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22

KAI

The room is filled with the constant buzzing of the tattoo gun as I remain focused on perfecting my design.

“Are you going to stop crying?” I groan.

“I don’t cry. But fuck, it’s painful.”

You’d think he would have built up a tolerance for pain after getting so many tattoos, but he’s still just a little pussy.

“Women can handle pain better than you.”

“That’s because they have an issue.”

Taking a moment to give the arrow on his neck a final adjustment, I step back to examine the tattoo in detail.

I switch off the tattoo gun, place it on the table, and then pass him the mirror. I remove my gloves and cleanse my hands, feeling the cool water running over my skin.

“That’s perfect.”

Compared to the other designs I created for him, this one is not as elaborate.

Extending from his neck to his shoulder, the tattoo showcases five arrows, each embellished with sharp spikes, encircled by vibrant roses in full bloom. A compass at the centre adds a touch of direction to the design.

That was his response when I questioned him about the reason.

“We are represented by the arrows, a collective force, and the compass serves as a constant reminder that I will always navigate my way back to you.”

That was cheesy as fuck, if you ask me.

“You did a great job, Vip.”

A groan escapes me. I hate when he calls me that.

“Either you say it completely, or you don’t say it at all.”

“Okay, Viper ,” he exaggerates the word with a grin.

“Arrow,” I warn.

“Sounds sweet in your mouth,” he chuckles.

“Fuck off, Theo. We’re done. Get the fuck out of my chair.”

“And then you say that Daddy Eli is the grumpy one.”

Seriously, they need to stop calling him that. That’s creepy.

“When are you coming back?” I ask, wiping away the smudged ink and carefully applying a protective film.

“Soon.”

“You’ve been saying that for weeks.”

“I know. I just need to tie up loose ends and ensure everything is secure.”

“Are you talking about Iris?” I raise my brow.

I still strongly believe that having her at home is a terrible idea.

He shifts uncomfortably, his eyes never leaving mine. “In part. I’m sorry for having kept that from you, but I couldn’t?—”

“I know,” I sigh. Even though I was pissed… still am. I trust Eli; if he brought Theo into this, there must be a good reason.

“I guess Arch is pissed.”

A low laugh escapes me. Pissed is not the right word to describe his state.

“Yup.”

Standing up from my chair, I meticulously clean my utensils before arranging the ink in a perfect spectrum of colours.

“But I don’t think it’s the only reason.”

“Oh?”

I summarised his mum’s calls and messages and?—

“What a fucking bitch! Perhaps it’s time to pay them a brief visit.”

I couldn’t agree more.

“He’ll be fine.”

He sighs. “I might pop by tonight… Or tomorrow.” I arch my brow at him, and he smirks. “It’s time for me to meet her officially.”

“If he’s not fucking her without a fucking condom! He’s thrilled to have her at home.” I gesture with my fingers, forming brackets to emphasise my point.

“Because you didn’t?” He squints his eyes.

I let out a frustrated groan and slouch deeper into my seat, the irritation clear in my voice. “I did, but it’s not the same.”

“So, you did wear a condom?”

I… Did I?

I’m sure I did. The touch of others on my skin is something I cannot bear.

Even when someone is sucking me off, I need to wear one.

But why don’t I recall it?

I fucked her at the motel and in the graveyard.

I…

“Fuck!” I stand up abruptly. How the fuck did I forget that?

Worst of all, why didn’t my skin recoil in revulsion?

Theo walks over to me as he sees me on the verge of pulling my hair out. “It’s okay. Take a deep breath.” He leans his forehead against mine. “You’re fine.”

“That’s the fucking rule. Always wear a fucking condom!” I rage.

“She’s different.”

If looks could be deadly, mine would surely be lethal towards him at this moment.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and without even checking who’s calling, I answer.

“Crim?”

“Kai,” Melanie coos on the other side of the line.

For fuck’s sake.

“I’m busy right now, Melanie.”

Theo’s eyes grow wide, brimming with amusement, right before he bursts into laughter.

The bastard dodged a bullet by not getting involved with her. He’s been clever about this.

