Suicide Mission (Guarded Secrets #1)

34: " I will find a way to keep you safe."

I stood over the mangled body with a mix of disgust and sick pleasure. My whole body was shaking with fear as I glanced around me. The room was covered in blood, it was spattered on the walls and all over the carpet and furniture. It made me want to be sick, I could feel my stomach clenching in a warning as if I was about to throw up in disgust. I tried to control it, but I could see some of the splatters slowly traveling down the window pane behind where Ash had been standing and my stomach retched again, although, even at the scene I'd felt a twisted smile curl onto my lips despite the cruel scene around me.

The man that had killed my family was now dead; he could no longer hurt anyone else, but now I was in danger. There were footsteps slowly making their way over to the office. Each thump of their boots on the ground sent a shiver of fear through my veins. The blood would cause an instant panic, and when I was found alive they would kill me. I tried to ignore the growing bile in my throat as my stomach retched again, but the scene would forever be painted in my mind.

There was blood dripping from my hands and knife as I yanked it from his chest; simply glancing at it was threatening the contents of my stomach to erupt. I looked into the broken mirror behind me and gasped in horror at the marks on my face. I had long gashes across my face that were oozing blood and bruises from what skin I could see in the shattered remains. I would be lucky to have them heal and not leave a scar, I would need a miracle to get out of here first before I started to worry about that. The room started to spin slightly as I stumbled toward the file cabinet to help me remain standing. How much blood had I lost in the beating? I wondered as I heard a branch hit the window. Instantly, my stomach turn to knots and my heart stopped beating momentarily; it scared me to think that his men had come back already. They had to know something was wrong, but I wasn't going to be able to face them and make it out of here alive.

I had killed their leader, but it had to be done. It was either him or me, and he gave me no other choice. He could have let me go. I would have left and never returned, I told myself in an attempt to make me feel better for killing a man, but it was a lie and I knew it. I would have returned eventually, but at least I would have been better prepared. I had no idea what I was getting myself into by coming here. I had been more focused on revenge then my own safety. What this man was doing to people all over the country was disgusting and he had to be stopped, he couldn't kill anymore and he wouldn't scare anyone ever again. Although, his men could still come after me. They would become worried when he didn't meet with them in the hour he had promised them, and I could only hope that I would be gone before then.

I opened he file cabinet and grabbed the remaining large files of his victims before I could talk myself out of saving others instead of just myself. I listened closely as I attempted to find the best way out of this building. There were no sounds, the footsteps from before gone and nothing around me so far. Shredding would make it obvious that the fight was over and Ash was done with me, so if I wanted to save these people I had to bring the files with me. A heavy sigh left my lips, and a silent tear streamed down my face as I hoped and prayed that somehow I could make it out of this alive.

I tucked the remaining files under my arm as I put my knife back in to its sleeve on my belt. There was no way I was going to be able to make it out the front door of this house, or even through the ducts again. So I only had one choice, I thought as I glanced toward the balcony off his office that I had used to get into the mansion. I took a deep breath as if that was going to help me balance and relieve the dizziness, and slowly moved toward the balcony.

From the windows I couldn't see any guards on the grounds. My best guess was that they were pulled in tighter for security when they realized they had an intruder. The bad news was that I wouldn't know where they were until I was right on top of them.