Page 39 of Vengeful

"I'm not letting you walk straight up to them," I said just as firmly.

"I wouldn't be alone," she said.

I sighed. "This better not end badly."

"You don't have to do this," I told her.

"As far as I can tell, you haven't come up with a better idea," she said. She cocked her head at me challengingly. Did she have to be so hot, even with blood on her face and her clothes torn here and there? If it wasn't for the twins, I'd would have bent her over the nearest stump and fuck her silly.

"I haven't, which is the only reason I'm agreeing to this," I said.

We'd backtracked far enough for me to swap clothes with one of the dead mercenaries. My black jeans were too faded to pass as one of them. My button down shirt said 'teacher,' not mercenary. Fortunately, my black boots would pass.

I rubbed my fingertips over my forehead. "I still don't like it."

She stood on her toes to kiss my mouth. "I know you don't, but we don't have a choice. Let's do this before night falls completely."

That couldn't have been more than twenty or so minutes away.

"All right. Turn around and put your hands behind your back. Keep them there and do exactly what I tell you to do."

"You're so hot when you're bossy," she said teasingly.

"I'm hot all the time," I joked. I raised the gun and pointed it at her back. "Now, walk, woman. And remember, you're scared of me. You don't know if I might kill you or not."

She blew out a breath through pursed lips. "I'll think back to Brutus. If I pretend you're him, I might pull this off for long enough."

"Enough talking," I snapped. I had to get into the role myself.

Her mouth shut so quickly her teeth clicked. She was brave as fuck to think this up, much less want to go ahead with it. Only Lila Bell would walk straight into the wolves’ den.

Back straight, she marched forward, stepping carefully through the trees. I followed right behind, glancing at my watch every so often to make sure we were headed in the right direction. I didn't want to contemplate how ridiculous it would be if after all this, we got lost. We could laugh about it later. Nothing was funny right now.

"Over there," I barked. I waved past her, in the direction of my SUV. "Move." I put a hand on her back and gave her a shove.

She shot me a resentful look over her shoulder, which might have been genuine. She clearly wasn't impressed with being pushed around like that. I'd apologise later.

We kept walking until we reached the road. Hunter and Parker were tied up, sitting on the ground beside my SUV.

Three mercenaries, all dressed in black melted out of the trees nearby. All three trained their guns on Lila and me.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I snapped at them. "I have her. Put your fucking guns down." I shoved her forward again.

I half expected a growl from the direction of the twins, but neither of them said anything. Clearly they'd cottoned on to the plan.

Uncertain, two of the mercenaries looked to their leader. He looked back at me for a moment before nodding and putting his gun away.

Lila and I both raised ours and shot the mercenaries to either side. One was hit in the head, the other in the stomach. The latter got off a shot, but it missed us by about a week.

Before the leader could react, the twins lunged forward, barrelling their bodies into his legs and knocking him off his feet.

Lila put a bullet in his head. Then, for good measure, one in the chest of the man who lay on the ground, clutching his stomach. He groaned and fell still.

Hunter flopped back against the road and looked up at us. "Felicity, your tits have shrunk."

I laughed. "It's good to see you too." I knelt down beside him and started to untie his wrists and ankles.

Lila did the same with Parker before giving him back his phone.

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