Page 113 of The Chaos She Brings

I drop, the cold floor slamming into my knees as the air splits with a deafening crack.

Kai

My pulse hammers in my ears, a constant reminder of how useless I feel just waiting. I should be out there, doing something, anything. Instead, I'm a damn liability with this boot—sitting here like a coward. I hate it. I’ve never hated being on the sidelines this much before.

It’s always been the same with Nate. I’ve stood beside him, let him take the reins, handled the planning while he executed (literally). But this is different. This is Tess.

Despite having planned everything, I still feel out of control. And not out of control in the way that being around Tess makes me feel. This is feeling like I want to be part of the plan, to be the one who protects her.

This whole time, life has been throwing danger and obstacles at her, and someone else is always the one to save her. Or she saves herself.

It should be me. What use am I to her otherwise?

Despite promising to stay out the way, I make my way into the house through the back door.

We disabled the security systems, so there’s no issues there.

I hear the sound of shouting from the front of the house and move as quietly as I can towards it.

My finger rests on the trigger of the handgun Enzo gave me a few hours ago, despite him not expecting me to need to use it.

I hope I don’t need to. I’ve never fired a gun.

Slowly creeping (as best as someone can creep while hobbling on a broken leg) towards the shouts, I freeze at the door,the scene unfolding before me like something out of a nightmare. The air is thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. Nate and Carina move with lethal precision, their knives a blur, but my eyes—my eyes lock onto her.

Tess.

She’s there.

Her skin streaked with dirt, hair matted against her forehead, face filled with fear and confusion.

For a moment, everything stops. Time drags. I can’t breathe.

What have they done to her?

My heart skips a beat as I see Nikolai’s eyes lock onto Tess. My entire body screams in panic, my hand trembling as I raise the gun.

There’s no time to second guess.

There’s no time to think. If I don’t act now, she’s dead.

My finger presses down on the trigger with a force I didn’t know I had, and the gunshot rips through the chaos.

39

Accidentally Good At Murder

Tess to Kai: I want to tell you what happened but I’m scared you’ll see me differently. [unsent]

Tess

Somethingwethitsmyface.

I open my eyes.

Nikolai falls to his knees, blood coming from a bullet wound in his leg.

He howls, an animalistic scream, but it’s quickly replaced by a vicious snarl. His face hardens—he’s not finished yet.