Page 23 of Shifted

"Jesus Christ, you need a bell just to know you're in the vicinity." He stepped forward to stand beside me. Has this man not learned anything?

"Oh, but that wouldn't make me a good assassin, Angel, now would it?" I glared at him. He was a terrible assassin and had been proving that point each time we met.

"Who said you were one?" I turned back to Hugo. He was walking up the staircase as the men followed behind. They stopped in the hall, and he looked over to her room, his daughters. My stomach twisted at the possibilities that lay ahead, one that I prayed wasn’t true.

"No fucking way" I felt my heart race as they stood in the hall, and I turned to go, but he stood in front of me. I frantically watched as Hugo lifted the key to the room.

"Where are you going?" He questioned as he blocked the way for me to go.

"I have to go in; I have to save them." His arms gripped my shoulders; I couldn’t just leave them to harm. I couldn’t dare stomach it; what was this job for if I couldn’t even save them? "It could be a trap; they might know you're watching. Come on, he wouldn't sell his daughter and wife." I looked back at Hugo, his face filled with fear, something I'd never seen. Trap or not, I was still heading in. It wasn’t worth the risk of their harm.

"He sold them like they were just property. '' My voice croaked, and my spine chilled as they took a step closer to the door; he twisted the lock, and Hugo froze for a moment, pleading for something, "It could be a trap, but that could be me, and I'd be praying for someone to save me either way." I pushed him onto the ground, and as he tried to get up, I shot him. The temporary tranquilizer went right into his foot. He'd only be down for about four minutes and probably in the mood to kill me.

I shifted down the roof, connected a rope to the building, and slid downward towards the neighboring balcony. I cut the rope afterward and looked to the locked glass door I was greeted by. From my pocket, I took a small orange safety hammer, tapping all four sides, watching as it fell before me.

Shit, that might've been too loud.

"What was that, Hugo?" I hear one of the men say as I slip inside, boosting myself into the vent. If the mapping of this building was correct, I should be able to get to their room from here.

"Are you backing out from our deal? Because once they're sealed, we don't go back, Mr. Deligard. Your wife and child belong to me now." I grew nauseous from the conversation below. I couldn’t believe it—he actually sold his family for money.

I went through the vents as quietly as I could. Once I was met with the white ventilation, I looked through to see the light blue floral rug below and a white bunny left on the ground. I didn't have much time; I had to inform and instruct. I unscrewed the nails and removed the vent as the woman looked up, surprised.

Dropping down, I covered her mouth before she could scream. Her daughter was sound asleep next to her, "I'm here to save you." I whisper as she shakes, "He sold you, Melissa. I'm here to protect you and your daughter. Now, if I remove my hand, you won't scream?" Skeptical, she nods her head steadily.

I slowly remove it as she stares at me. Her eyes examine my mask, concealing my identity, staring into my now green eyes for the evening. "Why?" she questioned.

"It's my job to kill him." Her eyes widen in fear but then settle. She doesn't seem even to want to put up a fight. She just stared at her daughter in the bed beside her, "Go into the bathroom, lock yourself in, and sit in the tub. Wait for me at the door; wait for Angel to come." She nods quickly, scooping her daughter up, and I stop her.

I hand her my earplugs, "She'll need them; she doesn't need to hear this." The last thing I'd want is to bring trauma upon her daughter. Fuck, this is going to suck. I stand beside the wall as I hear them lightly.

"Move before I make you, Hugo!" His voice was strong, and he seemed to care only about getting in here. God knows what he’d do if he made it to Melissa and her child.

"You took what was mine; I take what's yours." I heard Hugo gasp lightly at something, and he was shoved to the side.

"Please!" He cried to the men as the lock on the door jiggled.

Before I can think, the door bursts open, and the group of men in black suits step inside, "Where the fuck are they?" One asks, and I clear my throat, shooting the man whose head turns first, followed by the second and third as they try to speak before the bullet goes through their head.

But a match meets me as I feel a slice in my leg and an arm tight around my waist, “Sweetheart-" My elbow goes to his face as he loses his grip, and I clean his legs, knocking him to the ground.

"Don't call me sweetheart." The bullet blew right through his skull, and as I turned to the hall, I felt a gun on the side of my head.

"Who the fuck are you?" The man who was speaking to Hugo, the ring leader of whatever shit show this was, "I asked who the fuck are you!" He yells again. Silence wasn't my best option, with my life at risk.

"The maid?" I say more as a question. Obviously, with my face concealed and my hands gripping it down, I evidently was not a maid.

"Who do you work for?" His voice is more serious this time. For some reason, he humors me, and I watch as Hugo stands in the corner. The man's gaze leaves me, and he points another gun at him.

The gun is grabbed from his hand and tossed to the floor, but not by me, by Amartolós. His arms grip around me as he shoots the man down, and we stare at Hugo "Who the fuck are you?" This time, Hugo questions the both of us.

"I wouldn't be asking questions right now, Hugo?" he says, his voice vibrating against my hood. " Are you okay?" he mumbles to check in on me. The cut against my thigh stings, but I’ll live.

"Yeah." I tug off his hands and turn to Hugo, "Go fuck yourself, Hugo." I pulled the trigger, watching as the bullet drove straight through his head. I turn around, and he stares at me, "Don't get distracted, Amartolós, then it gives me an advantage. Especially with the same target." He rolls his eyes as he stares at me. I can see the slight smile from behind his mask.

"Never tranquilize me again, or I swear to god, I'll let them blow a bullet through your brain next time?" I bit my lip.

"I owe you one?" I add.

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