Crowed (Team Zero #2) - Rina Kent Page 0,44

stain his white shirt.

My muscles lock. That’s not... Eloise’s blood, right? It can’t be.

I won’t believe it.

My nostrils flare as I point my gun at him. Of all Team Zero, I didn’t want to face Storm, but if he as much as puts a finger on Eloise, I’ll blow his fucking brains out.

“You’re to return to the UK tonight.” He places a cigarette in his mouth and lights it, seeming completely relaxed, as if we’re talking about a normal day.

“Where is she?” I advance, keeping my aim straight to his forehead.

“Shouldn’t you pack your things?” His gaze falls on his smudged shirt, and he frowns as if only just noticing that it’s bloodied. “You have to go back. Hades’ orders.”

“Fuck Hades,” I grit out, now standing so close to him, I smell the smoke. “Tell me where Eloise is. What have you done to her?”

“She’s asleep.” His lips quirk up. “For now.” He frowns at his shirt again. He’s always been some sort of a germaphobe. It has to do with the few years he spent in med school. The whole obsession with cleanness is ridiculous considering that he deals with blood and killing all the damn time.

“What do you mean by ‘Fuck Hades’?” He blows a cloud of smoke. Another habit that doesn’t add up with his germaphobe nature. He’s always been a mountain of contradictions. “You’re really planning to riot like Ghost and the other cunts?”

“It means that I’m done being a dog.” My gaze trails sideways, trying to catch sight of Eloise. I doubt he kept her inside the house. Storm’s first and most common move is to take his victims away from any familiar place – especially their houses – so they don’t have the advantage of recognising their surroundings.

I can always kill him and search for her, but knowing he loves blowing shit to pieces, I won’t take the risk of him having strapped a bomb to her.

“I saw your untouched stash, but I still didn’t want to believe it.” His thumb and middle finger pinch the spot between his eyebrows. “You’re actually following that cunt Ghost’s steps?”

“I’m following no one’s steps.” I lower my gun and control my breathing. If there’s a way to appeal to the camaraderie we had all these years, then I’ll do that. He’s a victim of Omega, just like me. We shared decades together. That should mean something.

At least, I hope it fucking does.

Besides, I need to stall for time until Ghost gets here.

I force my stance into a relaxed position despite the havoc wreaking inside me. “I just don’t want to be a slave to Omega anymore. It’s destroying us from within. I’ve seen Diablo’s autopsy report. He died of something similar to stage five cancer. Only it had no external symptoms. If we continue taking Omega, we will end up just like him. Hades knew but didn’t give a fuck about our lives.”

“So what?” He takes another long drag of his cigarette. His eyes turn glassier; he’s on the bloody drugs. “If Hades wants us dead, then so be it.”

Fuck Storm and his loathsome loyalty to Hades.

I can’t believe I considered him one of my closest teammates. He’s always been blinded by Hades’ hell and can’t see past it. He’d betray the whole of Team Zero for him.

When I first started getting off Omega, I asked Storm if there’s a life beyond The Pit, and he brushed it off. Then I had that contract in France and decided to delay talking to him until my return.

“Wait a fucking second.” I glare at him as all the pieces fall together. “You’re the traitor. You sent someone to shoot me because I hinted about having a life outside The Pit.”

He grins, showing blinding white teeth. He always had a disgustingly charming smile. “I didn’t send anyone; I did the whole thing myself. The contract was a fake to draw you out from the rest of Team Zero and toy with you. That cunt Paul was evidence so, boom. Blown up. You know, leave no traces behind.”

“You fucking...” My blood boils. “You’ve been in Marseille the entire time.”

“Never claimed I wasn’t. In fact...” He glares at his shirt, and this time, he yanks it off, remaining in a white T-shirt. “In fact, I’ve been here for almost eight months. Eloise doesn’t talk about me?”

My nostrils flare. If he’s been here that entire time, then he’s that damn doctor Curly. The one named Xavier. His hair is all straight – even