Page 9 of The Colour of Revenge

I should have been afraid.

Instead, I saw something in him—or maybe he saw something in me.

After he agreed to help me, he became my mentor. At first, I didn't know why. I wasn't strong or fearless. I was just a girl running on empty, dragging ghosts behind her. But Enzo saw through that.

Something about me made him drop the act. He let down his walls and showed me the softer version of himself—the man beneath the reputation.

And somehow, he had a way of breaking through mine, too.

"You've got the look of someone who's running from something," he'd said, voice quieter than I expected. "You don't have to tell me, but if you ever want to stop running, I can teach you how to fight."

His words were a lifeline. I didn't trust him—not yet—but I took it.

Under Enzo's watchful eye, I learned how to defend myself—to reclaim my power. The first time he handed me a knife, I froze.

It wasn't just cold steel. It was a choice.

"It's not just a weapon," he told me, curling my fingers around the handle. "It's a promise. To yourself. That no one will ever hurt you again."

Now, gripping the steering wheel, blood drying on my dress, his words echo through me. Steady me.

I miss him.

But it was time to come home.

The drive back is a blur, the past threatening to pull me under its current.

I let it go.

When I pull into the driveway, my pulse is steady, my hands no longer shaking. All I feel is a deep, unshakable satisfaction.

This is my path.

I know it with every fibre of my being.

It terrifies me.

But it feels so right.

3

Vigilante Shit

Hypothetical Question: If you had to replace your blood with a different liquid, what would you choose?

Nate

Ican'tstopthinkingabout her.

The way she moved. The justice she delivered. The way blood looked on her.

Her perfect body.

Ugh. Get a grip, Nate.

She hasn't texted me. Not surprising. A little disappointing but not shocking.

That's why I texted myself from her phone. A little insurance policy. You spend an hour with someone creating beautiful art together and tell me you wouldn't be halfway to picking out a ring. Don't judge me.