Page 102 of Always A Villain

“Fucking took you long enough,” I grunt, a bullet grazing my arm as I duck against the wall. Pain blazes all the way down to my hand, and I grit my teeth.

Griff smirks. “So, you do bleed.”

“Shut it,” I snap, taking out the last guard in the corridor. His body collapses, lifeless, and we’re moving again, Kane right at my side.

An explosion tears through the villa, walls shaking, debris raining down. I stagger, catching my footing. Then I hear it—another terrified scream.

“RORY!” Her name rips from my throat, raw fury driving my sprint. Griff and I plow through another wave of DeLuca’s men. They’re nothing—just bodies in my way. We cut them down without slowing. Another blast shakes the ground, throwing us against the wall. We’re up in seconds, still moving.

Up ahead—coughing, strained. I raise my rifle, heart pounding. The smoke is thick, burning metal clogging my lungs.

“Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch!” a voice snarls through the haze.

Rory’s answer is sharp. “Fuck you! Let me go!” Then—the crack of a slap. Her whimper.

That’s all I need.

I move, silent and lethal, eyes locked on the outline through the smoke.

Beside me, Kane lets out a low growl. He can smell her. Smell him. I snap my fingers once—barely—and he stops, his body trembling with restraint.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Creed sings, mocking. “Show yourself, Reaper. Or I’ll shoot your precious girl.”

“Creed.” My voice is pure murder. The bastard comes into view, standing near the broken wall, moonlight outlining his shape. His gun’s pressed to Rory’s temple, his arm locked around her waist.

“Let her go.”

She’s a mess. Red dress torn, bruises blooming across her skin, blood streaked down her temple. His hand grips her waist too tight, digging in. She fights, but he yanks her harder against him.

“No,” Creed laughs. “You’ll have to shoot through her.”

Then, slow as fuck, he rips the strap of her dress down, exposing her tits. His hand clamps over one, squeezing. Her cry—broken, small—sends a rage through me so hot, so consuming, it takes every ounce of restraint to hold myself back.

“You fucking piece of shit,” I snarl, gun already raised, finger twitching on the trigger. One shot. That’s all it’d take. But he’s using her as a shield. If I fire now, I risk hitting her. I can’t risk that.

Kane growls, stepping forward.

“Keep that fucking dog back,” he snaps. “Or I’ll put a bullet through his fucking head.”

“Creed.”

“Take one more step, and she’s dead,” he warns.

Rory’s voice is barely above a whisper. “Axel…”

“Shut the fuck up,” Creed spits, jamming the gun harder into her skull.

She sobs, and I grit my teeth. “Let. Her. Go.”

Creed smirks, his hand tightening over her chest, squeezing hard enough to make her flinch. “She’s mine. My ticket out of here.”

I’m done talking.

“Griff,” I murmur into my comms. “Remember Sudan?”

“Yeah,” Griff’s voice comes through.

“Think you can pull that shit off again?”