Page 102 of Darling Wildfire
“What kind of a name is Dogtail?” Kane called out.
“Your mom gave it to me,” Dogtail called back.
“Your mom didn’t have time to give me a nickname,” Kane said. “She was too busy choking on my dick.”
I had to hide a smile and Preacher let out a breath that sounded very much like a laugh.
“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath. “We really trading mom jokes right now?”
“I’m in position,” Atlas called in.
“Finally—put us out of this misery,” I said.
A moment later the crack of a rifle rang out, and Dogtail dropped, dragging Red with him. Red scrambled up and raced across the clearing to Kane who wrapped an arm around her, gun still outstretched. Preacher and I joined them and Atlas appeared at a jog through the trees.
“Let’s go,” she said urgently. “He said Kai was on his way.”
“Kai?” I asked.
“He’s the leader of one of the other teams,” she said.
There was genuine fear shining in her usually detached cold eyes. I nodded and signaled for us to move out. I took point with Red behind me while Atlas and Kane watched the rear guard.
We were almost to the lookout where we’d found the cage when we heard gunfire and Kane went down with a curse and grabbed his leg. A group of soldiers came out of the trees. Kane lunged for Red and pulled her towards cover as I dodged bullets. I collided with one and we slammed against a tree. I used his gun to shoot his friend coming up behind me, then used my own to shoot him point blank.
The body fell, and I followed it. I slammed the butt of my gun into his face for good measure.
Then again, because it felt good.
The rage bubbled up, unstoppable and suddenly the man under me wasn’t a nameless soldier but Vetticus. I continued to beat him with the gun. Everything disappeared except his face, leering at me. I was out of control and in that moment I lost who I was completely. It should have scared me but it didn’t. There was only white hot rage that overflowed and spilled out of control around me.
I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop.
The release was intoxicating.
Warm blood dripped down my arms and sank into the ground under me, churning to mud with every movement. Then my gun was torn from my grip and hands grabbed my face. I was pulled roughly forward and Atlas swam into view, followed by his voice yelling at me. Reality rushed back to me so fast I got lightheaded.
My vision focused and his eyes, hard as steel, pulled me back to myself.
“Nyx!” He was shouting at me. “It’s not him! It’s not him!”
I blinked and when he saw he had me; he released my face and sat back on his heels. I looked down between us to see a body that was barely a body anymore. I staggered to my feet and turned to see the rest of the group watching me with varying degrees of emotions on their faces.
Kane was looking at me with amusement. Red looked terrified. Preacher gave me a quick glance of resigned annoyance before he went back to scanning the trees, watching our backs while I had my little breakdown. Atlas handed my gun back to me and I saw his gaze quickly sweep over me with a look that I could have sworn looked equal parts concern and hunger before he turned and motioned for us to move out. The clarity I had now was potent and for the first time in weeks, I knew I’d moved past the worst of the trauma.
Violence begets violence.
In this world, in this life, it was the only thing holding me together.
50
THERON
The moment I put the comms unit in, I heard gunfire.
“Atlas—take out that sniper,” I heard Nyx say over comms. “Kane—right flank.”
“Nyx—location?” I called.
