Page 9 of No Mistakes
No… No. No. NO!
I stagger back, my stomach twisting violently while I try to breathe. Mandy shakes her head slightly, and I feel it… Everything inside of me is breaking, crumbling, shattering into something I’ll never get back.
A sound rips from my throat, something between a sob and a scream. People start approaching us, asking Carter if I’m okay, but everything around me blurs into one as I picture Axel lying there, not moving.
Someone's arms wrap around me, but I don’t know who. The room spins, the voices blur as the world tilts on its axis, and I can’t… I can’t.
The memory slams into me with full force, yanking me from the past and slamming me back into the present. The gun in my hand is steady, but I’m not. My breath shakes as I grip the weapon tightly, using the cold metal to ground me.
I inhale sharply, blinking the tears away that threaten to fall, and replace the target in front of me before sending it back to its position.
I will not break. I will not lethimbreak me.
I raise the gun, aiming while I look down the sights once more. But this time, when I pull the trigger, Ifeelit. Thepower. Thecontrol.
This time, I don’t miss.
CHAPTER 5
AXEL
The tires screechagainst the road as I take the next turn harder than intended. My hands tighten around the wheel while I glare at the GPS. The screen glares back as it tells me we’re ten minutes away. It’s only ten minutes, but it feels like fucking forever.
We’ve already hit two different shooting ranges, and she wasn’t there. The clerk behind the counter must be traumatised after I barged in there demanding to see the CCTV. At first, he said it’s against the rules, but he soon changed his mind when I pinned him against the wall by his neck, asking if he enjoyed his life.
Ant sits beside me, silent as always, but I can feel him watching me closely. He doesn’t need words to say what’s already written all over his face. I’m tense and restless. One wrong move from anyone, and I might snap.
I can still hear the faint sound of gunshots, and I know she is safe, but the thought of her being surrounded by weapons… I can’t decide if I’m turned on from her holding one, or fucking terrified.
The guys gave me a rundown of what happened at the warehouse where Marco had me tied down and tortured. Theytold me that Eva and Mandy both had firearms and they went there, guns blazing like something out of the God Father.
The issue I have, is I know that she is capable of holding her own, but it’s my job to protect her. It’s my job to do the dirty work. Not hers.
Ant’s phone speaks in that robotic voice, breaking me free of my own thoughts.“What’s the plan?”
The plan? I don’t fucking know. I inhale sharply, trying to steady the frustration burning inside of me. “I just need to see her,” I tell him, my voice coming out rough from shouting at our previous destination. “Make sure she’s okay, I guess.”
Ant tilts his head slightly, signing something quickly with his fingers, something he hasn’t done in years. It takes me a moment to remember everything I learnt when I attended sign-language classes to help him feel safe.
“And what if she doesn’t want to see you?”
I clench my jaw, “Then I’ll leave.” The words taste bitter on my tongue. “But I need to try.” The air grows thick around us as doubt creeps towards me. The GPS tells me to take a sharp left, and I follow the instructions a bit too seriously, causing Ant to grip the door for support as he flies into it.
I grit my teeth, my heartbeat matching the steady roar of the engine as I try and beat the seven minutes displayed on the screen in front of me. She doesn’t have to forgive me. She doesn’t even have to talk to me. But I’ll be damned if I sit back and do nothing.
The second I step inside, the smell of gunpowder hits me, giving me a sense of peace. The muffled thuds of gunfire echo through the range behind the closed doors. A guy stands at the counter,trying to greet me, but I walk straight past him towards the doors. I yank the handle, trying to pull them open, but they don’t move. I turn round slowly, aiming my glare at the man hiding behind Ant, who stands firmly to the spot, eyes wide with fear.
“Er, you need access to go through there, sir.” The man says nervously.
Letting out a sigh, I walk towards him, throwing a wad of cash in his direction. “Look, I don’t want to cause any issues here buddy. I just need to find someone,” I lean forward, pressing a finger against the money. “Threehundreddollars. That's how much is sitting in front of you right now.”
The man glances towards me, then Ant. No doubt debating if he should take the money or press the panic button located under the counter. I glance down at his name tag, making a mental note before looking at Ant, who is smirking in my direction. He gestures his hand between me and Carlos, and I know exactly what he’s suggesting.
A low growl escapes me as I put more pressure against the counter, gripping the edges as I plaster a fake smile on my face. “Carlos,pleaselet me in,” I say through gritted teeth. He looks at me for a second before looking at Ant, who is the calmer one out of us both. Ant nods his head, and Carlos snatches up the money, stuffing it into his pockets before pressing the release button on the door.
I don’t waste any more time as I sprint towards the door, pulling it open to be greeted by the shots of firearms. My ears echo with each one, but I don’t take any notice while I search each cubicle looking for Eva.
I’m halfway through the room, frustrated at the possibility that she’s not here either, but then I see her.
