Page 1 of Blood of the Saints

Prologue

Sweat coats my brow as tumultuous despair courses through my veins. My entire body aches with the weight of my circumstances crashing down around me. My shaking legs feel like they're going to give out from underneath me, but I roll my shoulders back, feigning confidence that I don’t have.

My hand feels heavy, looking at the slick black gun as my fingers wrap around it. Flipping it over, inspecting the cool metal object, I’m flooded with the severity of the decision I’m expected to make. The biggest decision of my life.

With trembling hands, I lift the gun pointing it directly at the fierce man who stands before me. Looking behind him, I can see a battered body, only filling me with even more rage and betrayal.

“Zamira…” I hear a cautious voice beside me, but he can’t stop me. No one can. This is my decision to make. One I’ve been forced to make.

“You betrayed me. You blindsided me. You took my heart and ripped it clean out of my chest, but clearly, that doesn’t matter. Everything was all a game, an act, and I’m the only fool here.” My voice fills the room, the screams echoing off the walls. Tears stream down my face as my emotions flood through me. I feel like I’m drowning.

The blood pumping through my body echoes through my ears while I try to focus on the scene before me. How did I get myself into this situation? What choices did I make in life that brought me to this moment right here?

Taking a deep breath in, closing my eyes, I steady my hand. Clearing my mind, I know what I have to do. They wanted to know where my loyalty lies; now it’s time to show them.

“Do it.” His voice echoes in my mind, pulling me from the deep thoughts threatening to trap me inside my head.

My finger hovers over the trigger, ready to seal my fate forever. Trying to control my shaking hand, my finger tightens, feeling the resistance underneath my touch. The feel of the cool metal digging into my skin will be ingrained in my mind forever. This moment will haunt me until my dying breath.

This is my choice.

The only way out of here is to do this.

My heart knows the right decision, but can I make it?

Taking a deep breath, I squeeze the trigger before I can change my mind. The gun kicks in my hand, letting me know that this unfortunately isn’t a crazy illusion. Screams fill the room, echoing off the concrete walls. The burned metal smell fills my nose as I slowly lower the gun, my hand uncontrollably shaking, and my jaw trembling.

I did it.

I shot him.

Two months earlier

Atooth cuts through my lip when his large fist connects with my cheek. The coppery taste of blood fills my mouth while the stinging rushes through my face. Before I can even think about the pain, a size thirteen boot slams into my stomach, knocking me to the ground.

“You need to focus, Z. That’s the second time this week I’ve taken you down with barely a fight.” I can hardly hear my partner’s voice over the sounds of my gasps. I try to regain my composure but the more air I attempt to pull in, the worse it gets.

“In through your nose, out through your mouth.” As much as I want to tell him to fuck off right now, he’s right. Per his instructions, I draw in breaths nice and slow, finally calming the wheezing sounds coming out of me.

I glare at him through the sweaty strands of blonde hair chaotically falling out of my ponytail from the fight. “Fuck you, Matt,” I spit. “We’ve been at this for hours, and you won’t let me take a break.” I get why he’s doing this. He wants me to be ready for anything when my mission starts. I love him for that, but he’s been a little overbearing lately.

“You need to be on top of your game out there. You won’t have me to keep you alive. You think some asshole’s going to stop and give you a break when you’re feeling tired? No,” he says with a cocky smirk, reaching out his hand to help me up. I stand, wringing out my arms to prepare for another fight from him. Tossing a towel in my direction, he motions for me to wipe the blood leaking from my mouth.

I laugh. “Yeah, right. I’m the one that always has to save your ass. You get way too cocky for your own good.”

“What was that? Did I hear ‘good’ and ‘cock’ in the same sentence? Now, that’s highly inappropriate. Don’t ya think, Z?” he says with a wink.

Of course he has to make a sexual innuendo. I’m pretty sure sexual is his only setting. I playfully push his shoulder, making him stumble back a little. “Shut the fuck up. I don’t want to think about your nasty, infection-ridden cock,” I tease.

He chuckles loudly. “You would if you knew what I can do with this monster,” he says, grabbing his crotch.

I roll my eyes at his lewd comment, and head to grab some water while muttering, “Gross,” under my breath. His laugh tells me he heard my comment.

Matt and I have known each other for almost three years now, and our relationship has never been anything but platonic. Some might see the way we tease each other as inappropriate for work colleagues, but we’ve become much more like family. He’s like a big brother to me; someone I can always count on.

We met on the first day of Quantico when I thought I could beat his cocky ass. Turns out, I was wrong, but I sure as hell tried. He’s a big, meaty fucker. He easily took me down and didn’t think twice about it. That day was humiliating and painful, but I got one good thing out of it. My best friend. Matt’s all I have now. I have no family, no other friends; just Matt. He admired my bravery to take on someone twice my size, and we’ve been friends ever since.

I take a drink of my water before facing Matt in a fighting stance. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go again.”

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