Page 23 of Crimson Tears

“Yup.” I pop the p and shove my hands in my pockets.

“I thought he was being cooperative?” Evie looks at me as she helps the man out. His mouth is taped shut because I didn’t want to hear any moaning or crying during the ride, and his hands and feet are still bound. I’m honestly shocked that one of her men isn't out here to collect him and she’s doing it herself.

“He gave me answers that didn’t totally piss me off.”

She bends down and removes the obsidian blade I gifted her from her belt, cutting through the binds on his legs. He shakes them out and stretches a bit.

“Why was he in the trunk for hours then?”

I shrug. “He smelled like anxiety, sweat,andseemed like a talker. I wasn’t about to sit next to that for hours on end.”

Evie chuckles under her breath, taking the man’s arm and urging him inside. He tries to twist from her hold, but Evie takes back control in less than a second, the blade in her hand now pointed right at his dick.

“Try to run from me, pretty boy,” Evie taunts. “I like to get my hands dirty.”

In case you were wondering, I now completely understand why her men aren’t the ones to retrieve the piece of gobshite.

Out here, away from them, she can establish dominance and not have to compete with the faces of those inside the house. It’s a smart move; one that clearly shows just how powerful she is.

I find myself actually smiling as I watch her take control. The man nods, easily falling under her heel, no backbone in this fight whatsoever. I have to keep myself from snickering. The guy has at least fifty pounds and six inches on her, yet he looks smaller than a mouse in her presence.

This is why I agreed to work for her. Well, this and the fact that she’s pretty cool, power and control aside. She makes mewantto work harder, and after how much I’ve screwed up with my team today, I’m anxious to be sent on a new hunt to make it up to them.

For reasons I can’t explain, I feel the need to prove to Evie that I’m capable despite my impulsiveness. I have no doubt Nessa made it seem like I was a feckin’ fool today, but I want to show her I can still add to this team.

Evie knocks on the door and Damien opens it. He glances over at me and smirks like he’s won a game I was unaware we were playing. It makes me want to punch him, but I know that won’t get me points with my boss, or anyone really.

“Take him to the basement,” Evie says. “Cil and I are going to go on a walk.”

My brow wrinkles.We are?

Damien takes the man and leans down to plant a kiss on Evie’s cheek as if he needs to make a statement.Ew. If anything, I see Evie as a sister, but mostly, I respect her as my badass assassin boss I get to hang with from time to time.

A blush tinges Evie’s cheeks before her features morph into cool impassiveness as she turns to me.

“Let’s go.”

I am well aware she could be walking me to my death right now, which would be absolute shite. I’d really rather not die. Plus, I think she’s really cool, and it’s super lame to kill someone in the woods mid-mission.

“So, Nessa…” She looks at me as we turn down a path.

Was that a question or a statement?

“Yeah?”

Evie rolls her eyes. “You’re aware she’s in love with you still, right?”

I shake my head, swallowing past the lump in my throat that hasn’t left since last night.

“Yeah, I’m going to ignore that statement because she made it very clear last night who she’s chosen.”

The wind causes the trees around us to sway, their leaves rustling together as the sun begins to set. It’s ominous out here, I suppose it suits my current mood, but it’s comforting at the same time.

“Nessa is complicated.” I scoff at her statement, but she pushes on. “She’s been through a lot in the past two years. While a lot of it has been good, I think that she still sees herself through her father’s eyes.”

That stops in my tracks. “What do you mean?”

Evie turns to me and leans against a tree. “I mean that she never thinks she’s going to be good enough. She doesn’t think she deserves Boris, much less thetwoof you.”

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