------NOTE-----
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----NOTE ENDS---
VINCENT
Her eyes were blazing in raw rage, tempting me to test the limits of her stubbornness.
Looking at her stance, her ferocious stance, my own instincts fueled a strange excitement, overriding the anger I had been feeling.
I gave a slight pause, calmly caressing my index finger over the trigger.
Most people tremble at the sight of me.
The fear-stricken gaze of people is a daily routine and the more I instill that fear, the more it drives my adrenaline.
But in all these years, there were just a handful of men who stood resilient against me. And it's on them I use this trick.
The more I delay pressing the trigger, the more uncertain and hesitant the opponent feels. And the moment I see the hesitance in their eyes and their resolve weakening at the hope that maybe I'd leave them alive, I shoot.
That's my way of inciting the fear they assume they don't feel and bringing them down to submission before killing them.
And most of the people falter.
Till date, everyone did falter as I gave them a momentary hope of survival.
Well, that's the extent of their resolve and I know sooner or later, they'll give up.
I wanted to see if she'd do that too, to see if her resolve is plain impulsive.
After offering a pause of a few extra seconds, seeing she wasn't backing off, I pulled the trigger and shot twice.
The bullets passed just an inch right to her neck, the sharp impact of air mildly cutting her skin a little.
I was ninety nine percent sure that at the sound of the shot, she'd flinch or step aside or duck down or just do anything to avoid being hit on instinctual fear.
But what I saw in front of me astonished me, rendering me speechless.
The woman ..... she didn't blink. Not even once.
Wow.
She didn't flinch, blink, there wasn't a single twitch in her stance, her gaze still unwavering, coldly fixed on me.
"Did your hand slip or do you, perhaps, have such a terrible aim?", she asked, her voice taut in anger, her gaze mocking me.
I chuckled lightly in amazement, lowering the gun and tucking it to my right side.
"You've got guts.", I commented, looking at her calmly.
She frowned, the rage in her eyes being invaded by flickers of confusion and doubt.
"Why didn't you shoot me?", she asked in suspicion.
I took a step forward and she immediately raised her right hand, holding a dagger, her stance ready to attack.
"As you said, I have a terrible aim.", I said calmly, my tone faintly casual.
She scoffed dryly.
As angry as I was, I wasn't going to kill her. There's no use. Instead, there are other ways to bring a person to submission and instill fear in them. It need not always be physical pain.
And once we get out of here, I will show her slowly and painfully why it is that people fear me.
Being disrespected is something I despise the most and I will make sure to etch the consequences on her mind.
On the other hand, the two consecutive shots were a signal to Cavin that I was fine and to tighten the security around my family until I contacted them on my own.
"Don't take me for a fool. I have seen you fire at those men. I hate to say it, but you wouldn't miss such a close shot.", she said tersely after a moment's silence, still in suspicion.
I looked at her, amused, my anger subsiding a little at her words.
"I'll take that as a compliment.", I said, feeling a slight sense of petty satisfaction seeing her features twisting in irritation.
"You haven't answered my question, you bast-", she was saying, but I cut her off, clicking my tongue in warning, my gaze turning sharp.
"As much as we dislike each other, we certainly are in a hurry at the moment, Ms. Baker. The best course of action right now is keeping quiet and walking further into the forest before it gets completely dark. If you come with me, I assure you that I will get you out of here intact. I might have not shot you now, but if you do not stop being disrespectful, I definitely will not miss the next time. I am sure you're not dumb or suicidal enough to throw your life away over foul language.", I said calmly, getting serious, curbing my anger at her constant cursing.
I was too intrigued before to shoot, but the more she provokes me, the more I'll be tempted to kill and if there's a next time, my aim would not miss.
"I don't care about your situation and I certainly don't trust you. I am going back in the direction I came in and you can go wherever you want.", she said dryly, her stance still cautious.
Without waiting for a reply, she took a few steps to her left and when she was diagonal to me, she cautiously started walking towards the path we just traveled, her eyes still fixed on me.
"You can do as you please, but don't blame me when you get murdered.", I replied calmly, taking my gaze off her and walking slowly in the opposite direction.
I offered an assurance of getting her out alive. To take it or not is her decision.
I have no obligation to convince her.
"I have nothing to do with you. Why would they kill me?", she questioned.
