Page 24 of The Wildcard

A sudden blinding light flashed in her eyes suddenly. Ray flinched back in surprise, her hand rising to her eyes as she breathed out in surprise. Angel must have responded behind her, but she didn’t catch his words. A sudden wave of nausea washed over her, memories from last night clouding her judgment for just a second. Her hand rose to her throat almost instinctively and her glare shot to the movement hidden in the bustling crowd.

And she didn’t know how she knew.

But when a hidden shadow moved in the bustling crowd, Ray stilled. He was here.He was fucking here.

Last night she’d made the mistake of letting her guard down. Mistake of letting him go. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake today.

“Ray?” Angel’s voice was a mere whisper amidst the roar in her ears. Her eyes darted around, trying to identify those same set of shoulders. Those same cat-like movements. It took her a second. Took a couple of steps forward for her to find it. Angel didn’t say a word behind her, didn’t do a single thing as Ray strode ahead, her chin tipping upwards. The crowd didn’t part for them, but she didn’t want them to. Raylene wove through the people like a shadow, suddenly so quiet and poised as she identified his tensed set of hunched shoulders.

He stood a couple of steps away, his head bowed and his eyes darting around eccentrically. There was a dark cap on his head, hiding the locks of hair she’d managed to catch of glimpse of last night.

“Stay quiet.” Ray whispered, her words intended for Angel. He didn’t respond, but she didn’t need him to. He blended in with the crowd without a single word behind her.

Raylene was barely breathing as she stepped closer to the hunched figure. Her lips curled in distaste when she stepped close enough to smell the reek of blood from him. Last night, she’d managed to stab him and slashed him across the face. She knew his wound wasn’t deep, but he still reeked of failed death.

She was behind him, her footsteps silent when she heard him whisper furiously on his phone,

“You told me she wouldn’t be here,”he cried on the device and Ray’s eyes narrowed behind him,“But she is. No, I couldn’t kill her–”

She heard the muffled voice speak from the other end. Felt him shake and let out a savage growl before snapping his head up. This close, she could see the green veins on his neck, climbing up and showing every ounce of his frustration,

“She’s fuckin’ insane. I had her down and she turned on me like a damned maniac. How is it my fault that–hello? HELLO?”

Ray rolled her shoulders, rotating her wrists when she heard him swear loudly and slam the phone against his forehead. She remained still. Waiting for him.

He turned around then, his eyes darting around, his brows scrunched and his hideously slashed face scarred deeply.

Ray didn’t move.

Didn’t really have to, when he froze on his own accord. She felt the chill in the air then. Heard his silent whimper when she tipped her chin downwards and smiled at the terrified look in his eyes.

“Hello.”

He didn’t move fast enough. Ray’s knee jerked up, making a sickening crack as it connected where she intended it to. The man cried out and doubled over.

She moved fast and quietly in the bustling crowd. Her hands grabbed hold of his and twisted him around. He was shorter than her but obviously trained thoroughly as he made impressive attempts at trying to escape. Ray’s hold on to him didn’t waver, so when she moved in the crowd without a single word, he could do nothing but walk.

She was vaguely aware of Angel walking behind her but was drowned by the memories of last night. When she walked through the crowd, no one stopped to stare. Not when the man cried out. Not when he screamed. He fought until she led him into a dark, secluded alley. Ray didn’t say a single word as she stepped through the narrow alley and breathed out. Remembered his hands on her neck. His cowardly way of trying to kill her.

It was with that thought that Ray slammed his face on the wall closest to her side.

He collided with a dangerous crunching sound and screamed at the sudden lash of movement. Ray didn’t relent, not once. She pulled him back with her eyes fixed on the wall straight up ahead as she slammed his head on its concrete surface again.

And again.

He was gasping when she let go of him.

Her eyes were merely bored when he collapsed down, tears and blood making a wrecked spectacle of his face. She looked down at him and took another step back. There was nowhere for him to go now. She sighed and waited for him to calm down, leaning against the wall as she did so.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Angel step through the alley, his footsteps quiet, and not a single word out of his mouth. Ray didn’t know what made her do it. But she turned her head just slightly. And there he was. Hands crossed, body leaning against the wall.

A dangerous look in his eyes.

Waiting.

Ray couldn’t break eye contact when she reached down and grabbed the hem of her dress. She could feel his gaze rack her as she lifted it high enough for the garter, she was wearing to be visible. The metal of the gun had warmed against her skin, and it sang as her fingers wrapped around its hilt. His eyes flashed.

She looked away.