Page 88 of Blood Code

Perhaps rapists' blood would keep me strong. Who knew? I'd never tried and probably never would. A bit too unhinged, even for me. I was crazy, but not that crazy.

No, I wasn't going to gut these men. Sadly. I'd simply ghost in, have a little chat with the girl, and ghost her out. Easiest and smartest plan, given my particular skill set.

The goal was to rescue the girl and get out alive. I could come back and kill them all later.

I checked the feeds from my fly-sized surveillance drones. All clear. Time for the extraction.

Forty masked guards patrolled the compound, but my plan made their numbers irrelevant.

The only possible complication was whatever Damon had in store for me. That man seemed obsessed with thwarting me. He'd promised a surprise, and in my experience, men's surprises usually involved their dicks—or something far worse.

Not that there was much worse than an unwanted dick.

So, no thank you. I didn't want Damon's dick…

Or whatever he had in store for me.

Wait… no, I take that back. I did want his dick—cut off and added to my treasure trove. A.K.A. my wall of taxidermied dicks. Such a shame I'd had to send Alek’s to Severin, but needs must.

And I needed to horrify my ex-boyfriend.

So, I did.

Ah, I got distracted again. Anyway, I doubted Damon would appear in person. Alas, the dick cleaving would have to wait.

First, the mission.

I opened my laptop, pressed Enter to launch the attack on the power grid, then slipped into my void form and walked straight through the compound's walls.

I was met with walls of suffocating concrete, streaks of blue, and barred windows that only let you see the sun but never reach it.

A shiver tore through me, and my breath grew ragged. My knees buckled. I reached for the wall to steady myself, forgetting that my hand would pass straight through.

I hit the floor of what looked like a broom closet and scraped my knees through my combat pants. Because, yes, I was, in fact, that skilled.

My breathing turned shallow, and I started hyperventilating. Sounds faded, and I only heard them as if they were reaching me through a tunnel. I sank against the wall, a hanging mop handle digging into my back. As my body solidified, I drew my knees to my chest.

Fuck.

Why was I so emotional?

I was never emotional. But all of a sudden, the last couple of weeks had turned me into a ball of them.

I had broken into eleven Order compounds before, and I'd never reacted like this. I was an emotionless robot, and that was what made me so good at my job.

But now?

I was a ship adrift in the middle of the ocean, without a motor or sails. Desperate.

I rested my chin on my knees and took a few moments to practice the breathing exercises Dr. Emma Hayes had taught me. She'd be so happy. Oh God, no one tell her.

Not that anyone could, but I certainly wasn't going to.

I rubbed my calves. You can do this, Xeniya. Just get up, get the girl, and get out.

I sucked in a deep breath.

Okay, I could do that.