Shadowed (Team Zero #4) by Rina Kent

I couldn’t give two fucks about seeing Zoe. She started this whole mess by digging her nose where it didn’t belong.

“Don’t know,” I tell Nonna. “Don’t fucking care.”

“Language!” Nonna would’ve swatted me if she were in reaching distance.

I grin.

“She was supposed to come today to read for the children.” Nonna sips her tea and sighs.

“As long as I’m here, she probably won’t show up.”

She appears thoughtful for a moment. “When my Giovanni angered me, he bought me something nice and I didn’t have the heart to stay mad at him. Give her a present. She might forgive you.”

“I don’t need her forgiveness.” I stand. “Call her and tell her I’m gone. She’ll show up.”

“Wait.” She rounds the table and takes her time in sticking a key into a drawer’s ancient lock. Mental note: change Nonna’s locks.

She retrieves the box that contains the necklace. Before I can roll my eyes and refuse her yet again, Nonna raises a hand, shushing me.

“I’ve been asking around in jewellery shops, in hope to know who could’ve bought this.”

“Nonna…”

“Don’t interrupt me, boy.” She wiggles the box at me. “The bad news is that all of them agreed this is custom made, probably in someplace in the meditarrenian. This jewel apparently costs millions, Angelo. All the ones I showed them the necklace wanted to buy it.”

“Nonna, I really don’t give a fuck about those people.”

When she doesn’t shout ‘language’ immediately and continues staring with glimmering eyes, I regret it.

“I finally know that,” she says through a sigh. “But you should also know it shaped who you are.”

Yeah. Whatever.

Nonna trudges to me and stuffs the box in my hand. “You can give this as a present to Zoe so she’d forgive you.”

For a second, I imagine the necklace around Zoe’s neck and against her pale complexion. She’ll always have something of mine on her.

The fuck? I shouldn’t be taking Nonna’s advice.

When I attempt to push the box back into her hand, she swats me and doesn’t let me leave until the necklace is tucked in my back pocket.

The wind slaps my face as soon as I’m out of the kindergarten. Lachlan will stay because Natalie is here, and he’s turning into a ring on her finger. She’s no longer hanging out with Zoe, probably because Scar is taking the role of her bodyguard.

I release a long sigh, and my head throbs. Withdrawal is putting me in a sullen fucking mood as I trudge down the slums.

My attention drifts with every step I take and I need to rest for a few. A weak killer is a useless killer, and I’m most definitely weak at the moment.

Now I understand why Flame spends most of his time sleeping.

I opt for a run, but before I can get out of the slums, I sense a movement behind me. I keep my nonchalant pace and take a few peeks at my surroundings. There’s no one. At least not in sight.

It’s a professional and probably one of the second generation assassins.

Fuck.

This is about the worst situation I can be in. I’m less efficient when not on Omega. My reflexes are slower and so is my speed. Add a splitting headache and I’m about as useless as a crippled killer.

However, I’m not the type who runs away from a fight.

I stop at the middle of a dark alleyway. The smell of piss and vomits clogs my throat and worsens the headache.

“Come out and play,” I muse.

Silence.

One. Two. Three.

Now.

I turn around, but due to the delayed reflexes, I’m late. I duck in time before the knife digs into my heart. Instead, it slashes through my shoulder.

A tall man appears in front of me. He’s wearing a hoodie. There are cockroach tattoos peeking from his sleeves. No fucking idea why anyone would want to tattoo cockroaches — unless he’s one. But the 3D style is enough evidence this is Ink’s work. This must be one of his disciples because Ink only tattoos those he knew for at least ten years.

“We never met, boy.” I grin despite the burning in my shoulder. Omega’s pain-suppressing effects would’ve been good right about now. “I’m from Team Zero. Ever heard of us?”

His eyes remain focused as he charges towards me.

I duck and hold a hand. “Before you try anything, I want you to know that I hold grudges. Walk away. You don’t stand a chance against Zeroes.”

He doesn’t. Either he knows I’m on withdrawal or he doesn’t care.

His second hit goes against my neck. He has better aim at my arms, but he doesn’t seem to want to touch them. Well, shit. He must not want to injure Ink’s tattoos on me.

What type of fucked up loyalty is that?

On a second thought, I should’ve had that bastard tattoo my entire body.

The cockroach lunges at me again. I duck and punch him in the diaphragm. He bends over, coughing. He’s not down for long, but it’s long enough for me to retrieve my knife.

“Last chance, cockroach.”

He charges towards me. This time, I’m in the right position. Omega’s enhanced speed would’ve helped, but this will have to do.

A small sound snaps both our attention to the corner. Zoe stands there, lips parting. She’s holding a bag filled with books and they almost tumble free of her grip.