Page 85 of Hush 3: Hidden Family

A door opens on the left and a guy steps out. Michael uses his body to shield me, much to my annoyance. However, I arabesque, lifting onto one leg and stealing enough height to aim over Micheal’s head to shoot the guy once in the head and twice in the chest.

Michael looks over his shoulder at me, but I don’t have time to poke my tongue out at him like I want to. Two more guys pour out from the room the last one came from. I toss one gun in the air, then place my palm into Michael’s back to reposition him out of my way.

Catching my gun, I then take them down and move around Michael to move forward. Once we clear this floor, we move swiftly to the next, where we should find our targets.

We enter a wide-open room. It has the feel of a gallery, which I believe it once was from the recon I did on the building. I take a deep breath as everything changes. Our targets are here, but so are at least twenty other men. The only good thing is the fact that they haven’t noticed us.

I reload quickly. I’ll need the fresh clips to clear this room. Michael seems to have the same thought as he does as well.

“I love you, Sim. Don’t?—”

Before he can finish whispering his words, I take out two of our targets. They are taller than the others, giving me clear headshots. However, that alerts the others to our presence.

Michael hits one of our other main targets as I move forward behind one of the pillars surrounding the perimeter of the room. Bullets are now flying our way. Our final two targets are on the move, trying to escape.

Michael has started to chart the same path as me on the other side of the room. My focus is on the last two targets. We can’t allow them to escape.

I move faster, then I leap into the air, landing in the perfect firing range as they get to a door at the back of the room. I pullthe trigger and take out both their knees. The two men drop to the ground and the men who were trying to get them out turn and begin to fire on us.

Michael takes two out swiftly. The third fires a shot at me, but I duck out of the way. Michael shoots him in the shoulder, then runs up behind him and viciously snaps his neck.

I move to stand over the last two, who are groaning in agony. Michael reaches my side as I put two in the first one’s head. Michael finishes off the other.

Quickly, we head out of the exit they were trying to escape through. Michael bolts the door behind us, and we rush down the stairs. The exit at the bottom dumps us right out into the back lot, which will lead straight to our vehicle.

Job sixty-one done. One hundred and fifty-five kills. Still never touched once.

CHAPTER 42

Synergy and Fire

Michael

I’m still in awe as we pull up to the house. I haven’t been able to find the words I want to say to her to express how amazing she is. The synergy, the electrifying way we worked together.

The job had been unpredictable from the start. We had to go in blind in order to get all five targets at once. It had to be done simultaneously.

For all my worries, Symphony proved me wrong. She handled herself like a well-trained assassin. With each day that passes, I have been seeing the errors in how I have handled Sim.

My protectiveness may have done more harm than good. Uri is right. Symphony is a natural.

After what I witnessed tonight, I would fear her as much as Hush orMorte Nera.

Without a word, she steps from the car, leaving me to stare after her. She’s still angry with me. I get out and follow her into the house.

She goes in through the side door and straight to our bedroom. The last two weeks have been heaven, waking up with her in my arms and going to bed with her next to me. It makes me question if I have done anything right.

As I’m lost in thought, Sim strips down and climbs into the shower. I bag her clothes, then strip from mine to do the same. Then, I walk the bag to the shoot that leads to the furnace to toss it in.

Uri now has one of these shoots in all the hitter’s bedrooms of this house and his office. It has been convenient, to say the least. Once I’m done, I head back to the shower. I owe my wife an apology.

Symphony

“Stupid buttface. I know how to do my job,” I grumble to myself.

I am stewing. I have never been so angry. Michael could have gotten himself killed with his behavior.

I wasn’t in harm’s way. I had it under control. I growl in frustration. I haven’t been underestimated like this since my freshman year in college. One of my professors only saw my disorder.

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