Crash and Burn (1)

never let them live

♚ ♛

"THAT BASTARD."

Faster than I could blink, all that panic and desperation spiraled into a murderous rage.

He fucking left. He left.

I stood still in the humid bathroom and stared at the damp towel hanging over the sink. Soren had taken a shower and ghosted as if this was some fucking one night stand.

What an asshole.

I hoped Soren Calloway was looking over his shoulder for two people now because if I ever saw him again, I would kill him myself.

Lightning broke the silence, and with it, any self-control I had left crumbled. A violent sob wracked through my body as reality hit me.

He was gone. The only person that was willing to help me was fucking gone.

I was alone.

Everything burned. Tears spilling over my cheeks and anger blooming in my chest, I stormed across the empty portable, ripped my sweatshirt from the hook and shoved my hand into the pocket.

Empty.

Soren took my gun.

I dropped the damp fabric and clambered over to the couch to grab the other gun. Maybe I should be glad that he left anything at all.

A lump formed in my throat as I fought back the rush of tears. It had always occurred that I was one hairline fracture away from shattering, but I hadn't realized Soren would be the catalyst for a vicious breakdown.

Breathe.

It didn't work. Everything still came collapsing in on me, chasing away all the hopes that I'd built over the past day. Too many emotions tangling into a jumbled mess. Fury, confusion, remorse.

Heartache.

For a fleeting moment, I wasn't alone. For the first time in months, I had someone. Someone on my side, someone with me.

I blinked it back defiantly. I'd rather face anger than admit fear.

"No, no, no." The gun slipped through my fingers clumsily as I slowly backed into the doorway again, and my heart clenched with panic. "No."

Alone. I was alone again.

A sparse cluster of office furniture was all that accompanied me. Two cabinets, another wooden desk, a wire waste basket, and a black desk chair.

There was no trace of Soren Calloway ever being there. Just like he wanted.

Annoyance surged up through my body like a wildfire, searing right down to his pathetic promise.

"I'm not going anywhere, princess."

"Asshole." Another sob shook my shoulders. What was I expecting? I was a walking, talking target, and if he stuck around me, he would be too. Soren would end up dead just like everyone else.

My feet brought me to the tiny little bathroom, my hands tore at my clothes, my chest heaved with broken gasps.

Breathe.

As soon as the cool water hit my back, the knot in my stomach unfurled.

Breathe.

I could do this alone.

Fuck Soren Calloway.

"What would be your plan then? To kill him?"

I could kill him.