Page 56 of Ghosted in Arkadia
“Ghost?”
I step out of the shadows, but keep the gun aimed directly at his heart.
He fully turns my way, pauses, and then points his gun towards the floor. If he says anything, I can’t hear it over the sound of the music. He jogs towards me. I expect to feel relief wash over me, a sense of safety, but instinctually I take a step back as he approaches. His footsteps slow and he reaches toward me with a single hand.
“Come on, kitten. Let’s finish this.”
His words help to snap something back into alignment. Ghost may be a monster, but he’s my monster. I called, and he came. It meant something.
Imean something.
I place my hand in his and he pulls me sharply into his chest before wrapping both his arms around me. For a flicker of a moment, I feel safe. Protected. Home. The familiar scent of him washes over me, calming my nerves while sharpening my resolve.
Another shot pierces through the sound of the music, and a sense of dread washes over me as I wait for Ghost to slump to the ground. But he doesn’t. He holds me just the same. It was only my fear speaking.
“You ready to get your hands dirty, kitten? We can make a game of it.”
I lean back, wishing I could look into his eyes. Instead, I nod, unsure my voice would come out with enough conviction.
“There’s my good girl.”
His praise fills me, fuels me. Amps up my courage until I finally feel ready for the fight.
Then he flicks the bottom of his mask up and crashes his lips against mine and steals my breath from my body. His tongue plunders, forcing its way through my lips to demand a dance. The rest of the world falls away as I cling to him, desperate but willing. He pulls away too quickly, leaving me breathless and boneless in his hold.
“Let’s go kill Bill Roman.” Ghost says, before tugging the bottom of his mask back into place. “Then how about we get out of here?”
The last part is harder to hear, but I don’t struggle to make out the words since they are the ones I have waited a lifetime to hear. I nod in agreement. It’s time to end this.
We move together as if already familiar. His body postures like he’s a cop, checking around corners and signaling with his hands in a language I already know. He leads and I follow.
Easy. Effortless. Meant to be.
We come across our first obstacle, one of Roman’s guards. Ghost dispatches him with a single shot, timed with the music. The guard falls to the floor and Ghost hurries over to claim his rifle, then gives it to me.
I spot the next guard, and while my shot isn’t as expertly timed with the ambiance, I hit my mark without wasting ammo.Ghost recovers that weapon but chooses to keep it for himself. And that’s how the battle goes. For the next few minutes, we methodically proceed through the warehouse eliminating anyone in our path.
Fighting alongside Ghost makes everything feel like a game. I forget I am killing people. Ending real lives. Each person I shoot down feels like a point closer to winning.
Winning my survival. Claiming my happily ever after.
We turn a corner, and I spot something moving fast and low to the ground. I pull up the rifle and look through the scope, and it’s running right for me. Quickly. My finger sits on the trigger, but something makes me hesitate, and I’m glad for it a moment later as I realize it’s Rex. He wears a vest made for his breed; it will help protect him from getting shot as long as no one aims for his head.
Rex must know it’s me as he runs right up, flops down into a seated position with half of his ass on top of my foot. His mouth is open, his tongue sticking out the side as he pants, looking like he has a giant smile just for me.
“Oh, I’m so fucking happy to see you,” I coo, rubbing his head.
I look up and spot James. He appears to be breathing hard but waves his hand in my direction. Tommy is right next to him, beaming a smile.
Ghost leans down, speaking directly in my ear. “Go with them, kitten. I’ll finish things off here.”
I’m torn. Part of me wants to get out of this fucking building right now, but there is also a nagging tone of worry. One that says I can’t leave Ghost alone to fight against Roman. I need to be with him or have him by my side.
I can’t lose him now.
Killian’s words from dinner come crashing into my mind. “By my side means my ego thinks if I’m there, I can prevent anything from happening.”
Ghost seems to understand the battle waging inside me and decides for me. I look back at where he was standing, only to find him gone again.
