathe a sigh of relief. He nods to the car, and I know that these guys will make sure that we are covered. I have no reason to doubt that they have already taken out anyone else that just tried to ambush us.
I quickly open the car door and push Kat in the back, me following behind her before the door is closing and one of my guys drives us the fuck out of here.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kat
Jesus. Go to a gun range and––ironically––get gunned down. Not quite how I thought our outing would end up.
Nate was amazing as he sprang into action, and I’m so glad I was able to help somewhat––even if he did have to cover my ass because my aim was off. I’m not going to dwell on it though. I mean, it was my first damn lesson, and I found myself in one hell of a life-or-death situation.
Nate has been holed up in his office since we got back, some of his men in there with him whilst I’ve taken a shower and made some food. I’m not really hungry, so the lasagne I made is sat warming in the oven.
I could have lost him today, and I know that it would have broken me. I have no doubt that if anything had happened to me then it would have broken him too. We are so in fucking sync with one another that it scares me, but I want to embrace it and revel in the fact that we are on the same wavelength.
I sigh as I roll my shoulders, feeling the tension that resides there. I have so much pent-up energy and I need to expel it. I decide to go and work it out in the boxing room at the bottom of the garden. I go to my bedroom and get changed––although, I no longer sleep in here because I’m always in Nate’s bed now, so this is just a room where I keep my clothes.
I put on my mid-thigh cycle shorts and a crop top before tying my hair up in a high ponytail. I wipe the makeup from my face and look at myself in the mirror.
I have a glow about me. My cheeks are slightly flushed, and my eyes have a fire inside of them that was lacking before I met Nate. It’s almost nice to have a purpose in life––even if it is as part of the crime world where you could take your last breath at any moment.
I put on my trainers and make my way back down the stairs and out of the patio doors at the back of the house. I don’t bother Nate with where I’m going because he’s busy and my whereabouts isn’t important right now. I’m here, I’m not leaving the grounds, so I have no reason to bother him.
I walk briskly and enter the code on the panel by the door when I reach it, opening the door and stepping inside before entering the code again to lock myself in. Nate is the only other one that can get in here, so I needn’t be worried about any of his men walking in.
Turning on the sound system, I type in Linkin’ Park and hit play, turning the volume up and letting it vibrate through the walls and floor.
I tape up my hands, preferring to do that rather than wear gloves. I’ve found that I like to feel the hit on my skin with no gloves to act as a buffer. I don’t know, it soothes me, I guess.
I move to the mat and do a quick warm-up, stretching and getting my body ready. Today was meant to be my day of rest from this, but I know it will help me, and even though my body is tired, I get such a rush from doing this.
I finish stretching and move to the bags, picking one and starting to hit it with a steady rhythm. There are five bags in a row––with space between each one––and I have to wonder why there are five in the first place. I know that none of Nate’s men work out in here, so there’s no need for so many, but it’s not my place to question it.
I time my hits to the beat of the music, losing myself and trying to empty my mind of anything other than feeling the burn.
I hit, I kick, I work my whole body, my breathing deepening, my skin feeling like it’s on fire. I work through five songs, each one fuelling me to do better, be faster, hit harder. I feel the sweat coating my body, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. I’m still thinking too much. I need my thoughts to come to a halt because there are too many questions I can’t answer right now.
What is the deal with this Jessica chick?
Why is she coming after Nate so hard?
Is it really just because he knocked her back?
Is there more to the story?
What the hell would have happened if he had died today?
What would I have done?
How would I have coped without him?
