Page 28 of Repossess My Heart

Yet.

She smirks, just a twitch of her lips that makes her dead eyes seem even more unnatural. “Fine, but you can’t go in like that. You’ll cause a scene.”

I tilt my head just an inch regarding her, wishing I could dig through her umber depths to find whatever is missing. “I love causing a scene.”

“He’ll run. You said it yourself; we’re running low on time…”

My jaw clenches as I release her arms, eyeing the angry fingerprints left there as she rubs them. Not a hint of disdain in the action as she prods the already bruised flesh, her lips parting as she prods again.

Weird ass bitch, I swear to-

“Come on then, I’ll babysit your super suit.” She mocks before dutifully plopping down on the ground. The damp ground she’d just sprawled out like a bot on ice to avoid seconds before.

Kill her. Kill her. KILL HER.

My hair catches as I jerk off my mask, taking a few strands with it. My glare never falters as I toss it into her lap. Her eyes leave me drifting down to my mask, and despite my body temp being tech regulated, I’m colder for it. Narrowing my eyes further on the little enigma who is being all too obedient as I strip.

“Drone?” She asks and I command it to obey her, just for a moment.

“Show me myself.” She commands before it even reaches her, sitting perfectly still so it can scan her features, creating a real time holo projection of her. Like a mirror of sorts. I grumble under my breath, the air nipping at my exposed stomach, “Dolling yourself up for me, sweetling?”

“Something like that, I guess. Nothing else to do.” She’s using her fingers as combs, trying to smooth her hair into compliance. Ignoring me as I stalk towards her.

It irritates me. All of it, all of her.

My drone zips away as I knot my hand in her hair, messing up all the progress she made because I like her like this… disheveled and unkempt. “You’re being an awfully good girl. Trying to worm back into my good graces so I’ll fuck you again?”

“Maybe I just decided you were right. It’d be best if you went inall by yourself.” She glances at me, “Without causing a scene.” I glare at her.

Deviant little shit. Fuck, she’s hot like this… all cocky and sure of herself.

“I’m glad you finally came around.”

She just smiles her eerie corpse smile as I release her with a final command to my drone, “Guard her.” Not sparing her another look before I drop down off the rooftop, rolling my neck and making sure my hair falls into my eyes, obscuring my number. She’s not wrong. Violence often takes time when groups are involved. It’s much more efficient to get him alone instead of slaughtering the entire brothel as I’d planned. My heart plummets as I round the corner, Michael gives me a similarly unsetting smile as he leans up against the bouncer of the club. A human bouncer, no enhancements…

Interesting choice.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Nine. We weren’t ready… nowhere near ready.”

Plans change.

Michael's waves shift off his shoulders, matted with blood and gore. His attention drifting to the rooftop, making my fists clench. My nails dig into my palm on the only hand I have them, the other and its lack of notable sensation serving as a reminder of how ready I am.

What I sacrificed to be here, to earn a number.

Realistically I know my mind’s fucked up projection of my dead eight-year-old brother isn’t a threat to her… but something in my gut sours anyway. Like my body is in on something I’m not.

“No loitering, fuckin’ mist head!” The bouncer barks, breaking me from my thoughts as I force myself to focus. My boots thud down the small steps towards the entrance, slipping intohim.I’ve never needed the mask to be Nine. Nine was born far before I had a name for him. I’m close now, so fucking close.

Rage burns in my gut, blazing over my limbs and quickly clouding my mind as the bouncer’s large hand slaps down on my chest, stopping me. “You’re not going in.”

“What?” It leaves me in a growl, my hand twitching to where my blades should be. Ones I left on the rooftop. The second my vision hazes, the sound of a small form dropping down from the roof snaps me back to clarity. Something few could hear above the bustle of the street ahead. The flyer Passover above making it even nosier. Tubes and rail cars all zooming here and there on their designated tracks, making a canopy of never-ending sound.

“Sorry! I told you I was running late.” Reverie pants, acting as if she’d been running. I scowl at her, making a mental note to fuck her throat raw for lying to me.

Not a good girl at all. Now really isn’t the time to be grating on my fucking nerves.

My attention returns to the bouncer, but my mouth stays snapped shut in a tight line. If I open it now, nothing productive will come out. Although I would feel better if I could kill someone, provoking him is desperately what I want to do. It’s been too long. The absence of collection chimes pinging from my wrist implant further concretes my newfound separation from the Officials.

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