I do everything alone. I do everything for Kayden.
Three months ago, I found out that the love of my life was being held against his will and forced into a coercive persuasion and lost his soul to the most modern version of the devil himself, Caligula.
I feel as though I'm close in my search.
As I walk into the Lost Rev, everyone pretends to have something better to do than stare.
"Hanaan." I say as I slide into a barstool.
He flinched as I spin my knife on the counter.
"Want your regular?" He asks, his hands shaking. I continue looking at him.
He grabs a glass and pours the vodka into it.
Remember what you're here for. I stands up and grab the glass from him. I throw my knife in the air and catch it before stabbing it into his chest.
"Thanks for the drink." I say.
He crumbles to the floor. Everyone else stops, the energy in the room becoming as cold as ice. I pull my knife out and turn around to face the crowd.
"You all work for me now. Do not move without my say so. Unless you want to end up with a worse death than Hanaan. Cross me, and yours will be much, much slower. Are we clear?" I command.
Everyone nods.
I down my drink and slam the glass on the counter.
"Good."
I walk out of the bar.
A strong feeling of anger seems to come over me as I walk out of the bar. This is the same place I met that little girl a few months ago. It's the same place where I was weak, and let my emotions get the most of me. It's embarrassing. It's not a good thing.
I can picture Tre waking next to me as I head back to my base. Working alone these past three months has been liberating. There's nobody to tell you that you're better than the choices you make, nobody to tell you that you're a hero, nobody to get in the way.
It's easier to be able to blame myself and beat myself up over it than have someone to rightfully blame. The feeling of complete failure it brings to know that you aren't a good mentor to your team, it hurts.
Suck it up, Danielle. We don't do feelings. You have a mission, so complete it. Kayden needs you.
There's been rumors of a man, a man who has been training killers since before the war. A man who has faced Caligula and survived, prevailed, even.