Page 3 of Pure Vengeance

An animal.

He’s a killer.

He deserves to die.

I raise the pistol, aiming for his head.

One bullet should do it if my shot is good.

Inching up to the edge of the bush, a branch breaks. It’s enough to draw his attention.

He turns toward me.

I take in a deep breath.

Blow out.

And pull the trigger.

CHAPTER TWO

Anton

Fire erupts across my shoulder as I’m thrown back against the railing.

“Fuck!” I grab my injured arm.

Vince is already out of the car, running toward the bushes against the building. There’s a shriek then rustling of branches.

Running down the stairs, I forget the pain in my arm and round the bushes, ready to end whoever the fuck just took a shot at me.

“Let me go!” A feminine scream erupts as Vince drags her from behind the bush. Her cheek is bleeding, and her hair is mangled with needles from the bush.

Vince easily pulls her from the brush and pushes her in front of himself. He tosses me a pistol.

It’s still warm from the bullet being fired, and I turn it over in my hands. This thing has to be fifty years old.

“Let me go!” She screams again, yanking against his hold of her arms.

I drop my hand, still holding her gun, to my side and step up to her.

Brown eyes, full of fear and anger, meet mine and pierce into me. As afraid as she is, and she’s fucking terrified, she keeps her chin steady, and her gaze fixated on me.

This woman hates me.

It rolls off of her in thick waves.

I tilt my head, inspecting her further. Blood trickles down her cheek. It’s the same color as the matte lipstick painted on her full lips. Her red hair falls around her face in a haphazard mess from one of those claw clips women use to pin their hair up.

She’s wearing a black pinup dress that hugs her waist with a thick red belt. The cropped sleeves have left her arms exposed to the branches; more scrapes cover her upper arms.

But I come back to her eyes.

Such fierceness covering up all the fear and pain beneath.

“Who are you?” I ask, giving Vince the signal to keep her steady, but don’t let her go just yet.

She’s a runner.

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