Crowed (Team Zero #2) by Rina Kent

He grins, showing blinding white teeth. He always had a disgustingly charming smile. “I didn’t send anyone; I did the whole thing myself. The contract was a fake to draw you out from the rest of Team Zero and toy with you. That cunt Paul was evidence so, boom. Blown up. You know, leave no traces behind.”

“You fucking...” My blood boils. “You’ve been in Marseille the entire time.”

“Never claimed I wasn’t. In fact...” He glares at his shirt, and this time, he yanks it off, remaining in a white T-shirt. “In fact, I’ve been here for almost eight months. Eloise doesn’t talk about me?”

My nostrils flare. If he’s been here that entire time, then he’s that damn doctor Curly. The one named Xavier. His hair is all straight – even now. I never suspected him when I saw him in that coffee shop. His back faced me and I was too blinded by jealousy to even take a closer look.

I should’ve went there and fucking murdered him back then. If I did, we wouldn’t be here right now.

“I found her first.” Storm’s bland blue eyes lose all their relaxation and fill with one thing common for Hades’ demons: the promise of death. “Do you think I spent all those months getting close to her so you would come and take her?”

“You knew she’s Dr fucking Johnson’s daughter all along?”

“Why do you think I came here?” He cracks his neck and stares me down. “Hades ordered me to get rid of that spawn’s family in case they have any of his formula.”

“She has nothing.” I searched all over her father’s documents when she wasn’t in the house. It’s for sure that Dr fucking Johnson protected her and her mother. He even disappeared to not get them in trouble. I hate the fucking man, but he loved his family.

“So what? Hades’ orders are Hades’ orders.” He rolls his neck again. “Her mother was already dying so I sped that process a bit, and Eloise... well, bloody hell, mate. I stayed around to see if she has her father’s formula, but I must admit that I loved seeing her as a living corpse. I was going to enjoy the view for a few more months then finish off her miserable life, but you had to put your nose where it didn’t belong.”

“Where is she?” I point my gun at him again. I’m done being civil, not that he’d understand any type of conversation. He’s knee-deep in Hades’ hell.

He huffs and throws the cigarette away. “You’d kill me for Dr Johnson’s daughter?”

“She’s not Dr fucking Johnson’s daughter to me.” She’s Eloise. Just Eloise. And I’d kill anyone for her.

He laughs, long and humourless. “What? You’ve been on withdrawal for a few months and you think you can be normal? Like play house with a nurse? Wake the fuck up, Crow. You’re not normal, and guess fucking what? You never will be.” He stands toe to toe with me, eyes blazing. “Go back to Hades. That’s where you belong.”

“We never belonged with Hades, Storm. We pretended to because that’s the only option we had.” Now, it’s all different. Now, I have Eloise, and I want to belong here. With her.

I point the barrel of my gun at his forehead. “For the last time, I’m asking you, where the fuck is she?”

“Do you want to play a little game? Like old times?” He produces a timer from his pocket.

My heart stops beating. A bomb. He’s really strapped her with a bomb. The fucking arsehole.

I remove my gun from his forehead and step back, carefully. If I alarm him, he’ll blow Eloise up.

“What do you want?” I ask slowly.

“Remember that target Shadow put a Joker on and you beat me to it?” He lights another cigarette and stares in the distance.

My attention is on the timer in his hand. It isn’t blinking. It’s not set yet. But if I lunge at him, he’d blow her up. He doesn’t need a timer to do that.

Storm continues, “Hades praised you that day. He never praised me that way, even when I won the bets before. And the fact is you fucking cheated. You placed those rubbish cans in my way, knowing it would take me longer to get to the target. Did it feel good to be praised for cheating, Crow?”

“Are you fucking serious?” I release an exasperated breath through my nose. “That wasn’t cheating, that was doing whatever it takes to kill a target. Because back then, that was the only thing that kept me alive. I’ve forgotten all about it.”

“Well, I didn’t.” He wiggles the timer. “So now, let’s play a little game. Your nurse is on the cliff. Let’s see if you can reach her in about...” He clicks something and the time starts blinking in red. “Three minutes and counting. Tick tock.”

I sprint up the dirt path, leading to the cliff. A rush of adrenaline overwhelms me. My muscles contract and every ounce of my body leaps to attention.

Despite the rocky path and the high hills, I don’t stop. My steps are large and fast. One thing on my mind: get Eloise safe. Because the alternative, thoughts about her being hurt, aren’t allowed into my focus zone.

I’ll get her back.

Even if it’s the last thing I do.

Exhaustion and pain shred my muscles when I finally arrive at the cliff, and it’s the first time I wish I’m on Omega to get to her faster. I glance at my watch. Two and a half minutes. I don’t have much time.