Page 7 of Marks of Rebellion
Lòpez will kill me. I could ruin the operation.
But he deserves to die.
Stick with the plan. The last time I didn't follow orders, I almost got kicked off the team. I need to be smart.
Malin grabs the ladder and lowers it into the hole. I continue to scan the area.
Three of Santiago's crew begin walking toward us. They are far enough away and it's dark, so they can't see us. I take out one of them, and the other two are simultaneously shot by others on our team.
Andre goes into the pit, and the women come out one by one.
Not mine.
Not mine.
Still not mine.
I continue watching Santiago's men that are still alive. I know Kalim and the other half of our team will protect us, but my guard never goes down.
There she is.
Mine.
Her blonde head peeks out of the hole, nervously glancing up and around. And my heart almost stops.
She's a beautiful flower.
I was wrong. She's not hot. She's a sexy goddess that I want to...
What is wrong with me? I need to get my head out of my ass. I'm on a mission. This isn't Tinder.
Adrenaline beats in my veins, and I motion for her to come with me. I put my arm around her waist to lead her, and she jumps back. I murmur, "Sorry, ma'am. Not trying to scare you."
She nods and takes a deep breath. We continue to walk through the camp quickly.
When we get to the wooded area, I reach for her wrist, but she pulls it back and winces.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" I whisper.
"No. I'm okay. I can get through the woods myself."
"Ma'am, it's too dense and dark out. Please let me help you. The ground is very uneven." I look down and to my horror, realize she doesn't have shoes. "You're barefoot."
"Yes."
"Ma'am, please let me carry you."
"I'm okay." She tries to convince me.
"I promise I won't hurt you, but you can't walk through this part without shoes. I'm going to pick you up, please don't scream."
"Do I look like a screamer?" Her lips twitch.
At first, her comment throws me for a loop. Then I realize she's teasing me.
Please let me make you scream.
I scoop her up off the ground, and when her face is next to mine, I reply, "I feel like that's a trick question."
