Page 2 of Wreaking Havoc on my Heart

I don’t remember running to Vi. Or holding her in my arms as I cried countless apologies. I don’t feel E helping me to the car and out of my bloody shirt. I have no memory of us burying her or anything that came along with it. My mind tries to protect me from the guilt of telling my best friend that I needed some time off.

But I do remember the killing spree I went on in the name of vengeance. I can still feel the blood coating my fingers as it dripped from the dealer's throat who took her from me. I remember the cries for mercy. There was satisfaction when his bones crunched beneath my boot, and it only elevated the high of the kill when I felt their flesh being flayed open by my blade.

I remember cutting his ears off, then slicing just below to build the pressure in his brain, driving him slowly toward insanity. The sound of my laughter in his face as he cried. Then, I made sure to paint his blood around his home and every single one of the men who helped him the same way they had done to Vi.

E was there for all of it, my personal clean-up crew she would say. I never had to talk or explain my next move; she was just always there. She fought with me. Held men down so I could take my time with killing them. E made hell look like a vacation in the wake of their deaths.

I owe her everything; I love her like the only family I’ve got left.

Chapter 1

Present

Water forces itself into my lungs as I gasp for air. When the damn boat ran out of gas three miles from shore, I never thought I’d make it but I’m so close now.

My stomach knots as I advance on the island, pushing every muscle to the limit as I try to get to E. I have to save her from her twisted as fuck uncle. The man I thought was my best friend. I try not to think about everything I found and just focus on her. The only one who was really there for me after I lost my wife.

The girl who cleaned me up from drunken rage fights countless times. The one who understood and never once judged me. The girl I look to as a sister.

I will protect her. I cannot lose anyone else.

The second I reach the shore, I cough up the rough sea water that forced its way into my lungs as I powered through the waves. Collapsing on the sand, I allow myself exactly sixty seconds before grabbing my phone and orienting my mind to the island. Once I have a vague idea of the terrain, based on the intel from the damn tracker Adrik put in her, I head toward the place it seems like she’s been staying.

As I make my way to her quarters I notice just how many things the island is equipped with. A full-on war could take place here with the amount of supplies this place has.

Carefully I walk around the building to check for surveillance. I find two cameras and disable them with a program on my phone before moving in. Thank fuck someone thought to create waterproof phones. It’s saved me countless times.

I pick the lock easily and enter the suite to find blood coating the center of the floor. My knees weaken, but I don’t let myself fall. I know they have a hospital here. I need to know if someone found her in time. Adrik had a fit a few weeks back about her liking someone here. I was so happy for her and confused as to why he was acting like that. I put it aside and assumed it was just the caring uncle, but no.

As I make my way to the hospital, I’m thankful there are signs posted in various locations to help those in attendance here. The island is eerily quiet though, and I find it strange students aren’t out at this time of night. The dorms I pass are silent. It’s almost as if no one is here at all.

That is, until I make it to the medical center. I look through the glass, and I overhear vague reports through a cracked window about a girl who nearly died. They go into extensive detail, and it’s only then I notice I’m by the physician's office, listening while he recounts his notes from the surgery. I make a mental note of every detail, and my chest hurts in a way it hasn’t in years.

I was too late.

I turn around searching for another way in when I catch a glimpse of blonde hair. Before I know it, my hands are behind my back, taped up in a complex way that makes it nearly impossible for me to break free. I grunt and pull at the tape while trying to shove my opponent away?to create distance. But she holds firm, moving with me and refusing to let go.

Her long nails dig into my skin, and I have to repress a groan from how fucking good it feels.What the fuck is wrong with me. Get your head in the game, man.

I try to shove again, but a sharp object with two points is pushed into my ribcage with so much force I actually stop breathing for fear of it puncturing my lungs.

Slowly, my opponent's face comes into view, and I’m frozen in place. Long blonde hair, full pink lips, long manicured nails, and puffy eyes. Her eyes, fuck. They’re like a sea of blue. For just a moment, I’m lost in them. At least until my arm muscle spasms and I realize I’m at her mercy.

I could swear she’s a witch from the trance she holds me in, but not in a sinister way. More ethereal and breathtaking.

“Who are you, and what the heck are you doing out here?” Her voice is raspy like she’s been crying and her nose is pink.

“Who are you?”

“If you don’t know who I am, then you shouldn’t be here.” She grabs my arm and twists, causing my legs to nearly give out from the pain. I swear she just dislocated my shoulder. I grit through the burn and push back.

“I need to get to her, you don’t understand. I need to know if she’s okay.”

This seems to give her pause and hope fills my chest that maybe she can help me out here. I mean, I don’t know her at all, but she’s clearly upset. “Please, just hear me out.”

My voice breaks, and I’m truly worried I was too late. I never heard the end of the report. I don’t know if she made it. I only know the injuries were severe.

She stops and turns to face me, her fingers still pressing in on a tendon that’s causing my arm to go numb, but I ignore it. “Well. Let's hear it then.”

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