Page 4 of Destined to Fight

Then, he came into view. Him. Her breath caught at the sight of him, even if it was just the back of him as he walked away from her. That ass though. She loved a man with a nice ass.

What the hell are you doing? Admiring a man’s ass after breaking and entering?! She inwardly reprimanded herself for her wandering mind.

“Good evening,” she heard a man with a Scottish accent announce.

“Sir, we have a situation,” a female said.

“I’m aware.” There was a slight pause. Then the Scottish man yelled, “Kelly, get yer arse in here!”

3

Thoughts raced through Kelly’s mind faster than she could keep up with them. There’s another Kelly around that he’s waiting on…weird. Wait, no way he’s talking to me. He’s talking to me?! How does he know I’m here? How does he know my name? Shit. Shit shit shit. Fucking shit. I have to get out of here right now! How do I get out of here without them hearing? Dumbass, they already know you’re here! RUN!! So she did. Before her mind could yell at her any more, Kelly turned quickly and ran back toward the stairwell as fast as her feet could move. Then a wave of power, like nothing she’d ever felt before, slammed into her back, knocking her onto the floor. There was no catching herself as the momentum carried her forward until Newton’s first law came into play and her skull met the marble floor in a hard stop. As if that wasn’t enough, her feet were still in motion as they flipped over her head in something like a reverse backflip, ending with her back slamming against the floor. Between the shock and the force of the landing, breathing proved to be difficult, and pain radiated from head to toe. A groan escaped her as she rolled to the side and almost threw up.

“Fuuuuuuck” was the only word she could manage.

A deep chuckle came from what she thought was the direction of the meeting room and made its way closer to her.

Panic wrapped around her body like a weighted blanket as she scrambled to get up and run, but the hallway spun and the walls felt like they were closing in. Suddenly there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air, and anxiety wrapped its claws around every limb, working its way deep into her veins and swallowing up her mind. Moving was no longer an option.

“Shh, dinnae fash.” His voice was more calming now, and his hand gently stroked her cheek as she lay frozen in fear. “No one here is going to hurt ye. Calm down now.”

Quiet laughter consumed Kelly as her mind wrapped itself around the hilarity of her situation. Spasms racked her body as she gave into the hysterics. The emotions of the evening had built up until this point, and they suddenly vanished, leaving only the irony of the situation. Almost a year spent hunting these people and spying on them, the training and dedication, thinking she was two steps ahead… when in reality, they were running the show.

As sanity made its way back and her vision cleared, the red-haired man came into focus. Gray eyes stared down at her with an unexpected softness, and the right side of his mouth was lifted ever so slightly in a sideways grin.

“Come now, let’s get ye into a chair and I’ll explain.” he said as he moved to her side and pulled her up by the arm.

The hallway spun again, and more cursing ensued. Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her effortlessly down the hall to the meeting room. Her head rested against his shoulder, and a feeling of safety came over her. It disappeared as quickly as it had come along when he gently placed her in a chair. Opening her eyes was a challenge, but she managed, only to see twelve pairs of eyes staring at her in judgment and confusion.

“Kade,” a woman with a crisp English accent said, “what in the hell is going on?”

“This is the situation Christine spoke of. Kelly Hart has been tracking our activities here for months. Kelly, meet the North American Region of the Council.”

the Council continued their judgmental staring in silence, which made her feel like she had to say something to stop their eyes from boring into her soul.

“Um, hi” was all her shaky voice could manage.

Not a single face showed any emotion, almost as if they were made of stone. Kelly found herself wishing someone would laugh at her, just to break the silence.

“You know what?” The words left her mouth without permission. “You can just call the cops and I’ll go with them. I...I don’t want to bother you.”

One of them laughed then, a blond woman who was a touch too thin and way too dolled up. Prominent cheekbones and pursed lips gave her the look of a woman who thought she was better than everyone, and her attitude seemed to match her appearance.

“There is no need for that, girl. We have our own way of dealing with humans like you,” the blond woman said.

“Now, now, Elizabeth, that is uncalled-for. Fate brought Kelly here, and I refuse to turn her away.” Red-Hair came to her rescue.

A man at the end of the table spoke, “Kade, you’ve got to be kidding. Put this nonsense to rest and let’s get on with this. Our time is too valuable to be dealing with…”

“ENOUGH!” the red-haired man yelled. “Ye will not speak to me that way, Isaac, nor will ye question my actions or decisions.”

Blondie piped up again. “Sir, with all due respect, she is a human and is not worth our trouble. We must continue, as time is of the essence and others are depending on us to come to a decision.”

Red-Hair’s face was suddenly flushed in anger. “Elizabeth, must I reprimand ye as well?”

“I suppose you must if you plan to devote any of our time to this…this…”—she waved her hand toward Kelly as if to shoo her away—“this mess.”

Straightening his shoulders, he spoke through gritted teeth. “If ye wish to save yer precious time, ye may take yer leave. I will consider it yer resignation from the Council if that is yer choice. Ye may hand over yer key and go.”

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