“But I miss you.”

Fucking gag me now.

“Are you still seeing the other one?” she almost spits out.

Theo smirks as he swiftly grabs a piece of paper and jots something down.

What is he up to?

“Melanie, you—” He almost fling the paper at me, his grin widening and nodding. Fucking hell. “You should come tonight.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Come tonight. The door will be open, and you’ll need to descend directly to the basement.”

“Oh… Okay, sure. See you tonight then.”

I hang up without uttering a single word and immediately point my finger at Theo, who bursts into fits of laughter.

“I won’t fuck her.”

“Oh, yes, you will. Think about it. No matter how many times you tell her, Melanie just can’t seem to grasp the concept of ‘no.’ And from what Arch told me about the last time she came, I can’t think of a better way for her to show up and witness you diving balls deep into Iris.” He shrugs. “Just saying.”

“I—”

“Again, you found a girl that’s willing to take you three dickheads. Fuck her like you hate her, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

His phone rings, and unlike me, he glances at the screen to see who’s calling before answering and putting the speaker on.

“Ghost. You’re on speaker.”

“Arrow, we?—”

In an instant, the tattoo shop is filled with the deafening sound of a bang, followed by the piercing screams of my employees.

Theo and I exchange a quick, knowing glance before simultaneously springing into action. As he reaches for his brass knuckle, I instinctively reach for my knife.

“What the fuck was that?” Eli almost shouts on the other side of the line.

That’s a fucking great question.

I move first and leave Theo behind when I collide with someone.

“Sara? What’s happening?”

Her fear is so intense that she can’t stop shaking, her body trembling uncontrollably.

“Th-ther–”

“Sara, look at me!”

She does and points behind her. “Men. Maybe six or more. They wear black masks or hoods, covered in blood, and they have guns.”

Fuck.

“Grab everyone with you and leave from the back.”

“Sh-should I call the police?”

I shake my head. The police would be no good right now. “No. Leave and don’t come back here until one of us calls you, alright?”

With a nod of her head, two additional staff members appear behind her, and a piercing shout reverberates from the front desk.

“Now!” I order before moving towards the noise.

Sara was right. There are six of them, their black hoods securely placed over their heads and dark masks concealing their faces.

“May I help you?” I ask as I scrutinise them closely, noticing how they carefully closed the shutter down.

Good. Nobody will witness once I’m done with them.

“We’re looking for The Order,” one of them spits.

“Hmm. I’m afraid you have the wrong address.”

“I don’t think so. We have confirmation that they own this establishment. ”

He seems to be their leader, given that he takes charge of speaking.

“Alright then. But what do you want with them?” I grow impatient as I lean against the reception desk, eagerly anticipating any movement from them, waiting for additional information.

“We want them dead.”

Considering Iris has been assigned to eliminate us and is taking her time to execute it, it wouldn’t be astonishing if they dispatched multiple assassins to pursue us.

“You want them dead, or you have the order to kill them?” My hand instinctively moves towards my pocket to retrieve my pill box, causing them to immediately raise their gun. “Chill out,” I mutter, popping two painkillers into my mouth and swallowing them dry. “Never had any pain before?” I tilt my head to the side with a grin. “So, you want them dead, or you had a command to kill them? Either way… You won’t come out alive from this place.”

A knife flies through the room to lodge directly into one of the guy’s chests while I reach for mine. With Theo charging towards them, I waste no time in thrusting my knife into the eye of the man who comes at me. The room is filled with the deafening sound of his scream, amplifying the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Seizing the moment, I grab his arm and twist it, forcing him down onto his knees. With a sudden, bone-breaking crack, I twist his neck, silencing him once and for all.

“So, who’s next?”

“You little piece of shit,” yells the big guns before shooting my way.

“If someone sent you to kill us, I’m sure you gathered all the necessary information beforehand. Or maybe not.”

Theo silently creeps up behind him, swiftly cutting his throat, and then spins around to plunge his knife into one of their stomachs.

I charge towards two of them, my fists connecting with one’s jaw and my foot landing a direct hit on the other’s head, causing him to fall and clutch his throat, gasping for breath.

