Page 88 of Kortlek

At times, the blood thirst turns me into a monster.

When it happens, I’m unpredictable. What’s a world without a monster? Aria loves the monster in me, and as long as she’s by my side, he’s tame, yearning for her affection and approval. Luckily for me, she loves the blood just as much as I do.

My perfect match made in Hell. The only person who matters. The only person I’d do anything for.

Two men approach from the right. They have their guns drawn out, and I hiss under my breath. Looks like I’ll have to use a weapon, too. They start shooting immediately, and I manage to dodge a bullet. The second one grazes my skin.

It pierces through the long-sleeved shirt, just above my ribs. The pain flows through me, but it’s easy to ignore it when my life is at stake. The blood drips down my side, coating the shirt. I can tell that the bullet isn’t in me, thankfully, which will make the recovery quicker.

I don’t wait. Instead, I aim the gun and start firing bullets as I dash toward them, mud bouncing off my feet. Rain of bullets follows from both sides, and more of their people emerge from the shadows.

Fuck.

They planned to ambush us.

Thank God Aria didn’t come here. There’s no way she would’ve survived it. As the thought briefly enters my mind, my body starts boiling with rage. Everything I am feeling I put into the shots I’m firing, trying to avoid stray bullets and hitting the targets.

A few of them drop to the ground, and I don’t have the time to check if they’re alive or dead. Instead, I continue running through the park, taking out as many as I possibly can.

Across the park is Arlo, seemingly already done with his batch. He stacked up the bodies on top of each other, then plopped himself on top of it. Even from a distance, I see the wide grin on his face and that annoying tooth gem shining under the moonlight.

Motherfucker will never let me live this one down.

A loud groan comes from me, and I stop playing around. I hit one man after the other, another bullet piercing through the side of my arm. I flinch, then kill the motherfucker. He had good aim, I’ll give him that.

Then, the fun’s over.

I stop in my tracks, trying to regulate my breathing. My eyes close, and I tuck the gun away, then give myself a moment. I’m not sure what was supposed to happen here — it certainly wasn’t this. Hence, it’s all too fucking weird.

“Arlo,’’ I called, and the bastard hops off the dead bodies, strolling casually toward me. “Call the clean-up crew, and make sure the camera footage is wiped out.’’

“Done already,’’ he nods. “Are you alright? Are you going to die on me?”

The urge to hit the bastard almost wins, but I manage to pull myself together. “Fuck off. I’m fine.’’

Arlo hums, amusement evident in his expression.

His phone buzzes, and his brow lifts. He picks up the call and puts it on speaker, stepping closer to me so I’d be able to hear it clearly.

“What is it, butterfly?”

“I just went to the bathroom and…’’

The panic in Blair’s voice sends me over the edge of uneasiness. Something’s wrong; I feel it in my bones. My shoulders tense, and the air around Arlo and me thickens, his expression mirroring mine — fear hidden well behind his eyes.

“What happened?”

“She’s gone,’’ Blair admits through a whisper. “Aria… left.’’

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The silence is deafening.

Rose’s gasp breaks it, and the hand that was previously on my forearm moves. She steps forward, ignoring Wyatt’s presence completely and gently taking my face in her hands. I have no doubt that the harsh slap left his handprint on my skin.

My eyes are glued to Wyatt. He steps back, still as furious as ever. However, he stops moving. He makes no attempts to hit me again, to hurt me or to kill either Rose or me. Instead, he’s waiting for what I’ll do, and I can swear I can see a flicker of doubt in his expression.

I move forward, leaving Rose behind me yet again. My eyes find hers briefly, and I beg her silently not to interfere. She looks like she’s about to pounce on Wyatt, her eyes filled with sudden rage and fury. As grateful as I am to have such a friend by my side, I don’t want her involved in this.

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