"Why wouldn't they kill you would be the right question to ask.", I commented, now completely walking past her.
"Huh?", I heard her confused tone.
"As you said, you are not related to me, so you have no value as a hostage. I wouldn't be surprised if they kill you the moment they see you.", I replied stoically.
It wasn't a bluff.
They would kill her on sight. People in the mafia are more barbaric than one imagines. They don't spare anyone who has absolutely no value. They do it for the sense of cruel satisfaction and fragile superiority.
That's why I am 100 percent sure they'll kill her.
Or worse, r*pe her.
That sudden thought halted me in my tracks.
"And what's the guarantee that you won't kill me?", she asked from behind.
"If I had wanted to kill you, I already would have.", I replied, not turning around, my mind struck on the possibility of them violating her.
"That's exactly my question. Why? Why didn't you kill me?", she probed, her tone interrogative.
"I have no interest in doing something unprofitable. Killing you would give me nothing.", I replied honestly.
I would've walked away, leaving the decision to follow me or not to her.
But I couldn't.
Knowing those filthy bast**ds might r*pe her to death, I cannot turn a blind eye and leave.
No woman deserves such fate and knowing I could stop it, I wouldn't be able to walk away.
"Killing me would give them nothing too.", she argued.
"Not everyone needs a reason to kill.", I retorted plainly.
"Whatever. I'll get out on my own. You don't have to pretend to be generous.", she sneered.
I could hear the rustling of the leaves under her feet as she started walking again.
I turned around, frowning slightly.
As I looked at her retreating back, I noticed her white shirt drenched completely from drowning in water. It was utterly transparent and the cloth stuck to her skin.
Clenching my jaw at her ignorance, I walked to her briskly.
She flinched at the sound of footsteps a little and turned around, swinging her knife at me, but I caught her wrist tightly and forced her hand towards herself, now the knife just a centimeter away from the base of her throat.
She craned her neck back a little and tried to snatch the gun tucked to the side of my waist with her free hand, but I halted it, twisting it behind her back, holding it in place firmly.
We were now standing inappropriately close to each other, our chests just a few inches away, my right hand holding her left one behind her back firmly as if encircling her waist and my left hand holding her right wrist close to her neck, slightly touching the tip of the dagger to the base of her throat, right in between her shoulder blades.
"What-", she was saying, but I cut her off.
"I'm giving you three choices. One, follow me voluntarily and I'll get you out. Two, I'll render you unconscious with a hit to your nape and carry you out. Lastly, if you're keen on dying, I'll drive this dagger into your neck right now and walk away. Decide wisely.", I said coldly, my tone devoid of mirth.
I might have not abused a woman ever, but I certainly have killed a handful of them before. It's not new to me and I wouldn't mind killing another.
To live or die is her decision and if she is so caught up on dying, I could grant her an easier death and leave.
I cannot waste anymore time here.
There could be enemies lurking around in this forest and might attack any moment if I lose focus.
Had I been alone, I would've casually killed everyone and left.
But with her in the picture, the situation is complicated.
They could come from any direction and leaving her behind to fight will be inevitable and that would mean putting her life on stake.
The best way to avoid mishaps is to leave without any further encounters with anyone.
"Fine.", I heard her say, breaking my chain of thoughts.
I looked down at her, waiting for a clear response.
"I'll walk with you.", she said grimly, struggling to get her hands out of my hold.
I nodded curtly, pleased, and stepped back, letting go of her.
"Pervert.", I heard her mutter under her breath.
I ignored it and turned around, walking further into the forest as the sky was fairly bright, slightly dimming down.
I heard her follow behind me, a wave of silence prevailing except for the faint chirping of insects, rustling of leaves under our feet and the whooshing sound of cool wind.
I saw a small cave-like structure formed by an overlap of huge rocks a few feet further.
As we reached it, I halted in my tracks, halting Ms. Baker in the process too.
I shot a bullet at the entrance of the cave.
No movement.
I shot another one inside the dark cave.
No movement.
Good.
There's nothing inside.
Turning to Ms. Baker, I gestured to her to walk in.
"I need to stop by the river for a moment. Stay inside until I come back.", I instructed.
"Why do you have to go to the river? Won't they shoot you?", she asked, suspicious.
"I'm not going to the shore where we've come from. We are far from there. I can hear the sound of water. The other edge must be somewhere close. I'll check if we can swim across and go back.", I explained calmly.
