“So...Faith, would you like to share with the group?” Sarah the group leader of the meeting smiled at me, and I resisted the urge to shoot the bitch death glares.

I smiled back, fake of course. I rose to my feet looking around the circle of the 6 other people whose eyes were burning into me waiting for me to share with the group, sing Kumbaya and say how my life is improving after giving up my addiction. I caught the eyes of Chris, who was also sat around the circle giving me a knowing grin as I cleared my throat and began to speak.

“My name is Faith, and I’m a drug addict.” I announce and I notice Chris try and hold back laughter at the clear sarcasm in my voice. The group claps at my confession, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes at the cheesiness of it all. The group stops clapping, waiting for me to carry on speaking. I turn my head to Sarah, the kind woman who had been smiling at me for the last half an hour “And you Sarah, are about to die.”

He face falls as I reach to the back of my jeans and pull out my gun, aiming it straight at her. The kind supportive group leader front she had been putting on for god knows how long falls, and the panic flies through her face as she reaches below her seat pulls out a gun of her own. Before I had a chance to shoot, one of the members of the group rises to their feet and kicks my arm, making me lose the shot on Sarah.

I hear the bullet shots go off, and before I know it chaos has exploded. Sarah, along with two other guys who were posing as recovering drug addicts grabbed their weapons, realising that they have been made. The 3 genuine members of this group began screaming, and I see all of them dive towards the tables pushed up around the hall and crawling underneath them for cover.

I turn to the guy who kicked me earlier, sending a turning kick around to his ribs, making sure to crack a few on impact. He buckles over clutching his side from pain and I quickly kill the guy by putting a bullet in his head.

“Faith, swap!” Chris calls out to me, ducking from one of Sarah’s punches. I notice the other guy come diving towards me, and I quickly jump out of the way and run over to Sarah, while Chris runs over to the guy who came for me a minute ago. I didn’t have time to complain about Chris’s clear sexism. He wanted to take on the guy while he thought I was best suited with the girl.

“So agents are in town then?” Sarah sneers, looking at me like I was dirt “Dan said he came across you a few days back.”

“Oh yeah, make sure you ask Dan what his preference would be, a knife to his neck or a bullet to his forehead.” I smile sweetly at her, and her eyes narrow.

“I fucking hate agents!” she growls, picking up one of the chairs and throwing it my way. I didn’t see that one coming, and the chair hits me knocking me off my feet. As I look up, I see Sarah towering over me raising her foot over my head. I quickly roll away last second as her heeled boot comes crashing down on the spot where my head was. I spin on the floor, kicking her legs making sure she is on the ground with me. I crawl over to where she is laying and straddle her, connect my fists against her face until she is on the verge of losing consciousness. Blood is pouring down her face, and I can slowly see her eyes shutting.

“Where’s the drug lord?” I order, keeping her head up by pulling on her hair. She doesn’t reply as she is putting all her energy into keeping her eyes open. I sigh dramatically “I don’t like it when people ignore me Sarah.” My voice is vicious, and I slap her cheek so hard I actually feel it sting on my hand “I’ll repeat myself...Where’s the drug lord?”

“The drug lord...” Her eyes are fluttering open and closed, but a smile begins to appear on her lips. Which was attractive since there was blood covering about 80% of her face “...is in bed with your mother.”

I grit my teeth “I hate the ‘your mother’ jokes. So unoriginal.” I inform her, before getting so fed up of the slut I decided to put an end to her. I slam her head into the floor hard, and I see her face wince in pain. I get to my feet, taking my time as I can guarantee she won’t be moving any time soon. I grab the chair that she had thrown at me mere minutes ago and hold it so one of the legs is directly over her face.

“Sarah, anything you would like to share with the group before you go?” I humour, looking down at her with a very amused face. Her eyes widen as she realises what I am about to do, before she snarls at me.

“You and your firm are all as good as dead!” she yells at me weakly.

I make a thinking face “I think the only person who can be related to the word dead right now, is you Sarah.” Using all the force in my upper body I raise the chair over my head, and bring it back down crushing the chair leg into her skull, caving it in and guaranteeing that she will not be leading any support groups anytime soon.

Target eliminated.

Another dealer down.

I back away from the body, looking up to see Chris sliding a knife across the other guy’s throat. The guy collapses onto the floor, and Chris turns to me. He looks a little taken back as he sees the chair that is balancing in Sarah’s skull, before the corner of his lip tugs up.

“Now that is a very creative way of taking someone out.” he comments, and I grin at him.

