Eye for an Eye

Chapter 28: My Idiots In Shining Armour

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

Maybe I should have listened to Xavier.

I spun around, my heart hammering in my chest. West stood in front of me, flanked by a group of men. And, of course, to make the situation even worse, Rose and my mother were right there beside him.

"Must be luck," he said with a smirk.

"Bad luck," I shot back, my voice cold.

The men behind him raised their guns, their movements swift and practised. But West raised his hand, signalling them to lower their weapons.

"She's not a threat," he said, his voice cutting through the tension.

I glanced over at my mother, who stood there, glaring at me with a look that could burn holes. She hadn't changed much. Her thick brown hair now cropped to shoulder length, her pale skin standing in stark contrast to the sea of black she wore. It was almost like she was a living shadow, but somehow still the same woman who had walked out of my life years ago.

I wondered for the hundredth time what my father had ever seen in her. She'd been a decent mother to Miles but to me?

I had always been her mistake.

"I see you're not dead yet," my mother said, her voice dripping with disdain. She shot a quick, knowing glance at West, her eyes narrowing as they flicked between him and me.

Fear flashed across West's face, a brief moment of vulnerability that he quickly smothered as if it had never existed. What was that about?

"Sorry to disappoint," I said, offering them a tight, almost sarcastic smile,

"Well, this was nice. I hope we don't do this again," I said, waving a hand between them and me. "But I really must get going now—I've got things to do, like plotting your death."

I turned to leave, my footsteps quickening as I started to walk away. But before I could get far, a gunshot rang out, slicing through the air like a warning.

I froze, my eyes snapping back to my mother. She stood there, her fingers still wrapped around the trigger, her expression cold.

"Don't run off just yet," she called out, her voice sharp.

Rose stalked forward, clearly growing impatient, her heels clicking with every step. As always, she dressed like she was on display: a tight black boob tube that barely covered her, and denim shorts that were so short they seemed designed to show off more than they covered. How is that even comfortable?

I didn't waste time thinking about it. As she lunged at me, I whipped my head to the side, narrowly dodging her right hook. I retaliated instantly, bringing my fist up and landing a clean shot to her nose. A sickening crack echoed through the air, followed by her shrill scream.

"You bitch!" Rose shrieked, her hands clutching her bleeding face.

"No, babe. That's you," I shot back, sneering at her. "I think you forget who you're dealing with."

The moment my words landed, the men behind West, including my mother, raised their guns, all of them pointing directly at me.

I didn't flinch.

I grabbed a handful of Rose's hair and yanked her toward me, twisting her neck as I pulled her in front of me. My arm snaked around her throat, my grip firm and I tilted her head back to expose her vulnerable neck. Her breath came in sharp, panicked gasps, her body trembling beneath my hold. The pungent smell of blood filled my nostrils, and I couldn't help but scrunch my face at the stench.