KILL SHOT

Race to Kill

The Ballroom was a Maze of Wealth and Power , but none of that mattered to me. Tonight wasn't about the glittering chandeliers, the aroma of champagne, or the gowns on the marble floor. It wasn't about the polite smiles exchanged by politicians, the laughter of socialites. It wasn't even about the music, which swelled beautifully in the background as if this night was perfect.

No.

Tonight was about blood.

Moving through that sea of faces, dressed in black, my dress hugging me like a second skin and trailing on the floor. I was like a shadow. Not there to be seen -a masked woman bejeweled and flirting with rich men. Here to kill one of those rich men.

I practically smirked at the irony when I spotted him. Mr. Walter. My target.

He stood near the champagne fountain, surrounded by his personal fan club-full of sycophants who were only there because of his money. His laugh grated on my nerves; it sounded loud, arrogant, as if he were king of the world and the rest of us were lucky just to be breathing the same air as him.

People like him never thought they'd get what was coming to them.

But that's where I come in.

I stood at the edge of the dance floor, my eyes locked on him. This was going to be too easy. A simple in-and-out job. I could slip into his circle, charm him and lead him away from his adoring fans. Men like him loved attention. They thought with their egos, and I knew exactly how to stroke one. And then, when he least expected it, I'd take him out. Quick, clean and efficient.

The knife strapped to my thigh was a comforting weight beneath the fabric of my dress, and I briefly imagined the moment I'd plunge it into his chest. I could almost taste the victory.

I was about to make my move, when something i felt a hand grabbing my waist. i gasp ready to take down who dared to touch me

"Going somewhere darling ? you should focus more on your surroundings, It's dangerous to let your guard down,"i heared a whispering voice

That voice. That voice alone was enough to make my skin crawl.

Aze.

I tensed, my jaw tightening as I forced myself not to react. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd rattled me. Slowly, I turned to face him, my eyes narrowing when they met his. The bastard was smirking, as if this was all some sort of game.

"Get your hand off me, Aze," I hissed through clenched teeth, keeping my voice low. The last thing I needed was anyone noticing us.

Aze's hand fell away, but that damn smirk stayed glued to his stupidly perfect face. "Relax, sweetheart," he drawled, leaning in closer. His breath was hot against my ear, and I had to resist the urge to shove him away. " You're the last person I expected to see here. I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson the last time we crossed paths," he said, his eyes glinting with that familiar challenge. "But there you are, dangerously sexy in that outfit, as if you were made to kill ." he smirked

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "Oh, is that your way of flirting, Aze? It's cute, really. But Im here to do my job not to waste my time with you."

He leaned in, that arrogant smirk still plastered on his face. "That must be fate because so do I. But as beautiful as you look tonight, I can't let you take my kill darling ."

I froze, his words hitting me like a slap. His kill? Was this asshole serious?

I spun on him, my pulse spiking with anger. "Your kill?" I practically spat, keeping my voice low enough that only he could hear. "You think you're taking this one?"

Aze raised an eyebrow, his expression dripping with arrogance. He leaned against a pillar like he had all the time in the world. "I don't think, darling," he said, his voice smooth "I know."

The challenge hung in the air between us, thick and suffocating. He wasn't backing down, and neither was I.

I glared at him, stepping closer, my finger poking him in the chest. "Let me remind you who killed the target last time Aze " I hissed, making sure to keep my voice steady. "You won't get to take what's mine."

Aze chuckled, like the arrogant bastard he was. "Oh the last time. Let's call it beginners luck i practically let him walk into your arms,, he said, like the very idea was amusing. He glanced over my shoulder, his eyes locking on Walter across the room. " But this time i won't let you take him, and i wont hesitate to take you down too May ,,

My blood boiled. This wasn't just some game for me. This was my job, my reputation, and I wasn't about to let Aze fuck it up. "Is that so?" I crossed my arms, glaring up at him. He was taller than me, but I wasn't about to let him think that gave him the upper hand. "Then why am I the one with a knife strapped to my thigh while you're standing here empty-handed?"

Aze's grin widened, and something dark flickered in his eyes. "Who says I'm empty-handed?"

That sent a shiver down my spine, but I quickly brushed it off. I couldn't let him get in my head. Not now. Not when I was so close to completing the job.

"This isn't a game, Aze," I said, my voice low, sharp. "I'm here to kill him. I don't need you getting in the way."

His gaze flickered down to my lips for a split second, and I hated the way my heart skipped a beat. "Neither do I," he said, his voice equally sharp. "So how about we make this interesting?"

I raised an eyebrow, not liking the sound of that. "What do you mean ?"

His smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "Let's make it a race."

I blinked. "A race?"

He nodded, his eyes gleaming with challenge. "First one to kill him wins."

I stared at him. Was he serious? He had to be joking. But the look in his eyes told me he wasn't.

"You're insane," I said, shaking my head.

"Deadly serious," Aze corrected, that damn smirk still on his face. "Unless, of course, you're scared to lose."

That did it.

I stepped closer, my finger pressing into his chest again. "You want a competition? Fine. But when I win, I don't want to hear a word from you ever again."

His smirk widened, and I suddenly had the urge to slap it right off his face. "Oh, don't worry, darling," he said smoothly. "When I win, you'll be begging to hear from me."

I glared at him, my blood boiling. I hated him. I hated the way he was so damn sure of himself, the way he thought he could just walk into my life and take whatever he wanted.

For a moment, we just stood there, toe-to-toe, the tension between us thick and electric. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to scream at him. But more than anything, I wanted to win. And I wasn't about to let him stop me.

With one last glare, I turned on my heel and walked away, my eyes locking on my target once more. Walter was still laughing with his friends, unaware that two assassins were gunning for his life.