Page 133 of Rescuing Mia

The assassin’s eyes widen, a flicker of fear passing over his face, but there’s also a glint of satisfaction and an odd flicker of peace.

I let out another roar filled with rage and fury. My hands tighten around the assassin’s neck, my knuckles turning white.

The assassin laughs a cruel, broken sound. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me,” he spits. “My job is complete. The girl is dead.”

His words fuel my fury, and I slam his head against the floor again and again. Then, I punch him, a vicious blow that snaps his head to the side.

“I’ll kill you,” I snarl, my vision red with rage. “I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done.”

It’s a performance—but is it?—my emotions are raw. Fear claws at my throat, desperation churns in my gut, and the soul-crushing thought of losing Mia ignites a firestorm of rage within me.

“Rigel!” Blake’s voice cuts through the haze of my anger. “Rigel, stop. We need him alive.”

For a moment, I don’t listen. All I can see is Mia’s still form, theblood pooling beneath her. All I can hear is the assassin’s cruel laughter.

The assassin laughs again, blood staining his teeth. “Go ahead,” he taunts. “Killing me won’t bring her back. It won’t change anything. As for me, my debt is paid.”

“Your debt? What does that mean?” I growl, tightening my grip on him.

The assassin’s eyes flicker with a mixture of defiance and resignation. “Just end it,” he whispers. “My family’s safe now. That’s all that matters.”

Stormy heads back to where Mia lies on the floor, whining softly and nudging Mia’s hand. In that tiny moment of distraction, the man somehow manages to pull a knife. He slices across his neck, cutting open his carotid artery, delivering a life-ending wound.

“What the fuck?” I stare down at the man as he bleeds out beneath me.

“Did he…?” Blake’s eyes widen, his mouth falling open in shock. His face drains of color, his disbelief evident in the furrow of his brow.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“No fucking clue, but did you hear what he said?”

“No?”

“He said his family was safe now. What the fuck do you think that means?”

“A few things come to mind, each crazier than the last.” Blake rubs at his jaw. “Regardless, we’re clear here.” He taps his mic. “Interior secure. Status update.”

While we wait for our team to check in, I rush to Mia’s side.

Chapter Forty-Six

RIGEL

Mia meets my gaze,pain etched across her face, but there’s a determined glint in her eyes. “I’m okay,” she manages to say, her voice strained. “It hurts, but I’m okay.”

I quickly move to her side. “Stay still,” I whisper, my hand brushing her hair from her face. “We need to make this convincing.”

Stormy stands guard beside me, her eyes scanning the room for any lingering threats. I scratch behind her ears, murmuring words of praise. “Good girl, Stormy. You did great.”

“All clear out here,” Ethan reports as he enters with one of the Rufi by his side. The sleek, robotic dog moves with an eerie precision, its mechanical joints whirring softly.

Stormy stiffens beside me, her hackles rising as she takes in the unfamiliar creature.

Stormy circles the Rufi, her nose twitching as she sniffs it cautiously. She jumps back, barking sharply, her eyes wide with curiosity. The Rufi stands still, its sensors tracking Stormy’s movements. Stormy barks again, louder this time, and then inches closer, her tail a rigid line of tension.

She sniffs the Rufi’s legs, then its body, examining it from everyangle. She jumps back once more, barking in confusion. Stormy’s movements are quick and precise, her intelligence and training evident in every motion as she tries to figure out what this new “creature” is.

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