Page 94 of Always A Villain

What if I never get the chance?

“Whose blood is that?” Griffen’s voice grates against my skull as I scrub my hands in the sink, red staining the water, streaking my skin, splattered across my face and clothes.

“You don’t want to know.”

“Jesus, Axe, what the hell happened?”

I don’t have time for his fucking questions.

“We need to move. Now,” I snarl, dismissing his concern.

“Axe?”

“WHAT!” I snap, the fire in my gut threatening to ignite. “Conrad met with the Dolore at that old Sovereign warehouse outside the city. I’m going to butcher every last one of them.”

“What’s your fucking plan?” He paces like a goddamn anxious dog. “You can’t just run off half-cocked and startkilling people. We need to think. We have to be smart about this.”

“Smart?” I bark, gripping the edge of the counter so hard I might splinter it. “I’m going to rip them apart. I’m going to make them suffer for what they’ve done.”

“Let’s just talk about this for a minute. We don’t even know where she is yet. We need a plan first.” Worry etches deep lines across his face, but all it does is piss me off.

All I can think about is Rory.

My chest locks tight, rage and fear twisting inside me like razor wire.

“Fuck!” I hurl a glass across the room. It explodes against the wall. “I have to find her!”

“We will, but we need a goddamn plan.” He moves to place a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m done fucking waiting!” I shove his hand away. Too fucking furious, too fucking terrified to argue.

“We need to inform the Sovereign and gather a team, Axe. We can’t take the entire Dolore on alone. I’ll go to the Iron and talk to Arsen. If we don’t do this right, we’ll all end up dead—including Rory.”

I don’t say a word. My breaths come in angry bursts.

“Axe?” he pleads, eyes locking onto mine, searching for a flicker of sanity.

“Fuck off, Griff. I can’t lose her.” The words tear from my throat. “I love her. I fucking love her. I can’t—” My voice falters, crushed under emotions I can’t control.

“I know. We’ll get her back. If anyone can take down the Dolore, it’s you. But we have to be smart. We need reinforcements—a fucking team. It can’t just be us. Just letme put a goddamn team together.”

“Fine.” The word hisses out, bitter as lead. He nods, his back to me as he heads for the door.

I’m left alone in the kitchen, my mind a fucking war zone.

Every instinct screams for vengeance. But he’s right, and I fucking hate it. I can’t take down the Dolore alone.

I charge up the stairs, ripping off my blood-soaked clothes. In the bathroom, I confront my reflection.

A monster glares back.

I twist the shower knob until the water’s scorching. But there’s no amount of heat, no amount of water, that could diminish my fury. My fists press against the tiles, knuckles white, teeth clenched.

She’s gone. Torn from me. Taken.

Every dark corner of my mind lights up with visions of what they might be doing to her—what I’ll do to them. The thought of her out there, helpless, afraid—god only knows what filthy hands might be touching her.

She’s the only thing that matters.