“Imagination was always my strong point.” I reply, and he chuckles.

We both suddenly hear the cries in the corner of the room, and realise the other members of the group were still here. Chris and I exchange a knowing look, and I nod my head realising what we have to do. I walk over to the table all 3 of the civilians were cowering under, and crouched down so I could see them clearly. I heard Chris walk up behind me, and the two women under the table actually whimpered as they saw me crouch down thinking I was about to kill them. I suddenly realise I had a gun in my hand now, which is probably why they were worried. The man is looking at me, the clear fear in his face but he gulped it down as he tried to stay brave, probably thinking he could fight me off. That would be the day.

“Now guys, what you have just seen here is very misleading.” I begin, talking slowly like I was dealing with primary school children “You did not just see a man and a woman kill 3 people of this group, what you saw was a robber come in and kill 3 members of this group, including your fearless leader.”

The women cry a little harder, the low tone of my voice clearly scaring them. The guy realises he is the front man here, and clears his voice to speak.

“I am not going to lie and defend two murderers!” he tells me bravely, trying to keep his morals but the quivering in his voice let him down. I scrunched my brows in disgust at him, and then sighed dramatically.

“Listen...” I drifted off, prompting him to tell me his name.

“John.” He tells me.

“Listen John, you’re really in no position to be making the rules.” I tell him, the clear fake sympathy flowing out with every word. I raise the gun that’s in my hand and point at it with my other hand. The two women cry out again, and I have to bite back from shooting them both in the face to stop that extremely annoying whimpering. “”What’s this John?”

He gulps again, staring at the weapon in my hand for a few seconds before replying “A gun.”

I nod my head “That’s right John, it’s a gun. And what do guns do?”

I hear Chris giggle from behind me at my patronising tone.

“Kill people.” John replies, the confident facade he had seconds ago growing weaker and weaker.

“Well done John. They kill people. Right now I’m the one with the gun, so I would do exactly as I say because you don’t want me turning up at your house in a few days with my trusty pistol and killing you in your sleep would you?” I ask the obvious question, and I can actually see the guy’s forehead start sweating at how scared and nervous he was. He shakes his head, agreeing with what I have just said. Chris by this point is almost rolling on the floor laughing.

“So, what happened to the 3 dead people in this group John?” I ask again.

“A robber came in and killed them.” he answers, and I smile.

“Good man John.” I hold my fist out, and he actually flinches. I hold it there for a few seconds before he finally realises what I was getting at, and he wearingly raised his own fist and bumps it with mine. I rise to my feet and turn to Chris who had a red face from laughing so much.

“That was like watching a bully in the playground at school.” Chris snorts with laughter, and I can’t help the smile that twitches at the side of my mouth. He full on grins now, and slings an arm around my shoulder pulling me closer to his body “Let’s go home buttercup, the kids are waiting.”

Chris and I drove back to the house, happy that we had managed to eliminate another place the drug lord had placed his dealers, but pissed off that yet again we hit a brick wall. In the last two days since we started this job we had managed to eliminate 3 places:

1. The rehab meeting that we had just done and had to go into undercover and pose as recovering addicts. Chris’s idea, as he has mentioned previously he likes the theatrics. The irony of having drug dealers stashed in a rehab meeting did make me chuckle I am not going to lie.

2. A pharmacy, which was quite a smart move on the drug lords part even I will admit. A guy comes in asking for the medication to treat the pain in his chest, and he walks out with a bag of weed that will definitely make him float so high in the sky he will completely forget about the pain in his chest.

3. The local youth club. I actually felt my blood boil as I realised the drug lord had placed dealers in the youth club. When I was younger I used to go to that youth club every week with Chelsea and Holly (up until we discovered alcohol and parties) and now the place where I shared a lot of happy childhood memories was also tainted with this piece of crap world I live in of drugs, criminals and death. Lovely.

Anyway, we had managed to hit 3 places but every single dealer we took out on the way point blanked refused to even give us the drug lord’s first name, let alone where they were. It was infuriating because I was dying to get my hand on that asshole and personally snap his neck myself. So basically the hunt goes on.

It had been pretty easy the last two days because Chris and I were able to leave Jace at home with Connor and Drake while we went out and did the mission. We knew he would be safe at home with them two, and Jace had seemed to become Connors brother from another mother in less than a few hours so they got along like a house on fire. Even Drake was starting to like the guy, and that was rare.