She nodded, the suspicion still lingering in her eyes.
Tucking a gun out, I extended it to her to take.
She frowned, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"I don't think anyone is too near to us to attack, but just in case, keep it.", I said.
She stared at me for a brief moment, but took the gun anyway.
"What if I shoot you?", she asked, challenging me.
"You wouldn't.", I replied calmly.
"Why not?", she questioned.
"Because you know you cannot take me down.", I replied bluntly.
"Arrogance.", she scoffed.
I didn't respond to that and turned around to walk to the edge of the river far from where we've come from.
I walked briskly, intending to return quickly.
As expected, I reached the edge and it was far further from where we swam.
Seeing that the other shore is still a steep hill, I sighed in displeasure.
We have to leave through the forest to the other end and contact Cavin from the small town beyond the forest.
Squatting at the edge of the river, I collected some water in my palm and splashed it on my wounded bicep and left calf.
It was good that the bullet just grazed through the flesh.
After washing the wounds quickly, I loosened the tie around my neck and tied it around my left calf tightly.
Removing the handkerchief in my pants pocket, I held one end of it between my teeth and wrapped the other end around my bicep, finally tying a tight knot to stop the bleeding.
It's probably going to be midnight until we reach the nearest town.
As I was thinking of ways to get out of here and wrapping up my wound treatment, I heard a sudden scrunching of branches.
Knowing well it was from moving footsteps, I pretended to be ignorant for a brief moment and then suddenly rose to my feet slightly and leapt towards the nearest tree, a bullet hitting me on my back.
As I took cover behind the tree, I tucked my gun out and opened the safety lock quickly.
Thanks to the bullet proof vest inside my shirt, I only felt the impact of the bullet.
From the sound of the bullets, I leaned a little forward as a bait and shot the guy behind the nearest tree and the one behind the rocks a few meters away.
As the bullets came piercing towards me, I moved back behind the tree, dodging them in time.
Getting ready on my toes, I ran quickly to the next diagonal tree to get a better shot at the rest of the men.
Navigating swiftly through the trees, I shot down one by one, getting hit to the forearm in the process.
Loading my gun yet again, I continued the to-and-fro firing for a few moments and finally took down the entire 17-man squad in no time.
"What's the use of sending men with such disappointing skills?", I muttered, picking up the spare bullets from one of the dead ones.
The sudden distant sound of a gunshot startled me.
Where is it co-
Ms. Baker!
I bolted towards the direction in which the sound came from
Why would they go after her?
I ran past the trees swiftly.
The sound came farther from where I'd left her.
Did she walk away even after my warning?
I clenched my jaw in irritation.
Running quickly at the top of my pace towards the sound, I lifted my gun, ready to shoot any moment.
"B**ch!", I heard a strained cry of a man.
I increased my pace against the pain in my calf from the wound and followed the direction from where the voice was heard.
As I spotted Ms. Baker standing a few feet away, I was going to run to her, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any enemies.
But the sudden thud sound and pained grunt of a man grabbed my gaze back to Ms. Baker.
As I reached a little closer, what I saw in front of me halted me in my tracks, freezing my feet in shock.
There in the middle of two guys fallen on the ground, she was standing with blood splattered on her face. She raised her right hand, her fingers clutching the dagger tightly, and brought it down on the right eye of the man kneeling in front of her, all battered up with cuts at several places on his body.
He screamed his guts out in pain, placing his palms over his eye.
But before he could totally collapse to the ground, she held him by his hair and pierced the dagger right through his left eye.
His screaming continued with increased pain and the next moment she silenced him by slamming his neck down to the ground with her foot, choking his throat under her boots.
"You said you could see my assets right through my clothes and that your eyes are like scanners.", she said calmly, pausing for a moment, pressing her foot harsher on the man's neck.
"Can you scan my assets now?", she asked, referring to his lost eyes, her voice wickedly serene and cold and gaze darkly blank, focused on the man under her foot.
I felt a strange chill of excitement and astonishment run through me at the sight, only one thought echoing in my mind,
Raelynn Baker is intriguing.
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Phew! That was a very long chapter!
How was the chapter?
Well, well, well, Vince seems to be getting increasingly intrigued by Rae. 😏
And, well, Rae just showed him her twisted side. 🔥
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Author.