How the Mighty Fall (The Sinner #1)

SIN 26

Viel

A tinge of saltiness touched my tongue. I felt a slight pain when I licked my lower lip. I didn't realize I was biting too hard dahil sa pagcoconcentrate ko sa bawat target. My breath echoed the room before I pulled the trigger.

It missed by a few inches to the east. This time, it's closer to the target. Hindi ko alam kung icoconsider ko itong achievement dahil mas malayo ang tinamaan ko kanina o maiinis ako dahil hindi ko pa rin tinamaan. I've wasted two possible questions already. My husband only allowed me ten attempts and ten questions.

I held the gun's grip firmer as if I could intimidate it into submission and just hit my target. Kairos's facial expression is closed off. There's neither disappointment nor smugness at my failures. He's conflicted. He's a capo and he's not comfortable at the idea that I'll be able to get a glimpse of him as a person, without the mask of being a mafioso. Just him.

But I won't back down on this. He has crossed all of my boundaries. He kidnapped me, and for certain, has done a background check on me, watched me without my knowledge through Elowyn, his double agent, and forced me to marry him. So why would I feel guilty of being privy to his personal life?

Sa pang apat na subok, ay tumama rin sa target ang bala. My heart raced at the adrenaline of seeing the hole that the bullet made straight to the heart.

"That's one question, Kairos," I said in a sing song voice, my eyes glued to the targets. Malapad ang aking ngiti.

I hit two more in succession, but my confidence wavered on the seventh and eighth. Tahimik lamang akong pinanood ni Kairos. I expected his eyes to obsess over the target. But the entire time it's on me. His face was empty of emotion, but his gaze burned me, regardless.

On the ninth, I was seconds away from wanting to shoot myself instead. Bakit ba ang yabang yabang ko pang makipagdeal? Baka nappressure ako kaya di ko ito nagagawa nang ayos.

Kung di ko matamaan ang ika-sampu, I only ask him three? Ano naman ang makukuha ko sa tatlong tanong lang?

Inayos ko ang aking stance. Then I pointed the gun to the target, but I did not pull the trigger. It's as if I was doing calculations in my head kahit na wala naman talaga akong pinoproseso. I'm no expert.

"Stop procrastinating, wife."

Kairos's intrusion startled me, and I pulled the trigger.

My eyes widened.

"Shit!" sigaw ko. Humarap ako kay Kairos. "Susubukan ko ulit. Ginulat mo ako."

"You can't use that as an excuse when you miss the enemy. Whatever the circumstance, you should be able to shoot."

"Kasalanan mo 'to! I want to shoot you right now!" I hissed.

He raised his arms to both sides of his head, making himself an open target.

"And you're free to do so," he smirked. "I'm nothing but indulgent to my wife. Happy wife, happy life."

Beneath the words are utter confidence that I won't be able to do it. Ang yabang! I fantasized about making him eat his words. In my head, I shot him on his legs and arms without flaw, and he knelt to my feet, begging for mercy.

Marahan akong humalakhak sa mga naiisip ko.

He narrowed his eyes like he knew what I just thought of.

"Uulitin ko."

"You can try til the hundredth. You don't see me stopping you."

I sensed a but coming.