Unfortunately, Connor and Drake start a new mission tomorrow meaning that Chris and I will have to take Jace along with us to carry on the drug lord mission. It was not safe leaving Jace alone at all when he had a big bulls eye on his forehead from the drug lord himself. Also, I would not trust that guy alone in the house for a whole day in a million years. I would probably come home in the evening to find he had set the house ablaze while trying to make a waffle. The irresponsible idiot.

Drake kept insisting Jace still had feelings for me. The annoying thing was that Connor and Chris were beginning to agree with him and having to convince all 3 that there was no way in hell was exhausting. I will say this though; Jace had been bearable to live with for the last 2 days. Fair enough he was untidy and an annoying arrogant buffoon the entire time, but I liked having him around. As pathetic as this may sound, he is the closest thing to my old life I have. And I missed it.

My old life I mean, not Jace. I didn’t miss Jace. I dislike Jace. Yeah, I really dislike Jace.

Convinced yourself yet?

I ignored the irritating voice in my head as we had finally reached the house. I take off my leather jacket and hang it up on the rack when Chris decides to start acting like an immature chimp. He pokes my sides, and I glare at him while he gives me an innocent look. I shake my head and turn to the hallway mirror, realising I looked a state. There was blood down my neck and a smudge of it on my cheek. How did I get this much blood on me from just impaling her skull with a chair leg?!

I turn to glare at Chris, who is trying not to laugh as he realises I have just noticed what I look like “Thanks for telling me I look like Carrie right now.”

He full on grins and cocks a brow “I think the psychotic slasher look is hot.”

I try and hide the smirk on my face “You think Freddie Kruger is hot.”

He grimaces at the thought “Scary paedophiles with melted faces don’t do it for me I’m afraid. But I will gladly help you wash the blood out of every crevice of your naked body later while you have a long soapy hot shower...” he suddenly begins to drift off, his eyes wondering off to some other land as he is clearly picturing it. I punch him hard in the chest, and he snaps back to reality. “So...is that a no?” he asks seriously.

I shake my head in amusement and roll my eyes “You should really seek help.”

He laughs and we both walk into the living room to see Jace sat on the single seat sofa while Drake and Connor are on the two seater with their feet on the coffee table. They all turn their head as we walk in.

“Hey honey, how was work?” Jace greets, and both Connor and Drake snort with laughter. Jace’s eyes widen a little as he takes in my appearance, and then I can see the amusement glitter in his eyes “Rough day at the office?” He asks mockingly as he is gesturing towards the blood on my face and neck.

“Just the usual really.” I shrug. I suddenly swallow and grimace “Do any of you have a tic tac? I think a bit of blood splattered in my mouth when I caved that girls head in with a chair.”

Jace’s face turns into one of pure horror while Connor and Drake shake their heads with amused faces, used to my delicate words.

“I swear you’re more feminine that she is Connor.” Drake comments and Connor nods in agreement. Chris walks over to the other sofa and slings back on it.

“Anyway I better go and wash.” I tell the group, turning to walk to the bathroom.

“So about my offer on the shower thing?” Chris calls out to me before I leave the room, and I turn to shoot him a warning look. He winks at me and turns back to the TV. Drake twists his head around to me, giving me grin of his own before I walk out of the room whilst shaking my head at the immature perverted men I live with and proceed to washing the blood off my body.

***

“So how did you guys get into this?” Jace asks the group as we all sit around the living room. I had just washed and changed into my pyjama shorts and black tank top, making sure not to put on the Hollister hoodie because that would have brought up an entirely different conversation if Jace saw it.

Me and Chris were on the two seater sofa, and I rested my head on his shoulder as I leaned against his body getting comfortable. Jace was still on the single seater while Connor and Drake were sharing the love seat, much to their protests. Chris’s arm was slung behind the back of the sofa so it was behind me and his feet were on the coffee table. We had been making random conversation for about half an hour now, and then suddenly Jace’s upfront nature comes bursting out.

“Everyone got into it a different way.” Connor tells him “They recruited me after a football match I played when I was 16.”

Jace nodded along, showing Connor he was taking his story in “That’s crazy. Doing something you normally do, then you get taken and brought into this life.”

“Tell me about it.” I mutter.

Drake suddenly bursts out laughing, and we all turn to him with questioning looks “Chris why don’t you tell Jace the story of when you recruited Faith.”

Chris tensed up next to me, and I tried hard not to laugh as I know how much it winds Chris up every time. Jace looks a little surprised as he looks between me and Chris.

“Wait, you recruited her?” Jace asks a little stunned. I couldn’t help but notice the angry flair in his voice, but it was so faint I doubt anyone else did.

