Misted (Team Zero #5) by Rina Kent

“And I love you, Hawk.” Tears spring to my eyes, and I hug him so close, wanting to fuse us together as he continues spinning us. He’s laughing. I’m giggling.

And for the first time since we got into The Pit, it feels like we’re normal people. No Omega. No Hades. No killing.

Just us and our future together.

It was the happiest day of my life.

Before everything fell into pieces.





20





Hawk





Am I destroying you or simply destroying myself?



Present,

“How is it?” I ask through the phone, patting my back pocket for a lighter. “Is that lieutenant still fishing around?”

“The police is the last thing you need to worry about.” Flame’s cool’s voice holds no emotions whatsoever. “Hades abandoned her. You know that, right?”

I remove my unlit cigarette from between my lips and curse at the sparkling water down the cliff.

When I heard about the whole ‘Nero resurrection’, I figured something was fishy. Now I’m damn sure that Hades suspects Mist.

But why now?

It’s been fifteen fucking years.

Hades doesn’t abandon his Zeroes without a strong reason. Hades doesn’t abandon his Zeroes. Full stop. We’re his gold mines. Whatever tip he received must directly implicates Mist.

The question is, who’s the fucker who’s working against Mist in the shadows? If they can find evidence to accuse Mist of what happened to Nero, why am I not brought up when I did worse?

“We’re staying here for a while,” I tell Flame, stuffing the cigarette back in my mouth and lightening it.

The strong nicotine fills my mouth and soothes my nerves when I breathe it out through my nostrils.

I want to say I hate that Mist is in this situation, but a sick part of me wants to smother her here until there’ll be no way out.

This was supposed to be revenge, but the lines blurred somewhere in the middle. Now, I want to consume her, devour her, and engrave myself into her so deep, she won’t be able to breathe without feeling me inside her and all around her.

What happens afterwards is still debatable.

“Wise.” Flame’s detached voice drifts. “Well, you’re on speaker now—”

“Where the fuck have you taken her?” Molly screeches from the other side. “I’ll find you and I’ll kill you.”

I let the smoke foam out of my mouth. Molly sure as shit can’t hurt me and I’m wasting my time talking to her.

“I don’t fucking care if you’re a Zero. I’ll kill you if you hurt her.”

“Don’t start a threat you can’t carry out, Goth girl.” Scar mocks in the background then says in a cheerful tone. “I’ll get the pesky lieutenant off your back, Hawk. Don’t worry about him.”

“Can you handle him, though?” Shadow scoffs in the background.

“I can handle anyone.” There’s more bite in Scar’s words than she usually shows.

It’s the first time I believe that maybe she can’t. That lieutenant proved how relentless and fearless he is.

“I’ll find you, Hawk.” Molly screeches. “You better —”

I hang up and finish smoking my cigarette in peace. My gaze searches the surroundings of the house. Over the week Mist spent detoxing, I set some traps, but it’s not the best security. Crow chose an isolated place without much security concerns, as expected from a Zero, but some of the trees are too tall, they nearly graze the sky. It’d be hard to get sniper gear in there – I know because I tried it – but it’s not impossible. The mere risk makes me twitchy.

I’m glad I didn’t keep Mist at Le Salon. If Hades put her on his shit list, then she’s done for. He’ll use those girls she loves so much against her and bring her to the ground.

Her fall should rejoice me, but all I think about is that I get to keep her on a leash by my side.

Although under different circumstances, we’re back to the time where it’s just the two of us.

She used to be my heaven. Now, she’s a disease with no fucking cure.

I throw the butt of the cigarette, squash it with my boot and stalk back inside.

It’s like Crow did it on purpose and picked a cosy fucking house. From the antique wooden structure to the traditional carpets down to the twinkling fucking sea below is all that Mist and I would have chosen when I was a fucking idiot.

My mood darkens as I barge into the small bedroom where she’s been nursing her nasty withdrawal.

After I fed her soup — I don’t know how it tastes — this morning, she fell back to sleep immediately. Since I ate her out two nights ago, she barely opens her eyes anymore. It’s like those days where she was too exhausted to move. She’s sleeping with her fiery hair spilling all over the pillow. She looks so young and vulnerable with her hair down. Probably why she always ties it at the back of her head. Her mouth is parted in a small ‘O’ that begs for my cock to slide inside.

She’s spread-eagled with only a thin sheet covering her. The tiny pebbles of her nipples strain against the cloth. My dick hardens against my jeans, knowing she’s completely naked underneath.

I fucking hate her for having this effect on me. It’s like I was hit with Mist’s curse and I’ll never find a way out.