Leave Me Behind

by K.M. Moronova

the underground military faction first laid their hands on me. It’s been ten years since then.

That’s how you come to be in the company of elite killing machines. The dark forces take people like me who did something unspeakable and put us to use, rather than throwing us in prison.

We’ve been long forgotten by the people we used to know. I am only a weapon. A rabid dog running f...

There’s really only one person I’m worried about running into before tomorrow. They call him Bones. He’s rumored to be the cruelest man in the dark forces. Apparently he likes breaking open ribcages and literally pulling people’s hearts out. Sometimes their bones. Hence the disturbing code name he bears.

Youre sitting next to him lol

Unfortunately, he’s my partner on Malum and I’m not sure how I’ll survive.

There’s something in the way he stares at me, like a starved man who’s contemplating a heinous act. You don’t have to tell me there isn’t one good thought in his head. Red flags are flying all around this guy. But I can’t look away. He captivates me, scares me even and I can kill a man in five seconds flat.

My mom always said I was into bad guys. I doubt she knew I’d grow up to be into ones who clearly had psychological problems. The ones you don’t tell God about when you pray at church to forgive your sins—the ones with dark backstories and baggage.

“You’re here with us.”

Bradshaw chuckles darkly, almost not loud enough for me to hear. It’s a sound so voracious that I have to squeeze my thighs together to keep the urgent sensation in check. Holy shit. Who is this guy?

I was after Eren initially, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t more interested in Bradshaw.

He’s the kind of guy I would take a three-day vacation for just to fuck for seventy-two hours straight.

He likes to be in control and clearly something depraved in me finds that erotic.

“You see how wet you are for a stranger? What a good girl. Are you going to scream for me too? I’d like it if you did,” he whispers, but his voice isn’t soothing. It’s sexy and scary. Dominant.

“What God? Tonight, you only scream and cry for me. No God will bear witness to what I make of you.”

We did what we came here to do. It’s written on his face.

“Why are you still here?” I ask, not sounding as cruel as I was going for. The corner of his lip kicks up and he sets a hand on the wall behind me. “No one’s kicked me out before and I didn’t like it.”

“I thought you weren’t here to get to know me,”

“Ask me something.”

“Damn. Rejected again,” he mumbles and raises a brow. “Want company?” I break. “Sure.”

“Hmm, that’s odd,” he says, a darkness blooming over those icy eyes. “What?” “This is the part where you’re supposed to be afraid of me.”

Tons of people are scared of the ocean. It’s fucking huge and it’s so easy to lose control of things out there in the vast waters.”

“What are you looking at?” I ask, annoyed. “At the woman who fears the ocean but not me,”

“You’re the fucking bunny being assigned to our squad.”

There’s absolutely no way he’s my partner, Bones.

I’ve come to the conclusion that we aren’t the good guys. Hence why we’re under the rug.

“Wait, so instead of accepting me as one of your own, you’re going to try and bully me to quit? Because I’m a former Riøt soldier? What the fuck is wrong with you?” My voice is lead.

“What’s wrong with us? You were the sole survivor while your entire team perished. What does that say about you?” Jefferson leans over the table and sneers at me.

If I’m anything, it’s stubborn. General Nolan assigned me to Malum for a reason and the concern on his face while telling me I was being reassigned tells me it has a connection to what happened in Patagonia.

“I’m going to help you bloom into the monster you truly are.”

“Because you’re just like me. I also happen to like you, Gallows.” That’s

I knew it then. Jenkins would ruin what good was left of me.

Unless you’re into mask shit,” Harrison says snidely. I don’t bother responding to his goading. I am indeed into that.

“I love you, Gallows. Leave me behind.”

I’ll get revenge for you, Jenkins. This mission has something to do with Patagonia. I know it.

“Oh shit, you two did fuck, didn’t you? Did you trick him like you tricked me?”

“You have traits that should only belong to one person.”

He loved Abrahm as much as I did Jenkins.

“Bye-bye, Bunny.”

But this is the only chance I have to avenge Jenkins.

I should cut off his dick. Break his lovely nose. What I would do to make him cry.

“I’m not asking nicely again, Bunny. I want you off the squad. Fucking quit.”

“You’ll never have a place here with us. The only good Riøt soldier is a dead one. And I can make arrangements for that, Bun. Fucking try me.”

“Because I’m from Riøt,” I bite out, glaring up at him with venom in my eyes. “Because I don’t trust you. I will never trust you.”

But the main reason for the sudden push to get us back out there is because this mission is very, very important. Which is why—”

“I was assigned.” He nods.

“I truly believe it’s because he doesn’t want what happened to Abrahm to happen to you. Not just because you’re from a bad squad.”

I bet he thinks he broke me.

No wonder her prior sergeant fell in love with her. He saw a little shadow and took it for himself. I could never love a Riøt.

He hurt me, but he also awakened something really dark and disturbed inside of me.

He wants me to quit—I’ll show him that I won’t. I’ll show them all.