Page 63 of Wraith (Deviant Assassin #1)

Blade

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?

H ours after that charged conversation with Wild, I pace the safehouse, my mind still reeling from both revelations. The weight of Kiera's confession about being Wraith was enough for Wild to deal with, let alone adding some seriously conflicted relationship vibes to the colossal mess we're in.

My gaze instinctually moves to Kiera where she’s sitting on the worn-out couch.

Her shoulders are tense as her eyes meet mine with a mix of defiance and vulnerability that's clearly pissing her off.

Wild's leaning against the peeling wallpaper, arms crossed, a silent, watchful witness I can't get a read on.

The twitch in his jaw the only evidence of the tension radiating off him in waves.

Our earlier conversation hangs between us, an invisible thread connecting Wild and me. I catch his eye briefly, that same electric current running between us, before we both look away.

"So, Zephyr," Wild says, breaking the silence. "He's been pulling the strings all along."

Kiera nods. “He told me Blade left me with a massive debt. Said I had to work it off."

I stop pacing, my hands clenching into fists, as the words that taste like ash burst from me.

"He told me Kiera was cheating on me with another guy."

Kiera's head snaps up and her eyes widen, locking with mine. Still bothered even though we talked this through the other night. "He lied to both of us. He manipulated us."

The temperature in the room plummets. Cold rage coils in my soul. I look at Wild. His face is a dark mask.

"There's more," he says. "Colton, my partner, is Zephyr's brother. They must be working together. Colton's the one who tried to feed me to the Hell's Vipers. Nearly got me killed by exposing me as FBI."

A chill runs down my spine. The pieces click into place, a sickening grotesque puzzle becoming clear. Each piece of the picture more disturbing than the last. Zephyr's been playing us all, manipulating us like pawns in his sick game.

"Why?" Kiera asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why would he do this?"

I shake my head, disgust churning in my stomach. "Power. Control. Maybe he gets off on it."

Wild pushes off the wall, his eyes flashing with anger when they flick my way. The intensity in his gaze reminds me of our earlier conversation, that moment when he stepped close enough for me to feel his heat.

"Or maybe he's working for someone else. Someone higher up the food chain."

The thought sends a shiver down my spine. If Zephyr's just the mole and not the mastermind, then who is? And how deep does this rabbit hole go?

Kiera stands up, her eyes hardening. "We need to find out. We'll take him down."

I look at her, then at Wild, gauging his reaction to her sudden shift to lethal resolve. We all feel it. He played, manipulated, and used us all. But no more. It's time to turn the tables.

"Agreed," I say, my voice steady. "But we need a plan. As much as I want to, we can't just go in guns blazing."

Wild nods, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Leave that to me. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Kiera smiles too, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "And I've got a few of my own."

Despite the serious situation, my lips lift in a feral curve too. Anticipation builds in my chest. This is what I do best. Hunt. Stalk. Eliminate. And now, the three of us have a common target.

"Alright," I say, my mind already racing with strategies. "Let's figure out Zephyr's chain of command."

I spread a city map across the scarred wooden table. Kiera and Wild join me, pressing close as they scan the layout: streets, alleys, potential ambush points and kill zones without surveillance.

Wild's shoulder brushes against mine as he leans in, and I don't pull away.

The contact feels different now—charged with new awareness after our conversation.

His focus is on the map, but I notice the careful way he positions himself, close enough to be effective, but with just enough space to maintain plausible deniability.

We discuss tactics and mark locations. The safehouse, once a place of tension and uncertainty, now buzzes with new energy. A shared purpose. We're united, a force to be reckoned with. And Zephyr, whoever he's working for, doesn't stand a chance.

Kiera's finger traces a line down a dark alley. "This needs to be perfect. We can't afford to underestimate him. Cut off his resources, his allies."

Wild nods, his gaze fixed on the map. "Hit him where it hurts."

"We start with his known associates," I agree, already making a mental list of targets. "Work our way up the chain."

We fall silent, the only sound the scratching of pen on paper, the rustling of the map as we move it around. Anticipation of the coming violence charges the air.

Despite the uncertainty and danger, we'll succeed. Burn it all to the ground. We'll rise from the ashes, stronger, smarter, more deadly than ever before.

"We need a distraction," Wild murmurs. "Something big, something loud."

I smirk, cold and deadly. "Well, I have an… explosive personality."

"Good. While the minions are busy with the fireworks, we move.

" Kiera nods. "Raid Zephyr's office to uncover his plans, allies, and his endgame.

" She points to a warehouse district, a known hot spot for illegal activities.

"His base is here. It's where he trains his recruits, where he keeps his secrets. "

Zephyr.

The name echoes in my head. Rage builds, a quiet, controlled fury that sharpens my focus, hones my resolve. We aren't pawns anymore. We're the wild cards in this deadly game, deviants refusing to be controlled.

Kiera's beside me, her expression eerily calm. It's the kind of stillness that descends before a storm, the quiet before the explosion. Her eyes scan the map, her fingers tracing paths, plotting deaths. I know that look. It's the look of a predator, of a killer.

Wild's on the other side, his arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

He's a coiled spring, ready to launch, ready to strike.

