Page 129 of Lethal Attraction

“Okay,” I sigh, cocking my hip as I cross my arms. “Are you an assassin or not?”

He doesn’t answer as he advances like he’s stalking prey.

“I guess that’s my answer,” I mutter under my breath before he breaks out in a dead sprint and I meet him halfway.

He throws the first punch, and I dodge, only for him to uppercut me so hard that my vision whites out and I nearly lose my footing as I stumble back. I lift a hand to my busted lip, a trail of blood left behind on my fingertips.

“Oh, you’re the real deal,” I smirk.

He lifts his fists into a fighting stance, waiting for me to make the next move. I lock in, everything going deathly still around me as I mimic his pose and we dance in the trees.

He’s easily an entire head taller than me, with massive arms and wide shoulders. He could rival Atlas in height and weight alone, but that’s never stopped me from kicking my brother’s ass before.

He must grow tired of waiting, because his feet slide forward over the leaves, rustling them as he closes in so fast I would miss it if I blinked. I duck to the right as his left hand swings forward, and quickly circle back when he tries to pull the same shady shit as before with a sneak hook.

“Didn’t you ever learn not to do the same move twice in a row?” I scoff.

He smirks before dropping to a knee and sliding right up on me as he wraps his arms around my waist, pushes his head into my abdomen, and knocks me to the ground. The air rushes from my lungs as I hit, and his weight crushes me. He shoves between my thighs, and I let him before shifting my hips and using my legs to toss him under me, switching our positions.

He tries to fight, lifting his hands to choke me as I slide a forearm across his throat and press down with all my weight. His hands make it to my neck, and he secures a grip, but he’s already turning red in the face from lack of oxygen. It’s a battle of will and so far, he isn’t doing too well as I strangle the life from him and his hands loosen by the second.

“Just die already,” I gasp.

A vein pops out of his forehead as his color changes from red to a deep purple. He tries to squeeze harder, but it’s no use. I’ve already won.

The moment life leaves him is like a reprieve—his whole body sinks into the Earth, his hands fall away, and his head rests on the soil beneath him. I stand over him, spitting on his corpse.

“You were one big fucker,” I rasp before stepping over him and catching my breath.

My break is short-lived when something snaps in the brush to my right. I whirl around, my hands raised as my eyes scan over everything.

“You know, all this could have been prevented.” Brooks’ voice echoes from close by.

I pivot in the direction of it, only to hear him a few yards behind me.

“You just had to help Bailey out,” he tuts, like he’s disappointed. “She was better off outside of this organization.”

I scoff, pinpointing exactly where his location is through the brush. “And you’re better off dead. I’m going to hunt you for sport for what you’ve done, Brooks. Throwing civilians in front of you is a new low.”

He laughs, unaware that I’m practically on top of him as I shift behind a tree. “Forgive me for the dramatics, but Burton supplied me with bodies. He didn’t know what I needed them for…”

I’m so close. Almost a hair’s breadth away when another sound stops us both. Someone is moving in, and Brooks takes the opening to retreat before I can grab him.

Logan calls in a moment later, and he must not be far from my location. “Just caught sight of Brooks. He’s heading toward the highway. I don’t know what his plan is, but he’s a fucking coward for avoiding the fight.”

I press a finger to my earpiece, a deadly calm washing over me. “His blood is mine.”

“Does anyone have a visual on Vincent?” Rowan asks with urgency. “He’s been out of sight for too long. We may have to regroup.”

My jaw shifts as my teeth grind. “Not happening.”

“Thalia,” Atlas warns. “Our leader is giving us a direct order.”

“I will pull you from this fight,” Rowan bites.

“Listen to your brother,” Alana begs. “Please.”

I straighten my spine, closing my eyes as my fingers linger on the earpiece. “And I can’t let either of them get away. If Brooks is retreating because he’s losing, then someone has to stop him.”