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Taking a deep breath, I press ainst the push-handle and open the door The handle pops and cracks, just like I reh school, and I wince When I believe I’in to move farther into the room, crouched low as I move down the center aisle The carpet smells like fifty years’ worth of dirt andcooler as Nove and weather dae

I stop cold in my tracks and adjust my eyes in the seure is sitting in one of the seats on the second row close to the stage I drop closer to the floor, er if I have to, and I watch for anytricks on me in the darkness

A foot sways back and forth, propped on the back of the chair in front of what I’ resonates through the auditoriu frouns raised and pointed right at the figure

"Put your fucking hands up! Put your fucking hands up now!" Niklas shouts as he rushes the figure, his voice echoing throughout the room

I duck down behind a row of seats and stay out of the way for now, just in case there are others, and I need to come in later froure and it looks like he’s shoved the barrel of his gun into the side of the figure’s head "I’ll splatter your brains across the fucking seats if you’ve hurt her! Where is she?!" he roars

"Back off, Dorian," I hear Victor’s voice carry over the auditoriue, the sound of his dress shoes tapping against the wood floor

I look up and all aroundthe walls, but still there’s nothing Could this person have co it and I doubt Victor is, either We didn’t even come alone; there are four other men outside on the rooftops who scouted the outside before weBut they found nothing either No signs of anyone lurking about the buildings, or on any rooftops waiting to get us in the sights of their sniper scopes

The figure stands froainst her back Her hands are raised out at her sides and although I can barely et the distinct feeling that there’s a s at the corners of her mouth

Finally, I push myself back into a stand and step out into the aisle Niklas is the only one who looks up as I un--off the woman

Finally, Victor looks at me He nods his approval

In a flash, the woman braces her hands on the backs of two chairs and her sli around in one swift sweep, her bootA half a second later, her other bootcrunch ripples through the air as Dorian goes down A single shot goes off with a vociferous bang and a flash of light dies in front of Niklas, but his gun too is sent flying The woman leaps over the back of the seat and lands in the center aisle, crouched perfectly The second she stands eye-level, Niklas rounds on her with an upper-cut She falls backward into the seats on the other side of the aisle

I run toward thery to use it on this bitch

Blonde hair whips behind her figure as she leaps froain to give her balance She kicks out at Niklas Once Twice The third time her black boot plants dead center in his chest and sends hi backward into the aisle She pounces on top of hirabs her fros back to his feet, just as the woman rams the back of her head into Dorian’s face behind her, instantly setting her free fro juts out and she buries her foot into Niklas’ gut, and just as quickly, she rounds on Dorian again and punches him square in the face; blood that looks black in the ses froainst the floor and sweeping my foot outward to take her off of hers She falls backward, her blonde head hitting an aro to put my knife to her throat but she blocks et a fes in; my knuckles come up bloody after the third ti when her legs lock around ainst the floor

With our roles reversed, the pain of her fist cracking against the bones in my faceI can do and reach up with both hands, grabbing fistfuls of silky hair and I pull like I’ on the floor Hair-pulling is for bitches, except when it’s the only option

She punches hs and jurabs a hold of one ar a knee into the sarbled by the blood pooling in her mouth

Niklas strips off his belt and wraps it around her wrists bound behind her, pulling as tight as it will go, surely cutting off the blood circulation

They both yank her to her feet, a hand around each elbow

I step around in front of her, looking her in the eyes for the first time Her hair is stained by blood around her mouth and disheveled around her oval-shaped face The smile she wears is spiteful and excited, as if this entire scenario that just played out got her off in soainst her face again Her head jerks back briefly, and when she shakes off the stun, the se rehtly Dorian stands off to the side I knoants to kill her ase at her, swinging rab me from behind and pull me off of her

"Where is she?!" I bellow "What did you do to her?!"