Chris nodded “I had to pick her up and bring her back to the firm.”

“And why don’t you tell him what happened the night you did just that.” Drake encourages, trying to hold back the laughter. Connor however was not as successful and was leaning his head back while his laughter boomed around the room.

Chris sighed, realising they were not going to let up until he told Jace “She kicked me in the balls and put me in the infirmary.” He quickly admitted, the shame clear in his voice.

A small proud smile appears on my lips at the memory as Drake and Connor are close to pissing themselves from laughing. Jace laughs a little, but there was a proud tweak to the smile on his lips. He looked at me and raised his brows, showing he was impressed. I returned his smile, and we both found ourselves not breaking the stare between us until someone else did.

“What about you man, you’re a 19 year old guy and you were working full time in a shoe shop?” Drake asks Jace, who snaps his eyes away from me and looks at Drake.

Jace shrugs “It was a way to get some money.” He then turns to me grinning “Glad I went for the straight and narrow employment instead of filling out the application to become a drug dealer now though.”

I laugh faintly, along with the other guys. He really was a charmer with any crowd.

“So you didn’t go to college or anything?” Drake asks with genuine curiosity, obviously trying to get to know Jace a bit more. Jesus, he really was making an effort.

Jace shook his head “Dropped out before I was kicked out.”

Drake chuckles “Not exactly the rule following type then?”

Jace grinned back “Without meaning to sound redundant, but rules are made to be broken. Unfortunately however, my college didn’t share my views.”

The guys laugh, and I find a smile creeping to my lips as I hear him talk. I look at him as he speaks to the guys, looking so relaxed and poise. He was leaning back on the chair like he had lived here all his life, like he had knows the guys all his life. I had a sudden urge to pull him onto this sofa and lean my head on his shoulder instead of Chris. I mentally slapped myself.

No Faith, its Jace. You two never end well remember!

“How come you got that bad then?” I ask, trying to talk before my own thoughts manage to drive me insane “I mean when we were back at school you were a cocky little asshole sure, but you were never on the verge of getting kicked out.”

Jace’s face turns a little darker at this mention “Everything fucked up a few years ago, and I got in with a bad crowd. I spent almost every night downing a crate of beer, getting into fights with random people or going on joy rides with stolen cars. It all seemed like a good idea at the time, it was easier doing that and forgetting about everything.” Jace explained, and I could see all the guys hanging onto his every word, but his eyes were focused on me. He shrugged “Guess I was acting out.”

I furred my brows in confusion and my eyes locked with his, sending chills down my spine.

“What made you act out?” I ask, wanting to understand why the sudden downwards spiral in Jace’s life.

His eyes stared at me with a little more intensity, looking at me like I should know the answer to my own question. When he realised I had no clue, he finally replied.

“Guilt.”

His simple response made my stomach flip and the room turn a little tense. Jace rolled his bottom lip into his mouth and turned his head back to the TV, but I could see the conversation was still playing on his mind from the look on his face. What exactly was he guilty about?

I suddenly felt the burning stares of Chris, Connor and Drake on me as they all sported the suggestive smirks on their faces which were obviously caused from Jace’s words. They were still pressing this whole ‘Jace has feelings for me’ thing. I avoided all of their smug gazes, and focused my attention on the TV, which was playing music channels.

“OH MY GOD, TURN IT UP!” Chris suddenly bellows, making Connor jump out of his skin and shriek. Me and Drake snort at his reaction, while Jace turns up the volume of the TV.

“I need a doctor, call me a doctor, to bring me back to lifeeeeeeeeeee.” Chris sang along painfully to the song on the TV, waving his arms in the air slowly to the music. All of us stare at him with amused expressions, while slowly judging him without eyes. He turns his head to me and Jace, pointing at the TV like we should be able to understand what he was getting at. Me and Jace exchange a clueless look and shrug.

“This song!” Chris exclaims, still pointing at the TV like we should get what he is talking about. He sighs in annoyance as we carry on looking dense “Where is the next place we have to hit up and kill some dealers?” He asks out loud, staring at the ceiling impatiently.

“The...hospital...” I drift off, suddenly realising what he is getting at. Me and Jace look at each other as the realisation spreads over both our faces “Ohhhhhh” we both say simultaneously, and a big grin is spreading over Chris’s face.

“So ladies and gentleman, someone call me a doctor because tomorrow we are hitting up the hospital to kill some undercover dealers.” Chris announces with excitement “Ohhh, I love hospitals. So many possibilities and tools to end someone’s life, so little time!”



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