His Lethal Prize

hey screamed, "There's an assassin!" The sound reverberated off the crumbling walls of the dark alley, a tight labyrinth of forgott

tep calculated, her breath steady despite th

me and rain. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she bolted around corners, expertly slipping into the deepest pockets of

senses honed on the sound of her pursuers. The voices-once dange

erie, stylized skull that concealed her identity. Her hands trembled slightly as the mask dropped to the floor, revealing the round, smooth face beneath. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, feeling the ache of tension in her shoulders. The mask fell to the f

h caught, but she didn't panic. Instead, she pointed in the opposite direction, her hand trembling with just the right amount of convincing terror. "They went that way!" sh

the engine humming softly as she disappeared into the night. By the time she reached her luxurious apartment, the adrenaline had worn off, replaced by an insidious pain creeping up her spine. She stumbled through the front door, her vision blurring momentarily. She barely ma

on in the mirror. The face staring back was pale, haunted, and twisted with fury. Gavin, her ex-boyfriend, had done this to her. Poisoned her. And now she was nothing more th

blood from her lips. Her hands shook-not fro

. The phone rang twice before his lazy, smug voice answered. "Phoenix, darling," Gavin drawled, his voice thick with amusement. In the background, she could hear

d, her fury barely restrained. "I did what you asked. The

orks. You get your dose when I sa

ot your slave. I did what you asked. Th

e as... a very expensive pet. One that knows her place." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. A wav

, "I'm not playing

ss, of course, you want the poison to eat through your body. I wo

eeded the antidote. The pain was already creeping back, her muscles tightening, her vision swimming. She c

ightened with cruel delight. "There's one more ta