Page 6 of Jezebel’s Liberation (Hellfire Hackers #1)

“ F uck!”

I slam my fist against the steering wheel as I head out of town.

I need to get my head in the game. There’s too much that can go wrong with this mission if I screw it up.

Those little girls need help, whether they realize it or not.

I don’t need to be thinking about Mark, or why he showed up at my home unannounced.

I almost swallowed my tongue when I brushed up against him in the stairwell and felt those hard muscles straining against his tight shirt.

Who would’ve thought that scrawny little boy who kissed me all those years ago would grow up to look so fucking lickable?

Why am I letting Mark, or I guess Demon now, get under my skin?

He’s off limits for a few reasons. One, I’m like an older sister to him.

Two, he’s in my twin’s club, which would definitely cause some tension and waves between my brother and two of my best friends.

Three, I don’t have time for a relationship.

Hell, I don’t even have time for a fling that could destroy a lot of lives.

Thankfully, my go-bag had already been in the trunk of my car.

That would’ve been hard to explain if Demon had stumbled upon me loading it up.

The bag is filled with all sorts of goodies: knives, guns, zip ties, a crowbar, taser, and let’s not forget the chloroform.

It makes the people I hunt a little easier to string up while I dish out my brand of justice.

Ring. Ring.

I hit the button on the steering wheel to answer my phone with Bluetooth.

“What’s up, Ce?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she says. “Why the hell did you skip out on Demon’s party?”

I sigh. “Not you, too.”

“Well, I’m waiting.”

“I had something come up.”

“Something more important than Mark getting patched in?” she probes.

“Look, Cece,” I huff. “I’m not trying to be a bitch, but yeah, I did. A friend needed help with something, and it was time sensitive.”

“Are they okay? Are you okay? Do you need me to get Soul?” she fires off.

“No, everything is fine now,” I assure her.

“It was something I needed my computer for. A little identity theft, nothing I can’t handle.

I needed to get all the info to her quickly because she was making her move now before he can skip town.

It was a personal favor that doesn’t require the club’s involvement.

I thought about sticking around and using Fort’s or Lock’s computer, but I didn’t want to tear anyone away from the fun. ”

“As long as you’re okay.”

I grin. “I’m perfect. I’ll figure out a way to make it up to Mark… Shit, I mean Demon. That’s gonna take some getting used to.”

Cece snickers. “Right?!”

“Maybe we can invite him to our next BABC night out,” I suggest.

“BABC?”

“Badass Bitches Club, hooker!” Mel hollers in the background.

“Guess I’m on speaker,” I mutter.

“Sorry, Mel’s being a nosey bitch, and when I told her I was going to call you, she demanded I put you on speaker,” Cece explains.

“A heads-up next time?” I tease.

“No promises, bitch,” Mel says. “You ditch, we want to know why.”

“Sure, Mom,” I say petulantly.

“Oh, hell no, she didn’t just call me Mom ,” Mel grits.

“Got to go!” I laugh and disconnect the call just as I pull into the storage unit that I rent for my untraceable vehicles.

After I swap cars, the miles fly by as I go through the plan over and over again in my head.

If my calculations are correct, I should arrive in Phoenix around midnight.

I’ll park a few houses down and enter the bastard’s home through the back.

Once I do a quick sweep of his house to make sure there are no other kids I don’t know about, I’ll disable Ted and then begin my work on ending his existence.

In and out in an hour or less. I don’t have the luxury of torturing the asshole like I’d love to. The clock starts ticking as soon as I enter the house. Kill Ted, and make it look like a burglary.

Plan solidified, I pull onto Ted’s street and park next to the curb five houses away. The homes are spaced out pretty well, but I’ll still gag him. I don’t want to get interrupted or gain unwanted attention from a nosy neighbor because of Ted’s screams.

I pull my hair under a black ball cap that goes with the rest of my all-black ensemble, slide my black leather gloves on, slip my bag over one shoulder, and quietly exit the car.

Only a couple of porch lights are on, and there’s only one streetlight between me and my destination.

My head swivels around, taking in my surroundings as I approach Ted’s home which is dark as far as I can tell.

I jump over the chain link fence, crouching down when I land. Adrenaline pumps through my body as I inch closer to the back door. Reaching into the side pocket of my pack, I pull out my lock pick set.

It’s been a while since I’ve had to pick a lock, but it’s like riding a bike.

Muscle memory takes over, and it’s only seconds before I gain access.

I slowly push open the door, praying it doesn’t creak too badly.

Silence greets me as I creep inside. I tiptoe through the kitchen and stop when I see a box sitting on the table.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I head toward it.

Lifting my flashing light so I can see, I peel the lid off.

A box of colorful lollipops stares back at me.

They look like regular suckers, except the label reads 'Versed'.

Next to those are vials of Romazicon and a box of syringes.

My skin prickles. This is probably how he’s drugging his victims.

Sick fuck.

I grab a box of each and stuff them inside my pack to research later. I want to leave some evidence for the police to find that proves that Mr. Dayes isn’t the upstanding citizen he’s led everyone to believe he is.

I place the lid back and slip into the living room.

Glancing around, I take in my surroundings before turning toward the bedrooms. A chuckle behind me causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end, and before I can protect myself, something hits the side of my head, and I fall to the floor with a thud.

Fuck, that’s gonna leave a mark.

“Are you the bitch that’s been following me and leaving cameras all over my trailer?” Ted sneers.

How the fuck did he find those?

“You’re not the only one with tricks up their sleeve, sweetheart,” he continues. “Since you’re so curious about my little slice of heaven, why don’t we take a ride? We’ll even take your car. Give me the keys.”

“Fuck you!”

“That’s not very nice,” he reprimands. “I wanted to do this the easy way, looks like it’ll be the hard way.”

I hop up to my feet and throw a jab, hitting him right in the throat.

I’m a skilled fighter, but he caught me off guard, jumping me from behind and knocking me in the head.

What I don’t anticipate is that he’s also skilled.

He sweeps my leg out from under me, and I land on my back, gasping for air.

Ted jumps on top of me, covering my mouth with a cloth.

I’d recognize that sweet smell anywhere…

chloroform. I buck my hips to dislodge him, but my eyelids are growing heavier.

“Sleep princess,” he whispers. “We’ll have plenty of time to play when you wake up.”

The fight slowly leaves my body, and the last person I think about isn’t only Soul, but also Demon. I pray as my eyes unwillingly close.

Find me!