Chapter 79 Painful Choice
Anna's POV
I stared at the gun in her hand. Then at her eyes.
There was something different there now. Not fear. Acceptance.
The kind of acceptance people got when they knew they were already dead.
"Even if you kill me," I said, "there's no escaping Xavier."
Eve smiled. "There was never going to be any escape."
Another loud bang hit the door. Metal groaned.
Eve continued. "At least this way, Zack keeps his word."
I frowned. "What?"
"He'll take care of my family." I heard genuine emotion in her voice. "He promised me."
She swallowed. "He'll give them the money he owes me."
BANG! The door shook again.
Eve raised the gun. "Goodbye, Anna."
My entire body froze. She pulled the trigger, it clicked but nothing happened.
For a second neither of us moved.
I blinked. The gun was empty.
Eve's eyes widened. My body moved before my brain did.
I charged. My fist slammed straight into her throat. The impact made her gasp violently.
The gun fell from her hand. I grabbed her instantly. Years of training took over.
No thinking, just pure instinct. I lifted her and drove her backward.
BANG! Her body smashed into the iron door.
The sound echoed through the room. She dropped to the floor groaning.
I grabbed her again. Pulled her up. Then slammed her into the door a second time.
BANG! The metal rattled. Eve collapsed.
I jumped on her. My hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing it hard.
She clawed at my arms and kicked. But she was already losing strength.
My breathing became ragged. Then suddenly reality crashed into me. What am I doing?
I released her immediately. I stumbled backward. "Shit."
Eve fell onto her side coughing violently. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
For several seconds neither of us spoke. Then she laughed. A horrible broken laugh.
Blood stained her teeth. "I knew it."
I stared at her. She kept laughing. "I always knew there was more to you."
I said nothing.
Eve slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Her eyes never left mine. "But now I'm sure."
My stomach tightened. "Eve—"
"Only trained killers fight like that." I swallowed. "You aren't some helpless girl. You never were."
My pulse quickened. Eve wiped blood from her lips. "You're an assassin." The words landed like a hammer.
Outside, Xavier's men were still breaking through the door. But suddenly that wasn't what scared me.
Eve knew. And if she knew— Then Xavier could know.
My breathing became uneven. Eve smiled. "So I wasn't the only one with a secret."
She spat blood onto the floor. "Tell me." I remained silent. "Who do you work for?"
I didn't answer. My eyes drifted toward the metal table beside us. A sharp object rested there.
Probably forgotten by whoever used the room before. Eve didn't notice. She kept talking.
"I wonder what Xavier is going to do when he finds out."
My fingers slowly wrapped around the object. Eve laughed again. "Two spies under his roof."
I closed my eyes. Just for a second. Then I opened them again.
My decision made. "He's never going to find out."
Eve's smile vanished. "What?"
I moved fast and plunged the blade into her neck. It went straight through. Warm blood exploded onto my hand.
Eve's eyes widened. She tried to speak but no words came out, only blood. Then she collapsed on the floor dead.
The room became silent. I stared at her body, at the blood, at my trembling hands. "Fuck." The word escaped me.
My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. I hadn't wanted this. I truly hadn't.
For all her lies and her betrayal, I hadn't wanted Eve dead. But she knew too much.
A deafening crash interrupted my thoughts. The iron door finally gave way.
Xavier's men stormed inside immediately with weapons raised. Scanning every corner.
Then Xavier entered. Unlike his men, he wasn't looking around. He was looking directly at me.
His expression hardened. "Are you alright?"
I nodded. "Yes."
His shoulders relaxed slightly. Then his gaze shifted to Eve's body. He crouched beside her, studying the wound: The blood, the signs of struggle, the overturned chair.
He remained silent for several seconds. Then he stood. "One hell of a fight."
My throat tightened. "I got lucky," I said quickly before he got any ideas.
Xavier glanced at me. The look on his face suggested he didn't entirely believe that.
Still, he nodded. "Too bad."
I frowned. "What?"
His eyes returned to Eve. "I wanted to be the one to kill her."
Typical Xavier. I almost laughed despite everything.
Then he stepped closer, his fingers gently gripped my chin, tilting my face upward.
His eyes searched mine carefully like he was looking for something. "I knew you didn't try to escape."
I blinked. "Eve kidnapped me."
"Of course she did." His voice remained calm. "But she wasn't alone."
My stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"
Xavier's expression darkened. "Lucas helped her."
For a moment I thought I had misheard him. "Lucas?"
"Yes."
My mind immediately flashed back to everything Eve had said. Everything I'd dismissed. Everything I'd refused to believe.
I swallowed. "She told me that." Xavier waited. "I thought she was lying. Are you sure?"
He nodded once. Then asked quietly, "What do you remember?"
I thought about it. "The wine."
His eyes narrowed slightly. I continued. "Lucas gave me wine." The memory made me uneasy. "I drank it." My voice softened. "That's the last thing I remember."
Xavier stared at me for several seconds. Then nodded. As if something had just been confirmed. "Come on." He turned toward the door. "Let's go home."
I took a step forward. My legs immediately felt weak. Xavier noticed. "Can you walk?"
"I can." The moment I answered, he bent down and lifted me into his arms anyway.
I opened my mouth to protest. Then closed it again, I didn't argue.
I simply rested my head against his shoulder. And allowed him to carry me out.