Page 7 of The Colour of Revenge
Six.
The number sends something cold and sharp slicing through my chest. A fury bubbles up, raw and unrelenting, and it’s not directed at her. The thought of what she’s been through, what these men have done, makes my hands clench into fists. A dark, violent part of me wants to find every one of them right now and make them pay in ways I’ve never even considered.
“We’d make a good team,” I say before I can stop myself.
“What?” Her lips part, her voice edged with surprise.
I shrug, trying to keep my tone casual. “If you ever want company… you should call me.”
Her eyes narrow, a teasing spark lighting up behind them. “I’d need your number for that.”
Is she flirting with me? She’s definitely flirting with me. Why is it so fucking hot that she’s flirting with me while we’re standing next to the body of the man we just killed?
“Give me your phone.” I hold out my hand, staring at her expectantly.
She pulls it out of her pocket, her movements slow and deliberate, then hands it to me. My bloodied hands are hardly in any state to touch it, so I wipe them on my jeans first, grinning when she raises an eyebrow.
I punch in my number and send myself a quick text, slipping her phone back into her hand. “There. Now you have no excuse not to.”
She glances at the screen, then back at me. “Guess I’ll see you around, Nate.”
“Count on it, Princess.”
For a moment, neither of us moves. The air feels heavy, charged with something I can’t quite name. She hesitates, like she doesn’t want to leave, and the truth is, I don’t want her to. But eventually, she turns and heads for the door, her footsteps light and purposeful.
Before she disappears, she throws one last glance over her shoulder, her eyes locking with mine for a brief, electric moment. And then she’s gone, leaving me alone with a dead body—and the undeniable urge to see her again.
I fire off a quick text to Kai, telling him where to meet, then busy myself, starting to clear up some of the blood and grime while I wait for him to arrive.
“Christ.” Kai grimaces, stepping into the room and taking in the scene with a pained eye. He hates mess, which makes him the best cleaner.
“What?” I say, feigning innocence as I wipe my hands on my already-ruined jeans. “It’s not that bad.”
Kai scoffs, crouching to inspect the mess. “Not that bad? This will take me hours.”
“Remember that one particularly bad one…”
“Don’t remind me.” He glares up at me, his face twisted in horror. “The smell alone was enough to haunt me for life. I still have nightmares.”
“Shut up.” I grin, leaning casually against the wall. “You love it.”
“Love is a strong word.” Kai straightens, rolling his shoulders with a tired groan.
I scan the scene, assessing the carnage. “How are you getting rid of this one?”
“Same as always. Chop it up, throw it in the Thames.”
“You’re so predictable.”
“Hey, it works! Never had one come back up.”
I got into this business—the murder business—about five years ago. The first time it happened, it wasn’t planned. I lost control in the heat of the moment when I was confronting a monster for one of my clients.
Now, I can’t imagine my life taking any other path. I’ve always had the drive to help victims of trafficking and abuse. My sister was kidnapped and sold when she was only nine years old. Ever since then, I knew I would want to make a career out of helping the survivors. The ones that got out. And now I get to get justice for the ones that didn’t.
After my loss of control, Kai was the only one I could think of to ask for help. The only person I trusted enough to call. And, of course, he came through. Kai is nothing if not practical. He didn’t hesitate. Helped me clean up the mess, scoured hours of security footage to make sure it looked like I’d never been anywhere near the scene.
We've been a team ever since.