There's a dangerous energy radiating from him, a mix of anger and anticipation.

He's not just an FBI agent anymore. Wild's a hunter, one of us.

He's someone who understands the darkness, the rage, the need for vengeance.

Plan set, Kiera shifts and I take in her stance. She's a storm ready to break. Fury waiting to be unleashed, her dark eyes are deadly calm. I'm the fool who thought he could kidnap and tame her, maybe even control her. I was wrong. So very wrong.

The past eight years were stolen from us by an elaborate, meticulously crafted lie. Zephyr's payment for his manipulation is long overdue. Kiera's hand brushes against mine, a spark of heat igniting between us. A reminder of the connection we share the bond that even Zephyr's lies haven’t severed.

My rage builds, a quiet, controlled fury that's sharp, as cold as ice.

It's the same fury I felt when I found out about Kiera's supposed betrayal, when I thought she had cheated on me, when I thought she had left me for another man.

But this time, it's different. This time, it's not directed at her.

It's directed at the one who lied to us, who manipulated us, who tore us apart.

Wild's gaze shifts between us, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

A jolt zings through me, sharp and unexpected.

Possessiveness, raw and visceral, tightens its grip.

Not just for Kiera, but for them both. We're in this together.

The admission I made earlier to Wild echoes in my mind—they weren't her, and they weren't you.

Zephyr.

The name continues to echo. A death sentence.

"So, how do we infiltrate his operation? We need intel and to identify his weaknesses." Wild says, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Leave that to me," Kiera says. "I'll keep playing the obedient assassin, accept his jobs, gather information."

My brows furrow, unease coiling in my gut. The thought of Kiera in danger, of her playing a role that could get her killed, sends a shiver down my spine. But she's right. She's our best chance at getting close to Zephyr.

"Alright," I say, my voice gruff. "But you're not doing it alone. Zephyr thinks I'm still clueless. He thinks we're friends, or at least that I believe we're friends."

Wild leans back, a smirk on his face. "And I'll use my FBI resources to track his money trail. Follow the money, find the man. It's a classic strategy, but it works."

"Good. We have a plan." Kiera says, and pride and admiration warms me.

My wife is a strategist and a master of deception. She's the notorious Wraith.

"And what about… us?" Wild asks, his voice low. His eyes shift between Kiera and me, and I know he's not just talking about our revenge plan. "How do we keep this… arrangement from blowing up in our faces?"

The question hangs in the air, loaded with multiple meanings after our earlier conversation. This "arrangement" encompasses far more than just our mission against Zephyr.

My gaze shifts between them as I speak, almost daring them to challenge me.

"We trust each other, communicate, work together. No more secrets, no more lies."

Kiera's eyes meet mine, a softness in her gaze that I haven't seen in years.

"No more lies," she breathes. A promise and a prayer.

Wild nods, a serious expression on his face. "Alright. No more lies. But we need a way to communicate, a way to share information without being detected."

I think for a moment, my mind racing with possibilities.

"Burner phones. We use them to communicate, change them regularly, never use the same one twice."

Kiera nods, with a thoughtful expression. "And we need a code, a way to communicate without giving anything away. Something only we understand."

I smile, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. "Like old times. Remember the codes we used, the signals, the secret language?"

Kiera's lips curve into a soft smile, a memory of a happier time.

"I remember. We can use something similar, something only we understand."

"And what about me? How do I fit into this… secret language of yours?" Wild asks with total neutrally, but the question is loaded.

"We'll teach you," I say, my voice steady. I hold his gaze longer than necessary, acknowledging what's developing between us. "You're part of this now, Wild. Like it or not, we're in this together."

He nods. "Together. I can live with that."

I look at Kiera, the woman I love, the woman I lost. The woman I'll protect with my life.

Kiera's eyes meet mine, I see the hell she's been through, and all the strength she possesses . Z tore us apart. He manipulated and used us. But we're still here, still standing, still fighting. And together, we're unstoppable. No matter what comes our way, we'll always have each other.

"We're a team. A family. A force to be reckoned with," I vow.

There's a moment of intense intimacy between us as we acknowledge the weight of what we're about to do. The danger. The risk. The potential consequences. But then Kiera leans forward, her lips brushing against mine, and I know I'm where I need to be, with my partners.

Wild watches us, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

And then he leans forward, his lips pressing against Kiera's, and I feel a surge of something else.

Not jealousy—to my surprise—but a kind of anticipation.

It's that same dangerous hunger I admitted to earlier, watching them together.

Our eyes meet over Kiera's head, that unspoken understanding from our earlier conversation passing between us. The boundaries are shifting, evolving into something new and unnamed.

But then the moment is broken, as our phones buzz with messages from our respective contact points. Zephyr, Phoenix, the FBI. A reminder that we're not just a team, not just a family. We're players in a dangerous game of pretense.

I take a deep breath, rage rising to the surface again, my focus sharpening. I look at the map, at the paths, the plans, the potential battlefields. And I know, with a certainty as cold as ice and as sharp as a blade, that this is just the beginning.

The beginning of the end. The beginning of our revenge.