Page 27 of Lord of Debauchery

There was no time to engage. I moved stealthily toward the door of the room. The moment I stuck my head out, another assassin rushed toward me.

Pop! Pop!

The fucker went down, tumbling over the railing. I quickly glanced in her direction and could tell she was calculating the money needed for repairs.

She tried to push in front of me, but I gave her a harsh look, planting my finger in front of my lips. In turn, she rolled her eyes as if I’d just insulted her. There was no doubt in my mind she knew her weapons given she checked the ammunition quickly like a pro, snapping the magazine back into position then holding the Glock in both hands.

To say I was impressed was an understatement.

While there were women in my organization, including a few soldiers, it wasn’t the norm even in this day and age.

Several thuds were heard downstairs and we shifted against the stairwell wall. As I climbed down, I noticed a dead body by the front door, one of my men managing to blow half the assailant’s head off. How many of the fuckers were there?

She stopped long enough to grab the weapon from the jerk who’d tumbled over the railing, planting it in her waistband against the small of her back. Given my patience had run out long before this, I nodded for her to follow me and rushed forward, once again forced to physically push her back before dropping and rolling, firing off four rounds into yet another son of a bitch.

Where the fuck were these bastards coming from?

Apparently, out of the fucking woodwork as evidenced by the fact another flew in from the outside, grabbing Kenya. She was having none of it, jerking free, spinning around to face him and issuing a hard kick to his midsection. A martial arts kick to be exact and one I knew well. Without hesitation, she pointed the barrel at his head and pulled the trigger.

It took a lot mentally for a woman to shoot a man in the head. Those unused to the various capabilities of an angry assassin would usually go for the abdomen, not realizing how often those injuries were survivable, if only long enough to finish the job of executing their enemy.

I jumped to my feet, just in time to eliminate two more. When I heard a click, I hissed just as a gun was pointed in my face.

In yet another surprise, Kenya was right there, using her long, very agile leg to kick the weapon from the assailant’s hand. It flew straight into mine, which allowed me to quickly take two close range shots just as the fucker lunged for me.

I was able to see the life fading from his eyes before he slowly slid to the floor.

The totality of the silence was just as deafening as I’d heard people describe it. I took a deep breath, pushing the guy’s body with my foot. When I turned my head, she still wore the smug look but now her eyes had a look of a haunted woman. It was as if she’d reacted to earlier training, now regretting her actions.

“Thank you,” I said.

“For saving your ass or not shooting you?”

God, I adored her retort. “Both.”

I took her gently by the arm as Jeff appeared, shaking his head and studying the carnage left in this room.

“What the fuck?” he snapped.

“How many were here?”

“I didn’t count yet, but at least eight.”

“They’re not done.” My words were barely recognizable given my sizeable anger. I noticed she’d crouched on the floor, the girl reaching out and touching the branding on the soldier’s neck. I watched her expression. Her reaction was curious. “Have you seen the branding before?”

She shook her head. “Should I have?”

“I don’t know.”

She fisted her hand, her eyes still locked on the carving. “How could anyone allow that to occur on their bodies? Let me guess. An initiation.”

“Worse.”

She closed and rubbed her eyes. “A dangerous world.”

Now she realized it. No, she knew that before.

I glanced at Jeff who was just as surprised she had a weapon in her hand as I was. “Round up all their weapons and extra magazines. Five minutes and we’re leaving.”

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