My hand forcefully grasps his head and drives it onto the floor over and over again. The bone-crushing sound of his skull cracking resonates in my ears, accompanied by the sight of blood seeping from the wounds.

No matter how many times I see it, this view never ceases to amaze me.

Four down, two remaining up.

“You son of a bitch.”

“Me? Who’s going to clean up this mess after?”

The two guys stand so close that they are practically touching while Theo circles around them.

“You know, I don’t really care who wants us dead,” he tells them. “What is surprising is that the person who sent you actually believed that a mere six of you would be sufficient for us.”

In a split second, one of them lands a punch on Theo’s face, while the other swiftly advances towards me with a knife in hand, narrowly missing my dodge.

“What are you really trying to do?” As I strike his face, his knife flies towards me, grazing my cheek, and I can instantly feel the warmth of blood trickling down.

Fantastic.

As if my body wasn’t already a patchwork of scars.

I bring my finger to my cheek, feeling the stickiness of the blood against my skin before bringing it to my mouth.

“My turn to have some fun.” The sound of my knife slicing through his chest echoes through the air as I swiftly grab my second blade, striking his face with a forceful punch.

Fuck. The excruciating pain radiates from my fingertips to the limbs that are no longer connected to my body.

With a groan, he struggles to get back on his feet, but my foot pressing down on his head makes it nearly impossible.

“I’m sure your bosses would appreciate receiving one of your vital organs as a gift.”

My knife effortlessly sliced through his throat, causing his body to collapse lifelessly onto the floor.

I kneel down and grab his hand, feeling the heat radiating from his skin against my palm, before forcefully pressing it against the hard floor and severing his pinky finger, the sound of bone snapping echoing in the air.

I hear Theo’s heavy breathing in my ear, and I can sense his presence right behind me.

As I slice and cut through the layers of muscles and flesh, he remains silent, his eyes fixed on me. The blood flows from my hand, and I tightly grip the finger, pulling it forcefully until it separates from the body.

No words escape his lips as I carefully remove each layer, from the skin to the fat and the muscles, until only a bone remains in my grasp.

They all know my past.

It’s no surprise for him to witness this scene, even though I’ve never been seen doing it.

After every kill, I have a set list of tasks that I need to complete in a specific order.

They understand.

It’s best if they don’t experience firsthand the chaos inside me.

A bottle of bleach thuds beside me, accompanied by a stack of towels.

When the fuck did he leave?

“I’ll take care of the bodies and take this one.” He gestures to one guy who is barely alive. “For questioning.” He grabs the guys at my feet, and I start cleaning.

The salon is filled with the sharp scent of bleach, lingering on the freshly cleaned floor as he returns from disposing of the last body.

“I’ll call Ghost.”

I nod, my hands quickly scooping up the shattered fragments that litter the reception desk and floor as the alarm on my phone blares, announcing an uninvited presence in my bedroom.

Fucking hell.

I quickly wipe my hands on the towel, grab my phone, and open the surveillance camera in my bedroom.

Oh, you’re going to regret that, Poison.

With Bella playfully wrapped around her neck, Iris explores my belongings, her black painted nails skimming across my bookshelf before she disappears into my dressing room. Her hair is neatly styled into two tight buns, and she’s wearing a T-shirt that’s a size too big, exposing her bare legs.

Wait. Is that my T-shirt?

Fuck!

“What is it?” Theo arches his brow.

“I have to go back home. Can you?—”

“Yeah, go. I’ll dispose of the bodies and close behind.”

“Thanks.”

I grab my helmet, but his shout stops me. “Don’t be careless and drive safely.”

“Always do.”

“You took your meds,” he accuses.

What the hell does he expect me to do? Suffer?

“I’m not blaming you,” he adds. “Just be careful.”

“I’m not going to kill myself, asshole.”

His brow furrows in provocation as he defiantly crosses his arms over his chest.

That’s the fucking issue when people are too familiar with your past.

“See you later.”

I exit the tattoo shop, not bothering to take one final look.