MALACHAI
I moved like a shadow, unseen, unheard, a force of death in the night. Lucius had given the order, and I never failed an order. Failure meant consequences, ones I wasn't willing to face, not for myself, but for the only thing in this world that still mattered to me.
The city streets were alive, but the mission required silence. My team and I were dressed in black, our weapons holstered but ready. Each of us knew our role. Infiltration. Elimination. Extraction. Clean. Simple.
We approached the target's compound, a sprawling mansion surrounded by armed guards who had no idea they were already dead men. I gave a signal, two fingers raised, then a downward slash. My men moved instantly.
The first guard went down before he even saw the blade slide across his throat. Warm blood sprayed onto my glove, and I caught his body before it hit the ground. I dragged him into the shadows, my pulse steady. Killing was as natural as breathing.
A second guard lit a cigarette just as my silencer whispered. He collapsed, the ember falling onto his chest. I stepped over him without a glance.
We breached the main entrance in synchronized precision. A single suppressed shot took out the man in the hallway. Another fell as my knife buried into the side of his neck. His eyes met mine for a second before the life drained from them.
The team split up. I moved toward the master bedroom. The target, a high-ranking traitor, was inside, oblivious to his fate.
I pushed the door open, gun raised. He woke just as I pressed the silencer to his forehead.
"Lucius sends his regards."
A single shot. His body slumped back against the pillows, his mouth still open in an unfinished plea.
I turned, wiping the blood off my gloves. The mission was complete, but my mind wasn't in it….not entirely. Ezra. His touch, his warmth. I growled under my breath. That boy was messing with my head, and that was dangerous.
No distractions. No attachments.
I had to forget him.
I gave the signal, and my team disappeared into the night. Another mission completed. Another life taken. Just as Lucius ordered.
I was a weapon, nothing more.
And weapons don't fall in love.