Page 137 of Stealth Mission

Scout’s boots scuff on the floor as he leaves.

I’m glued in place with a tornado of emotions breaking me into bits.

Evan leans down and brushes a kiss on my temple. “I need you to know what I am and what I’m not. Right now I’m going to go back there and do things that you’re not going to like. I’m not hiding that from you because I need you to understand who I am. I won’t feel bad for hurting that man. He came into your home in the night. I’m not letting him get away with that.”

He pulls back and holds my gaze for a few seconds. My heart sinks. It’s buried under the pain I see in his soul.

When he walks away, I crumble to the floor. I don’t care who sees me crying.

Evan loves me.

It’s written in stone in the slate of his irises.

Only, he’s going to try to keep me from loving him back.

Chapter Fifty-One

By the time I walk into Marianna’s guest room, the cold motherfucker that lives under my skin is firmly in place.

I’m ready to break bones.

Justice and Scout are waiting for me with steely looks on their faces. We’ve all done this before. None of us mind doing it again.

Vik’s men brought the guy to us with a black hood over his face. His ankles are tied to one of Marianna’s kitchen chairs. His hands are bound with zip ties.

Blood is running out from under the hood, down his throat, soaking his shirt. Who knows what happened? He was like that when Vik’s team arrived with him.

I’m just sorry I wasn’t the one that got to go into the compound. This would be done and over, and this piece of shit wouldn’t be in Marianna’s house.

Scout looks over at me and I nod. He snatches the hood off of the prisoner.

I take a good long look at him. Studying my prey.

Hair mussed, the man shakes his head, blinking owlishly. The bare lightbulb Justice is holding toward his face is disorienting.

Cracking my knuckles, I step toward him. “Talk fast. I’m out of patience.”

He glares at me.

“What were you doing in this house earlier?”

“You got the wrong guy.”

I jerk out my knife, lean down and cut his right leg free. He resists, fighting me to keep me from pulling it forward.

“You like to run?”

He shudders and grunts.

“You think you’re fast?”

I shove his pants leg up. “You’re pretty fast, pretty quiet too. I didn’t hear you in the house, but I’m gonna make sure you never walk again.”

His body shakes violently, every breath is ragged. “Wha-what are you going to do?”

I glance up at him and grin. “I’m gonna cut your calf muscles out. Both sides. And that’s just the beginning.”

“Oh, fuck,” he groans.

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