Page 80 of V for Vindictive

Classic Cash.

Phillip grunted, his arms crossing angrily against his chest, outnumbered, and I realized it was down to me when his eyes slid over to mine.

Oddly, the vibes Jo gave me didn’t make me hesitate at all. What she said about the Organization wasn’t wrong either. I was confident in my snap-judgment of her that she had every intention of making the Organization pay. She gave me vigilante vibes, and I was into it.

Why not risk a little? Who could we really trust in this life, anyway? Tiff convinced me at one time she was a friend, and then she tried to quite literally stab me in the back.

Jo sounded like she had every reason to hate everything the Organization stood for, even though I hadn’t gotten the full picture on her beef with Eros. And we really couldn’t afford to be picky right now.

“I take it you’re pro Organization destruction?” I finally asked, trying to keep my eyes on her face instead of wandering down her body. Not really sure why I struggled so much to keep my eyes to myself, but something about Jo hit different than any other woman I’d met.

Jo’s eyes darted over to the corner of the room. It happened too fast for even my superior eyes to track when I heard the telling thud of bodies hitting the floor. By the time I looked over, ash burst in a great cloud and several vampires were destroyed.

“Oh yeah, every person at the top and the blind Hunter minions working for them can choke on a dick,” she answered bluntly, summoning the magic-wrapped blades to return to her with a flick of her wrist. “Look, that asshole with the tattoos and get-fucked-air can get bent, seriously. Fuck right off, asshole. Cash can also choke on a dick,” she said pointedly at the Dark Fae.

He put his hands in the air. “I deserve that.”

Jo sighed and stole a reproachful glare at Sloan. “I don’t know you, don’t really care to either, but…” Smirking, her eyes took a stroll down my body, and it made my heart thump for an entirely different reason than fear. “You, V, let’s just say that I’ve heard things, and I think you’re worth my time. I’m not the type to strike a bargain with just anyone, and I always keep my promises.”

My eyes strayed over to Phillip, then Sloan. By the sheer body language these trained Hunters displayed, it was evident they didn’t really trust her. Sloan seemed more open to letting her join, but it was all there in his body he’d rather not be entangled with the mysterious woman.

And I had no reason to trust her at all, but why did I want to? Why did this woman coming to our rescue—an enemy of my enemy—make me want to trust a little? Take a chance? Be a little crazy and let her join? My gut told me that we needed her.Ineeded her. And my gut had gotten me this far in life—to a weirdo love triangle, a crazy unfolding of fuckery, but alive—so I’d take a chance today.

I’d follow my gut.

“I’m V,” I greeted her, reaching my hand out.

Jo’s lips twitched and she took my hand, jerking her abyss-deep eyes between Sloan and Phillip. No, but seriously, what sort of lotion did this gorgeous woman use because touching her was like running my hand over nothing but flower petals.

“Jo. Or as the Organization likes to call me, Fae Assassin Number Two—responsible for over a thousand Hunter deaths.”

Not ominous at all.

Phillip audibly groaned as I cracked a smile and blamed my fucked luck for this weird middle-of-mission moment.

Jo was more than happy to help us finish off the vampire leaders in a mesmerizing display of her magic-paired weaponry, and then we were back where we first met her, in the large antechamber.

Her eyes swept across the room before she addressed Cash, who was eyeing the tunnel that led to the surface, “You.”

It was hilarious to watch the Fae turn his head while magic swirled around his hand and illuminated his gorgeous face in a majesty of sparkling color. From his expression, he expected her to be speaking to another asshole behind him, and then he pointed to himself and swallowed. “Me? I mean, yes?”

“You’re the talented enchanter Eros threatened into working for him, if I remember correctly,” Jo clapped back, twirling a dagger through her fingers.

Cash flipped back his hair with one hand, acting cute. “I’m honored you’ve heard of me.”

“A coward who does whatever he’s asked to avoid pain,” the blunt woman continued, and I bit my lower lip to keep from laughing when Cassius’s face fell with disgust. “Well, whatever. My guess is you keep at least one summoning stone on you,” Jo said, not asking. “With the number of skilled killers in this room, it’s now or never. Time to summon that bastard you call master and end his terrible reign.”

In no small way, I was obsessed with Jo already. Something told me that she didn’t mince words, certainly hadn’t from the first moment we met, and she wasn’t one to play games. It was a nice change of pace.

“I do, but to summon him you’d—” Cash started matter-of-factly, not at all convinced it was possible by the curl of his lip.

“You’d need this?” Jo interjected and lifted a vial in her hand, a few thin strands of hair locked inside of it.

Cassius’s face slackened, and his mouth popped open like he was a cartoon character, drawn overdramatic for comedic effect. “You’re a terrifying woman. I can’t believe you have that.”

Shrugging, Jo stared at the vial, twisting it inside her fingers. “Eros is cocky. Cocky people tend to make shameless mistakes,” she voiced, dark eyes directed at Phillip. “No one is invincible.”

It was clear to anyone around her that she wasn’t talking about Eros anymore. Phillip and Jo locked eyes, saying nothing but everything in the silence.

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