novelxo Chapter 8
"You're not very scared, are you?"
The man stood there, exuding a cold, menacing aura.
Allison didn’t flinch, though her right hand was already curling with the subtle strength she had honed over the years.
It had been a while since she had experienced this kind of life-or-death tension.
The calm of her days had almost made her forget what it felt like.
Outside, the pitter-patter of hurried footsteps rapidly approaching could be heard.
«Find him! We used Sombra's last.
That could knock out an entire squad.
He won't get far.
Move, before dawn!»
Allison's mind was working fast.
So, he was high.
As the footsteps faded, the gun pressed against his side began to shake.
His hand was barely steady, the grip weakening by the second.
"I'm not in the habit of butting in.
I'll act as if I didn't see anything tonight.
"
His voice was firm even as the gun dug into his waist.
“And if you don’t want that wound to fester, you’d better get to a hospital soon.
”
Although he couldn’t see clearly in the darkness, his keen senses picked up the sharp taste of blood in the air.
But his voice, though tense, was cold as ice.
“Keep talking and you won’t live to regret it.
”
His words were rough, deep and magnetic, but the edges were frayed, probably from the drug seeping into his system.
The tremor in his voice was so slight it was almost lost in the tension.
Allison's lips curved into a smile.
"Of course I do.
His fingers clenched into a fist, calculating.
Kellan, for his part, was fighting the fire that was running through his veins.
Her eyelids fluttered as she struggled to control her breathing.
From where she stood, she could only make out a sliver of her neck, pale and delicate, as if a simple twist could break it.
And yet she stood there so calmly, as if she were the one in charge, even smiling!
The drug was stronger than he had anticipated.
His vision blurred, but the pungent scent of plum pierced the haze and briefly cleared his mind.
That moment was all Allison needed.
Crack!
In an instant, he had his elbow driven into her ribs and his right hand had slid up her arm to grab her wrist.
Her fingers expertly pressed on his pressure points, disarming him in one quick, practiced motion.
In a matter of seconds, the tables had turned.
Allison, now holding the gun, let her finger dance lightly over the trigger, the gun glowing in the darkness.
She pointed it at his chest, calm and completely in control.
Kellan, the man who had been calling the shots moments before, now found himself face to face with a woman who smiled at him with cold confidence.
“Next time, think twice before you brandish this.
You never know when it might accidentally go off.
” Allison held the gun with the firmness of someone who had seen it all before.
"Drugged, huh? Looks like you've gone too far this time.
"
He had never come across anyone like her: a woman who looked danger in the face and smiled back.
Kellan didn't even stop.
He put his hand on her elbow.
The gun jerked as Allison's arm bent, and in that flicker of hesitation, Kellan made his move.
With swift precision, he grabbed her shoulder, pinning her against his collarbone.
Allison tasted copper on her tongue, but fear was a distant memory, replaced by something far more exhilarating, a thrill she hadn't felt in years.
How long had it been since he had fought with real intent? He couldn't remember.
What he did know was that after being the obedient puppet of the Stevens family for three long years, the Scarlet Serpent was still coiled inside him, lurking.
Funny, isn't it? Men couldn't stand being reminded of their flaws.
Only that truth could unravel them.
Without a second thought, Allison swung her fist back, aiming straight for Kellan’s temple.
He hadn’t even caught his breath, still reeling from the shock of her resistance.
The blow was not only to hurt, it was to kill.
But Kellan’s instincts were quick and he raised an arm to block the blow.
Before he could fully absorb the impact, Allison used the wall as a springboard, flipping over him with astonishing precision.
She caught him with a perfect throw, sending him sprawling.
However, Kellan rolled over the impact, using the momentum to get back up, and grabbed her arm from an angle she hadn't anticipated.
Allison's brain kicked in, but her body slowed down for a fraction of a second.
Three years of lethargy had dulled her edge, and in that fleeting delay, Kellan twisted her arms from behind and slammed her into the wall.
Silence!
Her vision blurred for a moment, and she could only catch glimpses of his chiseled features, the hard lines of his jaw, and eyes that now burned with an almost dangerous light.
Kellan's composure was crumbling.
The scent of that once soothing perfume hung in the air between them, but now it only fueled the fire inside him, pushing him beyond the edge of reason.
His eyes darkened at the edges, bloodshot, and before Allison could react, he leaned in to kiss her!