Page 87 of Stars and Scars

I follow him, and in a moment of adrenaline-tinged fear, I try to squeeze the trigger to shoot him in the back. But the gun only clicks. The safety is on. Meanwhile Wyatt is able to get away.

I flip the safety off, my heart pounding as I rush back to help Gray. But as I move closer, I stop in my tracks, stunned by what I see.

Gray stands in the middle of the room, blood running down his chin from a fresh cut on his lip. His hands are still bound, but his expression is one of fierce determination. The cultist who had been shocking him is now struggling in Gray’s grasp. Gray has him by the collar, clutching him with a fierce resolve.

The cultist’s eyes widen in fear as Gray lifts him off the ground with surprising strength. Gray’s muscles ripple under his shirt as he uses his bound arms to force the man back against the wall. The cultist’s glasses, twisted and broken, lie on the floor, evidence of the fight that’s transpired.

Gray’s gaze locks onto mine as he throws the cultist to the side. The man crashes into a pile of equipment, thoroughly dazed. Gray, breathing heavily, steps forward with grim purpose.

Across the room, Malloy—our betrayer—stands in the corner, his face contorted in pain. He clutches his obviously broken left wrist with his right hand. I don’t think he’s going to cause us any more problems. Still, I point my gun at him, making sure he doesn’t make a move.

Gray’s attention shifts to the remaining threat. A shirtless muscle-bound cultist, previously watching from the corner, has now moved to confront him. The man’s face is a mask of rage, and his eyes gleam with malice.

The cultist lunges at Gray, but Gray sidesteps with practiced agility. He ducks and weaves, his bound hands moving with surprising dexterity. The cultist’s attack misses, and Gray uses the momentum to strike back. He kicks out with his foot, catching the cultist in the midsection and sending him staggering backward.

Gray seizes the opportunity. He charges at the cultist, using his bound arms to his advantage. With a swift, calculated move, he grabs the cultist’s arm and twists it behind his back, forcing him to the ground. The cultist struggles, but Gray’s grip is ironclad.

As the cultist writhes beneath him, Gray manages to use his shoulder to pin the man down. The cultist’s attempts to break free are futile against Gray’s unyielding strength. Gray’s breath comes in heavy, controlled bursts as he uses his weight to keep the man subdued.

With a final, powerful push, Gray slams the cultist’s head against the floor. The impact is enough to render the man unconscious. Gray stands up, his face smeared with sweat and blood.

“And here I thought I was going to rescue you,” I say as Gray’s eyes focus on me.

“I could tell you the same thing.”

We come together. I kiss him hard, with all the love I feel.

Oh God, I do. I love him. That must be why I don’t care that I have the metallic taste of his blood in my mouth. I have to wonder if he feels the same for me.

“Great job, buddy,” Malloy says.

It’s hard to say who gives him a more hateful glare, me or Gray.

“I knew you could do it. Looks like my plan to go undercover with the Order worked to perfection.”

“Malloy, shut the fuck up,” Gray growls. “You’re dirty and you’re going down, just like Wyatt…where is Wyatt?”

“I chased him off, I think.”

More gunfire sounds from upstairs. Gray holds his hand out toward me.

“You did a great job, but could I borrow that for a bit?”

“I can’t get rid of this thing fast enough.” I hand him the gun. “I tried to shoot him.”

“Good,” Gray replies.

“In the back.”

“Even better,” Gray says.

“He was running from me at the time. It would have been murder.”

Gray’s eyes soften. “You were defending yourself. Any lawyer worth his degree should have been able to get those charges dropped. Come on, let’s go topside and see if the guys need any help.”

The basement isn’t nearly as opulent as the ground floor of the villa. Bare cinder block walls and scored concrete are all that surround us. But it does make navigating our way back up a lot easier.

Once we’re halfway up the stairs, the door at the top bursts open and a tall, intense man with thickly muscled arms appears. He lowers the hand cannon when he sees us.

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