Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“What do you want from me? I wanted a cool name with a bit of mystery. The Tech Guy is so . . . ”
“Boring? Unoriginal? Lacking?”
“Exactly.”
The slightest noise sounds from my left, and my gaze whips around to find the young girl I’d seen on the very first night—Shadow. Only there’s no way she could have gotten there without me seeing her, which could only mean that she was here before me. But that’s not possible. I followed Siren here right from the resort. There was no one else around. I watched as Siren checked her surroundings and made sure she wasn’t being watched or followed. Clearly she didn’t see me, but I didn’t expect her to. I’ve learned to be invisible. Shadow though, there’s no way she could have been there too. I don’t miss shit like this.
And yet, clearly I did, because this kid has been here longer than me, and it’s taken until now for me to have realized. I’ve been here for fifty-three minutes exactly, barely three feet away from Shadow.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I losing my edge?
No, that’s not possible. I’m too good, which could only mean that Shadow is better. But how? She’s just a kid. I’ve spent years perfecting my skills. I’m thirty-four and made my first kill nearly twenty years ago and ever since then, I have worked my ass off to make sure I was the best. And yet, here’s this kid, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old, and she’s capable of evading me.
The curiosity eats me alive. I need to learn more about this girl, figure out how she is the way she is, who made her like this, and what kind of bullshit she’s been through to ensure this level of competence.
My stare lingers on her when she lets out a sigh and turns to face me. “That was disappointing,” she says, pushing herself off the charred wall and striding toward me. Only as a general rule, nobody ever comes toward me, especially without even a hint of fear in her eyes. She walks right by me, stepping over discarded weights and burned rubble. She takes a few steps past me before turning back and meeting my stare. “I had high hopes for Siren. Looks like it’ll just be you and me battling it out at the end. Hope you can stomach the idea of going up against me. Not many can.”
Shadow turns and walks away into the night, and I stare after her a moment, trying to figure out what the fuck just went down, but when she disappears around the corner, I find myself going after her.
I hurry, wanting to catch up to her, only as I turn the same corner she just went around, I find the area completely bare. Not a soul in sight.
Where the fuck did she go? She truly is a shadow, nothing more than a ghost in the night, and I don’t doubt this kid is going to be the end of me.
Frustration burns through me. Nobody has ever bested me before, and it makes me uneasy, but if anybody is going to kill me, I’d prefer it be some kid over some poorly trained serial killer who learned everything he knows from watching true crime documentaries.
Returning to the gym to make sure Siren doesn’t scalp herself, I settle myself exactly where I was before, only this time, my presence doesn’t go unnoticed by Siren. Feeling the weight of her terrified stare locked on me, I glance up and meet her gaze, and while she’s fearful, there’s also something else there. Curiosity? Intrigue? Mortification? The only question is, do I save her or kill her?
Fuck.
Save her? Who the fuck do I think I am? I’ve never willingly saved anyone in my life, and now I’m looking at this woman as though I suddenly developed a moral compass.
What the hell is going on with me? First Shadow evades me, and now I’m willing to save someone who’s only going to try and take my life later. Maybe I’m getting soft.
I need to walk away. I need to forget about this woman and find something else to occupy my thoughts. Then, letting out a sigh, I do just that, turning on my heel and leaving just the way I came, only a soft plea fills the emptiness.
“Please.”
Siren’s voice is like a shot straight through the chest, pulling me up short.
“Reaper, please,” she begs, her tone almost inaudible. “You know I’m better than this. I’ve been dreaming about War Games for years. I can’t let it end like this. Give me a chance.”
I close my eyes, knowing I should let this go. Knowing I should walk away and forget about the woman who’s left me rock hard every fucking night for the past five nights. So why the fuck can’t I seem to put one foot in front of the other?