Page 25 of Promises in the Dark

“Get out of here,” I growled, full of murderous intent. “Before I end up gutting you like a fish.”

He got the message. Dropped the knife, spun around, and ran like hell.

I sprinted to Red, my heartbeat thundering loudly as I moved with all the speed I could muster.

“Come on,” I breathed out, dashing over to her.

I yanked the knife out of the asshole’s leg, his scream of agony music to my ears. As the adrenaline wore off, my head cleared, but I still felt that rush.

I wiped the blade clean on my pants, slid it into my pocket, then grabbed Red’s hand. We bolted to the car, not stopping. She struggled to keep up, her breath coming out in gasps, but I wasn’t letting go. I felt the warmth of her hand in mine, and for a split second, I let myself feel the comfort that brought me.

I shoved the car door open, practically tossing her inside and slamming it shut hard enough to rattle the damn thing. With one last glance around, I slid into the driver’s seat and jammedthe key into the ignition. Red stared at me, eyes wide with fear, as the engine roared to life.

“My necklace!” she cried, her hand going to her bare, cut-up neck.

Like that was my fucking problem.

I hit the gas, eager to get the hell out of that shithole.

“I will buy you another one,” I said dismissively, not giving two shits about whatever sentimental crap she was whining over.

“You don’t get it,” she said, voice all emotional, like that was supposed to make me care. “It meant something to me.”

I rolled my eyes in irritation. I couldn’t find it in me to give a flying fuck about some material possession when her reckless actions had put us both at risk.

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before running out of the car like a lunatic,” I replied bitterly. “Your stupidity could have gotten us both killed.”

She fell silent, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the car window. The seriousness of the situation loomed heavily in the air, and it seemed that words could do jackshit to ease the tension between us.

I sighed, refocusing my attention on the road ahead, realizing that there was nothing left to say.

But the red, reckless problem still persisted.

How the fuck was I going to explain this shit to my superior?

Chapter 8

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the headlights cut through the night, revealing stretches of rocky terrain and endless sand. The Afghan landscape stretched out like a barren wasteland, the moon’s weak glow doing fuck-all to brighten it.

The wind whispered through the windows, carrying the stench of dust and burning shit from somewhere far off. I ignored the sharp pain gnawing at my chest, right above my right lung, and pressed harder on the gas.

The rugged terrain wasn’t doing me any favors, either. It felt like the whole fucking landscape was flipping me off. The pain was getting worse, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to let that stop me. I gritted my teeth, holding the steering wheel tighter, the ache pounding with every beat of my heart. Each mile felt like another knife twisting in my side, but I pushed through. No time to be a pussy about it.

The Afghan landscape flashed by, a combination of dusty plains and jagged mountains, like a middle finger to anyone who dared to fuck with this land. The darkness continued to swallow us, a sign of the shitstorm we were walking into, but I didn’t give a fuck. I’d plow through it like a juggernaut. This scenery was almost like a dirty mistress, intoxicating and dangerous, but I thrived in that fucked-up chaos.

My mind churned with thoughts of how the hell I was gonna justify Red’s presence to the commander. I needed a damn good reason to justify why she was with me, something that would make the commander understand.

Glancing at her, who sat silently beside me, I fought the urge to unleash a string of curses. Her fingers were tracing the bareskin of her neck, right where her necklace used to hang. She was looking so fucking vulnerable, and it pissed me off to no end.I didn’t sign up for babysitting duty, but here I was, stuck with her, unable to stay mad at her for long.

My eyes caught sight of the dried blood on Red’s cheek and the fresh wound on her neck. A wave of fury surged through me, an inexplicable rage directed at those bastards who dared to hurt her.

Without a second thought, I slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. Red startled beside me, her eyes widening as I unbuckled my seatbelt and stormed out of the vehicle.

“Get out, Red” I demanded, not bothering to soften my tone.

The nickname ‘Red’ slipped off my tongue effortlessly a way to keep distance, to avoid whatever fucked-up feelings were starting to creep in.

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