Page 136 of Stand: Part One

Crouching again by the door, I could hear a commotion coming closer, the sounds of fighting and scuffling getting louder. And then, whatever the fight was suddenly clashed against the door until it finally gave way, and Owen crashed into a man beneath him, his fist raised in the air.

“Jaden, run!” he shouted as he began to strike the guy in the face several times. He looked like he had it covered, so I made a dash for the living room only to get tackled to the floor. Pain spasmed through my hip and down into my leg, but the surge of adrenaline gave my body the distraction it needed to focus on my attacker.

Using the momentum, I curled in and rolled as best I could, keeping my feet tucked in, and then immediately kicking them out when I had the chance. My bare feet found hips and then pushed as hard as I could, throwing the person off me, giving me enough time to get to my feet.

I took advantage of his disorientation and shoved my butterfly knife right through his Adam’s apple, splattering blood across my face.

All around me, fighting ensued. From the corner of my eye, Clive looked like he was losing his fight with one guy while Owen was still combating with another.

Where the hell were the rest of the guards?

A fist came into my peripherals, just missing my jaw as I ducked out of the way, countering with a swipe of my knife, slicing through air. Pushing my loose hair from my face, I caught the sight of a polished white grin looking back at me. It definitely needed some blood coating those teeth.

“The fuck are you smiling at,” I said, lifting my leg to kick him in the face.

He dodged the kick, but not the strike to his throat. Coughing and sputtering, he stumbled back clutching his neck until he collapsed to the ground.

But before I had the chance for a single breath, another gunman tried to pistol-whip me across the face. I fell back, twisting out of the way while kicking my leg out just in time to catch his jaw with my heel.

A sudden prick to my skin caught my attention, my adrenaline spiking even more upon seeing a small dart sticking out of my arm. My body went limp.

“Son of a…”

Fuck.

33

Correction

I walked casually down the empty hallway that my men had secured, three posted at each end and three more at the door I was heading for. Scott appeared at my side, striding in with a demeanor that emphasized the seriousness of the situation. And how it would be resolved.

This sort of problem had happened on occasion, but had it become increasingly rare since I’d led the operation. But when it did come up, correction was swift and satisfying.

A single nod to my men and the door to the hotel room opened, allowing me to walk through and find a very frantic woman inside. Her motions were so loud and chaotic she didn’t even hear us enter.

“You know, a smart woman would have just abandoned her things instead of coming back for them.” She stopped shoving her clothing into her suitcase, turning to face me in pure shock. “She would understand that her life was more valuable than her material possessions.”

She stood in stunned silence as Scott and my men piled in behind me, filling the room and closing the door with a final thud. Her utter terror was palpable, thick and sultry as it permeated the room, feeding my inner demons.

“Hello, Natasha,” I sneered.

She stared back at me with wide doe eyes, completely frozen in place, as if moving would cause me to attack.

“You remember me,” she stated softly, her voice tight with disbelief.

“I remember all of you,” I corrected. It was difficult to forget some of my fondest memories, the sweet satisfaction of breaking down the willful and disobedient, witnessing their transformation before my very eyes.

Before Jaden, they were my greatest and most pleasurable symphonies.

“How did you get in here?” Natasha managed to choke out.

I cocked a brow at her. “I own this hotel,” I answered, stepping farther into the room. “Another fatal mistake on your part.”

“I’ll scream,” she threatened, retreating as best she could.

I nearly snorted as I observed the state of the room. It was a fucking mess. “That was quite the story you told out there. Has it really been five years?” I mused, reflecting on old times. How fortunate for all of them that I’d suddenly lost interest when a certain redhead entered my life. “It’s truly impressive, really, and very brave of you to come forward with your experience.” I turned my gaze back to her, pinning her in place. “But also very stupid. You were better off being dead, Natasha.”

Finding her spine, she stood a little straighter. “I did what was right. People like you need to be stopped.”