Chpt 7

“Lizzy!” Lin waves her hand in front of my face. “Hey, Lizzy!”

I blink a few times before reality settles in. “Huh? Oh. Sorry. Was just…spacing.” I lie. In fact, I was actually staring at her.

Lin looks so beautiful in her blue blouse with skinny jeans. Her toes are painted as well, as her nails. I can see the blue nail and finger polish glitter in the sun from the window. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail leaving a few curled tendrils to hug her cheeks.

“What were you spacing off on?” She smiles, and the sun behind her halos her.

“Teaching Jayke how to shoot a gun.” I glance over at the rookie, see him staring at Lin. I hiss and he jumps, wide-eyed. “Keep your mind on the up coming mission.”

“I-I was staring outside.” He protests.

“Sure you were.” Lin and I speak together.

Giggling, we high five.

“Carmella, Fox, pay attention.” Pryors growls. “Now, Dwopp has moved his location, this time, under a casino.”

“How do we know this?” Lin speaks up.

Pryors finishes off an onion ring. “We implanted a cell chip under the skin in his arm. Reeves doubted it would work, but we’ve proven him wrong.”

“Alright.” I nod. “We taking the rookie?”

 Jayke sinks lower in his chair.

His action catches my attention.

“Come now, Jayke. We got your back.” Lin encourages as I keep my eyes on him.

“I-I don’t know.” He frowns.

“Well it doesn’t matter.” Pryors pats his back. “Cause you’re going in anyway. You need to show what you’ve been trained for.”

“But I’ve never shot a gun.” He meets eyes with me and glares. “Stop staring.”

I raise my hand, point my Desert Eagle at him. “Excuse me?”

“Uh.” He stares nervously at it.

“Lizzy, be nice.” Lindsay coos.

I melt at her voice and drop my hand slowly. “He was being in charge.” I growl.

“Cut it, Fox.” Pryors interrupts. “You’re taking him. And you will keep him alive.”

I let a slow devious smile spread across my face. “Can I shoot him if he screws up the mission?”

Jayke moves in his seat uncomfortably.

“Liz. Be nice.” Lin whispers in my ear, and purrs.

Did she really just purr at me?

---------------

“Who’s this guy?” I stare at a tall, probably 6’ 2”, man with shaggy brown hair and wild green eyes.

“Brenden Buck.” He bows.

I want to run my fingers through his hair. “So why are you standing outside our house?”

He smile. “I’m your partner in this mission. We’re checking the lower areas, while Carmella and Kaden are guarding the entrance.”

Lin frowns beside me. “No one told us this.”

“Reeves sent me not too long ago.” He looks down at his watch. “Exactly an hour ago.”

I exchange a look with Lin, and then look at Brenden. “So…where’s Lin staying?”

“With Pryors for the weekend.” He gestures to the door. “Could you let me in?”

I nod after a glance at Lindsay. “Alright.” She takes my hand as we near the door. “But don’t track anything on the carpet.”

“Um, okay?” He trails behind us. “I know it’s personal, but do you and Carmella have some ‘thing’ going on?”

I hiss at him. “Why do you want her?”

He holds my gaze. “No. Only curious.”

“Lizzy!” Lin calls from the kitchen. “You got a message!”

I curse under my breath, and follow into the kitchen. Branden stands his ground, and I pray he doesn’t move.

“Here.” Lin smiles as she hands me my phone.

I grumble at the sight of a message from Shamus. She wants to set up a day for an interview.

“Lin, mind checking on Brenden? I don’t want him to break something.” I insist.

“Uh. Alright.” She kisses my cheek before exiting.

I leave out the front door, and punch Shame’s number. I dig under the mat and recover a cigarette and lighter. I light it as the rings go by.

“Conners.” Shame picks up.

“It’s Fox.” I blow out some smoke. “You texted me.”

“Oh, yes. It’s you.” She sighs. “Any chance of letting me over?”

A hand catches me off guard, removing the cigarette from my fingers. I spin around to cuss, when I notice it’s only Lin.

“Yer smoking?” She raises a brow, whispering.

“Alisa.” Shame growls.

“How a-” I cut myself off when I notice Lin isn’t behind me anymore. “Shame, give me ten, I’ll call you back.”

I close the phone and drop it on the chair behind me, pushing the front door open. The house is silent, not even the AC makes a sound. Moving around the corner of the kitchen table, I exit to the living room.

Branden isn’t here.

“Lindsay!” I shout amongst the house. “Lin?!”

Just dead silence.

I fall to the floor, head falling into my hands, and weep. “No…no!”

I grab the coffee table and toss it into the wall, watching the glass shatter. I hear the house hiss and too soon, there’s a gun to my head.

“Intruder.” A speaker accuses.

“Oh shut up. You stupid electronics.” I blast the gun off the wall with my Eagle.

A piecing pain stabs at my rib cage and metal sings when my Eagle is shot from my hand.

“Thanks for saving my life.” Branden mentions in my ear, digging his knife further between my ribs. “You really are a stupid blonde.”

I try to reach for my second Eagle, but he beats me to it and loads my shoulder with a magazine of bullets.

A tazor hisses against my neck, and I struggle to remain conscious.

I spit blood in his face and kick him to the ground, groaning in pain over the knife. “Where’s Lindsay?”

“Go ahead and kill me. You’ll never get me to answer.”

I pull the knife from my side and wine as it slides out. Keeping one foot on Branden, I bend down and give a nice, clean cut to his jewels.

He cries out in pain and growls at me. “You little b***h!”

My foot steps on this throat, and I wheeze. “Where. Is. Lindsay?”

“You’re crazy!” He hisses.

I step hard on his wound and remove them off with my knife. “Tell me.”

But he’s too in pain to answer, hand in between his thighs to stop the pain and blood. I take both arms and hand cuff them behind his back.

Next, I chain him to the wall.

“W-wait.” He stutters. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to go find Lindsay.”

I flick my wrist and watch as the knife gives a clean, executed cut along his throat.

“Damn.” I sigh, staring at the blood on my carpet. “You tracked blood in the house.”

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*sits waiting excitedly for next chapter*