Page 5 of Ink Deep Devotion

An image of Mila, of her lips on mine, flashes in my mind.Focus on that!On her delicious taste, her silky lips moaning into my mouth; Don't panic!

Mila has been my escape countless times as I face death.

I cough, sputtering, my chest tightening painfully.Shit!My hands scramble frantically for my mask, fingers trembling as they fumble over the rubble filled ground.

You have seconds before the gas knocks you out!

When I fell from the blast, I landed hard on my side, knocking my mask to the side of my face.

There! I grab it and place it over my mouth. I push the clear button and feel a rush of clean air push through the vents as I tug on the straps, ensuring it forms a tight seal to my face.

I crouch even lower, fighting to steady my breathing, my lungs burning. I cough, desperate to get rid of the taste of death, the metallic tang of smoke and blood.

This is just another dangerous tango—one I’ve danced again and again since arriving at Initiation 101. Always teetering on the verge of death, clawing for those fleeting moments where I can still taste life.

The buzzing remains, but I’ve regained control of my body after the blast. I scan my surroundings quickly. The building we were using as cover is now nothing more than destroyed walls of concrete. We never stood a chance hiding. Our enemies knew we were here.

That’s the point, to watch my team grovel and try to fight their way out.

Damian seizes my bulletproof vest, hoisting me to my feet as the ground beneath us slips with newly formed burning debris. Titan swiftly advances, positioning himself in front of Damian and me, his gun raised and aimed high. His finger tightens on the trigger, and I follow the trajectory of the red laser to its target, watching as it hits the weakness in our armor.

The target jerks from the impact. It serves as a stark reminder that what unfolds here, though it’s a game, it also is real in every sense. That bullet was real, as was the target who is our enemy, or should I say, a classmate.

“Dash, you good?” Titan’s voice comes through our comms, but it sounds distant.

Damian positions himself in front of me, providing protection until I can reassure them. I reach for my gun, grabbing it like a lifeline.“Good.” I nod. In my new life, 'good' means I’m barely surviving—just holding on. My hands still grasp at life, my nails digging into my beating heart, praying it won’t fail me as I cling to something, anything, that can give me hope.

Titan risks looking over his shoulder, meeting my eyes to make sure. I dip my chin, easing his fears.

The day Dante, Cillian and I arrived at Initiation 101, so did my cousins Titan and Damian, along with two other men I now call brothers, Anders and Leo. The seven of us formed a new family, not by choice at first. I lacked familiarity with Anders or Leo, and my trust in Anders is still uncertain. He makes me look angelic.

I look from left to right. Where is that fucker, anyway?

I spot Anders crouched down over… Shit! No! Anders is hovering over Cillian’s large body. The big bastard is unmoving, a huge slab of concrete lays on top of Cillian, and to make matters worst, the exposed wires spark, setting a line of fire rushing towards Cillian and Anders.

“Cillian!” I choke.

“Dash and Anders, get Cillian ready to be moved. We have to get through the treeline or we’re all dead.” Dante orders.“Titan, you're with me. We stick to the plan and clear the path.”

Titan nods.

“I got your six,” Damian agrees.

“Me too,” Leo grunts, his thick Russian accent haunting my ears as my hearing comes rushing back, the crumbling sound of cement cracking under the fire along with explosions and gunfire surround us.

I rush towards Anders.

“It’s too heavy,” he whispers, adjusting his hold on the destroyed wall trying to bury Cillian alive. It’s the first time I have sensed worry in Anders's voice.

A weight settles in my gut. I crouch down, adrenaline flooding my body as I grab the jagged edges.“One, two, lift!” Anders and I say in sync.

The cement wall groans, but we only manage to lift it a solid three inches.Fuck!No, I won’t lose Cillian!

“Damian!” I shout through the comms as the gunfire escalates and approaches closer to our location. The fire spreads as Damian rushes to our aid. We have no choice but to watch it start to touch Cillian’s flesh. If we don’t get this wall off of him, it will consume him entirely.

The smoke grows so thick I can’t see where my hands grip the wall. If it wasn’t for our mask we’d all be dead. Our muscles are fueled by dread and fury as the three of us lift.

There! Just enough room to slip a hand inside and grab a hold of Cillian.

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