Page 399 of The Tempted

“Uh…that wasn’t meant for you,” I stammered, dropping my finger. Shit!

“Right,” he said, cocking his head as he stared at me perplexed. “God she’s perfect for him,” he mumbled, turning around.

This time when I lifted my finger I gave it to Bones and not the Reaper.

I wasn’t perfect for Riggs.

No, not at all.

Hope.

Fuck you hope.

I don’t want you.

I locked the door, grabbed my bat and went back to the couch. Then I did what any good catholic girl did and prayed with my baseball bat tucked under my arm.

Because I was Anthony Bianci’s sister.

Because I was having Riggs’ baby.

Because everyone folds.

Because I was fucking pregnant and crazy.

I blinked against the darkness, unable to see. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the bag over my head or the fact that one eye was swollen shut and the other was bleeding. My head was pounding and the left side felt like it was on fire.

I’m going to come out of this.

And when I do, I’m going hunting.

I’m going to torture and kill every fucking Dragon I can find.

I’m going to beat the fuck out of them until they’re pissing blood.

I knew the moment I mentioned the Dragons’ stash house to the Knights I was playing with fire. I was so sure that setting Jimmy up to take the fall would be key in saving our asses.

It would’ve worked too if I hadn’t fucked up, but it’s my fault I’m lying here beaten and bloody.

Jack wasn’t kidding when he told Wu I was the best in the surveillance business.

I was.

I wired every fucking inch of Wu’s building and in the process, I set myself up for my own fate. I’m the one who signed my death certificate the moment I took the mask off in the hallway of the stash house. I saw the footage with my own eyes. I was naked when I woke up from the blow to the head, handcuffed to a pipe and at the mercy of the Red Dragons. Wu played the video back for me and he played it over and over again, each time he did he struck me with a whip.

They maneuvered me into the back of a van, covering my head with a canvas bag as they drove me to wherever it was these fuckers thought they would kill me.

I may have made a mistake and been reckless but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

I’d go “Jackie Chan” on their asses.

Jack was right about something else.

We all need heart, it’s what keeps us from being reckless, keeps us breathing.

I needed to breathe.

For Kitten and for Pea.

---