{ZHARA}
To be completely honest, I had no fucking clue what I was doing.
When I had waltzed right into this mess, I thought nothing would get in my way of taking down my father from the other side. Little did I know, I would soon give my body up to someone I was supposed to hate. You would think someone like me would be able to get over a few late-night spurs of the moment, but no-- I'm so far deep in him that I feel like I need to be hospitalized. The only thing keeping me from going utterly insane is the dog I found a few days ago. And even that little animal is starting to drive me crazy.
My heart had no business trying to tell my mind who I belonged to. After all these years, I had always let my logic overcome what I truly wanted. I technically didn't have a choice in what I did. But that shouldn't matter anymore, right?
As Zion said, I have my freedom on paper, but who have I truly given my life to?
~***~
I chewed the inside of my cheek restlessly in the backseat of the armored car. I was valid in having unsettled nerves about what was going to happen, but it wasn't the mission that was stalling my thoughts.
How was I supposed to focus on anything when Zion's eyes have been on me this entire time? He was looking at me like he wanted to fuck me before killing my father right in front of me.
I mean, I wouldn't say no...
But still, it was a little daunting.
I had kept my mouth shut the entire drive because I knew I couldn't trust my voice. My heart was racing for so many different reasons.
And right as I was finally starting to ignore Zion's stare, the car came to a stop, and the conversations inside died down. I had never seen Isaiah looking so serious before, and Matteo was acting so deadly that I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill me, too.
"Are the others here?" Zion questions Liam, who was driving the vehicle.
Liam nods, "Right behind us, waiting for the next command."
Shit, this was really happening.
I detached my seatbelt, sitting up straighter as I glanced out the window. We were parked in a desolate lot, and right across from us was a large building...the warehouse. The moon was the only source of light out here at this time.
"Everyone's earpiece has been activated," Ren announces over our communicators.
Zion looks back at us for a moment, sharing a look I couldn't describe with his brother.
"Send in Fleet A and B now."
As soon as Zion's words were processed, we noticed movement from the black van parked the farthest behind us.
I could hear the crickets chirping in the dark, the only sound that would still feel the same after tonight. The air seemed heavy as I inhaled. My fingertips slightly shook as they grazed the side of my automatic rifle.
Was I being selfish?
This wasn't the time for second-guessing myself and my plan from the beginning. Once this was all over, I would finally be able to breathe.
"Now," Ren signals over our earpieces.
I'm the first to leave from behind the van, swiftly sneaking past the empty street and onto the property of the warehouse. My body cramps from the hunched position I'm in, but I don't notice it.
I hardly hear the others behind me.
"The fleets have been stationed. Cameras have been enabled into our computer base," Ren mutters quietly.
I stay on the organized path we planned, but from the corner of my eye, I see a dark shadow step out from our line of people. I jerk my upper body, trying to figure out who it is without getting out of position.
The grip on my weapon tightens.
Before I can even turn my neck to look, a noise echoes off to the side of the building. We've almost made it to the sliding door entrance, so part of me wants to ignore it. But this isn't the time to disregard the possibilities.
"Keep moving, Zhara. Ren is on it," I hear Zion whisper from behind me. There's a drop of relief in my body when he speaks. I feel his gloved hand nudge me forward, silently telling me everything would be okay.
I think I might cry.
I make it to the door, glad to see it still cracked open for us to slip through. I glance at my watch; we're making good time.
"Make a right and stay behind the railing, Alphonzo's men are still distracted," Ren confirms.
I wonder what my dog is doing right now...
There was little-to-no lighting behind the railing we were following. This was a good thing because we would be hidden, but I could not see where I was walking whatsoever.
"I need a little assistance, Ren. Do I keep walking straight?" I whispered into the earpiece. I look around where we were, and the only light I could recognize was coming from the ground floor near the trucks. I could see movement, men dressed in dark grey exiting and entering the garages carrying large boxes.
"Yes. In 10 yards, stop moving and stay stationed until further notice."
I gripped my gun tighter and continued my pace, trying to stay calm for the mission.
"3rd group has entered, hold your position, Zhara."
"Understood," I whisper.
"Cobra has eyes on Alphonzo, he's in a separate office on the bottom floor, door farthest to the right."
I squint my eyes over to the right, many shelves and storage units line the walls, and the men in grey start placing the boxes onto them. There are a few doors, but I find the one that is open. I cannot see my father, but I know he is in there.
"Cyber Disruption is ready to enable on your signal, Zion."
I couldn't see the other groups, which I guess was a good thing.
Like we planned, there couldn't have been more than thirty men out in the open. The trucks start to exit, and Zion signals for the distraction.
Within seconds of the flick of Zion's hand, an obnoxious ringing sound is heard from only those below us.
I angle my rifle at the men who look down at their hacked devices, waiting for the cue.
"Ready," Zion says over the earpiece, "Fire."
My finger presses on the trigger, silently releasing bullets as I take out the enemy below.
Something in me ignites, the feeling I haven't had in a long time.
And I remember that this is what I was born to do.
The ringing continues as all the visible targets drop to the ground. Unfortunately, Zion had previously told everyone to shoot to disarm, so a few men were yelling in pain. I killed all of my targets, and I don't see the problem.
"Listen to what I fucking said, Zhara," I hear Zion say from beside me. I turn to him, baffled by his attitude. He's adjusting his hold on his weapon, signaling for the rest of our group to follow as he starts walking.
"There's no point in not killing them, now Alphonzo knows something is going on!" I whisper-yell at him. I hurry after him, not wanting to get left behind. He's obviously planning to do something without telling me, and I'm a little offended.
