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But who would I be if I killed him? I'd be no better than the men I had set out to destroy. I wasn't like these men, not anymore.

Emery had been right, she reminded me that I wasn't that man, that I didn't need to do this. I was better than them, I was willing to stop when lethal force wasn't necessary. That guy was out cold, he wasn't a threat to me anymore, and by the time he woke up, I planned on being long gone.

Grabbing his ankles, I dragged him behind the truck so he was out of view. Looking down, I didn't recognize the guy, he had to be new, someone who had rode the ranks to qualify to be one of Marcos' personal protectors.

I know what you did to get here.

The guy looked to be about my age, twenty-four or so. Dressed in a thin white t-shirt and dark blue jeans, he reminded me so much of myself. It was as if I could see the pain on his face, of the life he had that led him there.

Checking him over, I patted down his sides and found his gun secured in a holster at his hip. Plucking it free, I stuffed it into the back of my jeans and picked up the tire iron.

It felt good to have a gun on me, there was a higher level of safety knowing I had the right kind of power to take these guys on. But right then, being a silent stalker was key.

I didn't want to start shooting if I didn't have to. That would only draw attention, making my silent entry an all out war. I wanted to stay low, I wanted to get in and out with as little blood being spilled as possible.

I was trying like hell to stay true to my word. To not be a killer, to not live for the thrill of taking another man's life.

Because I couldn't lie and say I didn't enjoy it at one point in my past. I did. There was a high that came with that type of power, a rush that couldn't be replicated with anything else.

I was like an addict, walking into a drug-infested party and trying to stay clean.

I can do this.

I was going to do my best to not kill anyone, but I knew I would if I had to. And I wouldn't promise myself of anyone else that I wouldn't pull the fucking trigger. If push came to shove, it was going to be them dying, not me.

Peeking my head over the hood of the Hummer, the man stationed at the door had his arms folded over his chest and his head laid back. It was hard to tell if his eyes were closed, but he hadn't moved a damn muscle.

With quick feet, I darted across the driveway and ducked behind a tall, spiraling bush. Listening carefully, I could hear the gentle snore of the guy by the door.

The motherfucker is out.

They're making this too easy.

Standing over the man, I hit him just hard enough to keep him sleeping. His body flopped over, and I caught him before he hit the ground. Pushing him back up, I positioned him the same as he had been, and slipped inside the house.

The halls were dim, the surrounding rooms dark and quiet. With tender steps, I gingerly walked through the foyer and down the hall, heading toward the back of his house.

Soft music echoed through the hall, so I followed the sound. Every room I passed was dark, there were no lights on in any of them. I was drawn deeper and deeper into Marcos' castle, pulled and tugged by the pain in my heart.

Emery was somewhere in here, and the thought of her being afraid was almost too much for me to bear.

I'm here baby, I'm coming for you.

The music was a symphony of violins and brass instruments that reached high and low tones in tandem. A cackle of laughter mingled with the sweet sound, ruining the beauty the orchestra had created.

“You really are so fucking pretty.” Marcos' voice whispered through the music, making my blood percolate under the skin.

“Fuck you!” Emery spat, her voice battling back tears.

My heart broke, it folded over and dissolved, turning into pieces inside my chest. Just hearing her voice was enough to send me over the edge.

A loud slap rang out, and I heard Emery let out a cry. Every muscle in my body reacted, twitching and tensing into angry strings of rope.

My entire plan to be quiet went out the window. He had put his hands on her, he had caused her pain and that was something I wouldn't stand for.

All my control was gone, it was lost to the love I felt for that girl. She needed me and I wasn't going to waste another second. I didn't care if anyone knew I was there, there wasn't time for me to sit back and wait.

With one hard hit, I kicked the door open. My brain had silenced everything around me, creating this deep void between my ears and my mind. It was like the world was put on mute, and all I could hear was my pulse.