Page 155 of Javier

“Isn’t she a beauty?” Bekker’s quiet chuckles came from the far corner, but my stare was fixed on the riled-up cobra. “I saved her from defanging from one of those fake snake charmers in India. She’s been my partner in crime ever since. I can’t tell you how many times she’s murdered for me. We’re a team.”

No shit, you fucked-up turd.

The snake turned toward Bekker’s voice, maintaining its defensive posture, wavering back and forth in the air. My bare feet felt like ice chunks stuck to the floor. My sweats barely clungto my hips and my breaths came short and sharp. I had to make an effort not to vomit. My legs buckled, but I refused to pass out. Forcing myself to think, I clung to the headboard and locked my knees in place.

Bekker had either staged or caused the snake bite of the person being treated next door. The cobra perched at the end of my bed was long and large. It was a dark olive green, almost black, and striped with tenuous black and white bands. The sunlight pouring through the window glinted on its scales, giving it a coppery glint. The scales under its flared hood were lighter, framing a rounded muzzle. Her forked tongue darted out as we assessed the threat we posed to each other.

My overused snake catalogue popped up in my head yet again. The world’s longest snake on average, the king cobra was highly venomous, but not considered especially aggressive except when threatened by approaching objects or sudden movements. Because of its large size, it had an impressive striking range. It was also capable of delivering several bites in one attack.

Fang-fucking-tastic. Missy’s captured. Bekker will use her as leverage to get whatever Li wants and then murder her in some horrific way. You’re about to die. Again.

I glanced at Missy. Eyes wide, teeth clamped over her lip, her face was locked in a grimace of terror. Her back was plastered against the far wall and her arm was in the clutch of the merc’s left hand. His pistol was in his right hand, aimed at her head. I calculated she stood some twelve feet away from the cobra.

Too close.

I managed a dry swallow.

I was getting sick and tired of Bekker and his damn snakes. If I moved, the cobra would strike. If I didn’t move, the turd might succeed at extracting Missy from the room. Such anattempt had no good ending. If the snake attacked, Missy could die. If Bekker took her, she would also die, albeit slowly, in the hands of a turd who wanted to use her as a hostage and a bargaining tool.

It wasn’t gonna happen. Not on my watch.

I ground my teeth and forced my brain to work. Bekker must’ve left the fight as soon as he spotted our new drone technology entering the battlefield. Knowing that the hospital was my final destination, he’d probably had a way to access it as a backup plan. He’d managed to sneak in, and here we were.

King, Cooper, and Ferranti were likely still looking for him. The merc had infiltrated the hospital, disguised himself in medical gear, laid low, and bided his time. He’d seized his chance when the doctor requested the specialized equipment. Who the hell knew what he’d done to the real technician?

Bekker was a psycho, but he’d devised a plan with many layers and contingencies. He wasn’t stupid, and he’d brought his pet snake along for this trip. I’d fought all kinds of battles before, but never one where the ammunition was alive and venomous.

I was gonna have to improvise again.

The fucked-up turd gave my bed wide berth as he slowly pulled on Missy’s arm. Face pale, lips pressed together, she resisted. She dragged her stare between me and the snake. When the merc jerked her arm, she let out a whimper. The cobra swiveled on its coils and faced her.

My guts turned to ice.

***

Missy

I made a sound, and the cobra turned toward us. It swiveled back and forth, beautiful and lethal, mesmerizing and terrifying.

“Your prey is behind you, sweetheart,” Bekker cooed at the creature, almost tenderly. “Go on. Have a bite.”

I had no idea if reptiles identified their owner’s voices,but this snake’s attention was on movement and noise. Dash and Micah were close by, and yet a cursory look at the door showed me the lock was engaged. I dug my teeth in my lip. Bekker had thought of everything. For all practical purposes, Javier and I were alone and trapped withtwodangerous snakes in this room.

In a country where the cobra was not an endemic species and didn’t represent a danger to the population, there would be no antivenom available. Javier’s body was already fighting theTerciopelo’svenom, and a cobra bite would kill him for sure. Fear clamped down on my chest and strangled my throat.

Don’t give up, Missy. Don’t faint. I was giving my vagus nerve a run for its money. Sister Janet’s warning drifted into my head.Whatever happens, don’t let the devil take yer soul and don’t yield to heaven’s call while it’s still yer time on this earth.

The hard touch of steel against my lower back reminded me that I still had Javier’s Glock tucked in the back of my jeans. I had no idea of how many bullets I had left. Using it to kill the snake on the bed was too risky. My likelihood of hitting a fast-moving target was low. The danger of hitting Javier was high. If I missed, the snake would attack. If I accidentally shot Javier, he could bleed out in no time. It struck me then. My target was not the cobra.

Wilbur Bekker’s punishing grip reminded me of my father’s cruelty. Bekker, whose addiction to violence triggered my fears and made me feel small, worthless, and insignificant. Bekker, who would’ve intimidated the old Missy until she was but a quivering puddle of terror.

Go on, become the fierce person you’re meant to be.Sister Elsa’s words echoed in my head.Love hard and love well. That, Missy Astor, is how you find your purpose.

Claiming myself had been a slow, gradual process, but now I knew my purpose: to care for my family and my friends. To protect the man I loved, by whatever means necessary.

It’s up to you. I remembered the voice from my dreams. This time around, I wasn’t going to let Javier down.

The merc pulled me across the room as if I was nothing but a rag doll. He wasn’t afraid of me. He had no expectations that I would resist him. He’d assumed someone like me would not fight back in the face of a gun. The hell with that. I darted out a foot and tipped the chair over. The cobra puffed up at the ruckus.

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