"If you had just gone with my fucking orders, you would have understood," he snaps at me, leaving no room for argument.
I want to knock some sense into him, but I refrain, just wanting to get this shit over with.
Soon, more men flood out of the rooms after hearing the yells from their partners.
"Matteo, make sure he has no exit," Zion motions to his brother. Matteo nods swiftly and separates from the group, getting lost in the darkness.
I haven't seen Zion like this.
He's always out for blood, but now...it's different.
The other groups continue shooting at Alphonzo's men, leaving a sporadic pile in their path. Everyone was slowly making their way down the stairs, watching in every direction for an enemy.
Zion's men were well-trained, I'll give him that.
My knees slightly shook as I quietly descended the stairs. I'll admit, I'm apprehensive about the outcome of this.
Just as I hit the last stair, I hear footsteps from the side. The yelling of injured men still sounds far from me, so I know I can hear my surroundings clearly.
Recognizing the sound of an object cutting through the air, I duck just as a gun is swung at my head.
Quickly swinging my rifle around to my back, I prepare for close combat. An older man in grey is glaring at me, weapon in hand, and he looks mad.
Now this is what I showed up for...
He hurls himself at me, and I back myself up to the stairs, bracing myself by holding onto the railings. I kick my feet out just in time, knocking him back, and giving me time to balance my stance.
I could make this easy and just slit his throat, but that would be going against Zion's precious rules.
I crack my neck, waiting for the guy to get back up. He swings at me again, and I grab the handle of his gun, spinning and guarding my face against his fist. He hits my cheek, but I get his gun into my possession.
I definitely needed this.
I swiftly unload the magazine and switch the safety on, making sure it cannot be fired. The last thing I need is to draw attention to us.
He grunts when my elbow hits his gut. I slide the weapon across the floor, hopefully in the direction of my group so I can alert them.
"Suka," the man growls as I pin his dominant arm to his back. He pulls against my hold and dislocates his own shoulder.
[T: bitch]
I hate the fucking Russians...
Wait.
Alphonzo is working with the Russians?!
Well shit, this just got a whole lot more complicated.
The thought catches me off guard, so the man grabs me and swings me back around. I quickly snap back to reality and gasp in pain when he kicks my stomach. I steady myself, knowing damn well I'm more coordinated than this pussy.
I stop fucking around, grab him by his head and slam his skull down onto my knee. He drops, so I take that as my chance to knock him out by targeting his head. But just as I'm about to start swinging, someone grips the fuck out of my hair and throws me off of the Russian. I twist out of their hold even though it hurts like a bitch.
Grabbing the wrist of the one behind me, I pull him forward and over my head so he lands on his back in front of me.
Out of nowhere, there's a sharp strike to my back that knocks me back to where I was, and my gun slides off of my body and ends up skidding over to the side. I realize now that I have more than five men around me, not counting the ones on the floor.
Well, fuck.
I've taken down more than-
"Little bird?" my heartbeat quickens at the voice.
Vincenzo Stein towers over me as I push myself up off my knees. Blood trickles down the side of my face. The son of my father's second-in-command, who may or may not be dead just like the rest of them. Hell, I'm surprised Vincenzo is still breathing.
I face him with no shame, knowing that I cannot let him get out of my sight.
"So you are alive, hm?" he smirks at me like I'm some animal, motioning to the men around me to lower their weapons.
"Shocked?" I retorted, tilting my head to the side.
"Yes, to say the least," he chuckles, and I'm wondering what is so fucking funny.
"Your daddy would love to see you... especially now that you're working for the Armani's," Vincenzo says as if it's an insult.
I smile as an idea comes to my head.
"I wouldn't say working for..." I walk closer to him, watching as he tenses, "You get what I'm trying to say, don't you, Vince?"
I look up at the awful man through my eyelashes.
"No, I don't think I do."
He's so fucking stupid.
"What I mean...is that I have my own plan for tonight," I brush my braid over my shoulder.
"How about you show me what you mean?" he proposes, looking over toward a door. He's trying to sound all flirtatious, but it's only making me nauseous.
"I'll explain everything you want to know," I say calmly, "It's been a while since I've seen you, Stein."
He waves the men off, grabbing my wrist and tugging me toward the room behind us.
I grin at his back, unhooking the clasp over my knife holster.
He opens the door for me, looking down at me as I walk into the room. I hear him shut the door behind us.
I turn to face him, running my hand over the sore spot on my abdomen.
He stalks toward me, thinking he looks so hot and masculine. He places his hand on my waist, and I suddenly feel the need to throw up.
Horny motherfucker.
I stand up on the tip of my toes, reaching up to graze his neck with one hand.
"Where should I start?" I whisper seductively in his ear.
God, forgive me.
As his ugly eyes remain focused on my lips, he doesn't notice my other hand pulling out my blade.
"How about the time," I grasp the back of his neck, "when I slit the throat of a rapist."
I watched the split second of shock in his eyes before my knife cut through the flesh of his neck. He chokes on his own blood, falling to his knees. The sight is almost as amazing as Zion naked.
Unfortunately, his blood gets all over me, and I'm a bit grossed out.
His lifeless body falls to the floor with a thump. I smile and bend down, wiping my bloody knife onto his jacket.
Slipping the blade back into its holster, I dust my hands off on my vest.
I grab the keys hooked on the inside of his jacket and throw them into one of the pockets of my pants. Then I take his Glock, making sure it's loaded, and slip it into my waistband.
With a sigh, I step over his body and make my way toward the exit.
"It was nice catching up with you, Vince," I grinned as I opened the door and left it wide open in my trail.
Time to see what everyone else is up to.
You're next, Papa.