Vengeful: A Dark Romance by Penelope Black

Author:Penelope Black [Black, Penelope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2026-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

25

BELLAMY

“We’re gonna have to run the last flight, and our friend up there is going to hear us, so be quick, yeah?”

I yank my wrist from his grip, the friction burning my skin, and flash him the flattest glare I can muster. “This isn't my first job, you know.” My voice comes out low and steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me like electricity.

He leans into me, close enough that I can count his eyelashes, the heat of his body radiating between us in some kind of challenge I refuse to acknowledge. His eyes, dark as midnight and just as dangerous, lock onto mine. “It's your first job with me.” Then he grabs my wrist again, his calloused fingers sliding down to lace with mine, rough skin against soft, his grip firm but not painful. The corner of his mouth quirks up, revealing the ghost of a dimple. “Ready, baby?”

I roll my eyes, tasting copper where I'd bitten the inside of my cheek. “Let's go.” The nickname—baby—lingers between us, making my skin prickle like static before a storm. It's probably just some ridiculous habit he has with everyone, a convenient placeholder because he can't be bothered to remember actual names. The kind of false intimacy that means nothing to him and shouldn't mean anything to me.

We take the last flight in a blur, the rusted metal rattling like a freight train beneath our steps. My lungs burn with each ragged breath, sweat trickling between my shoulder blades despite the chill. I have no idea how much time is left on our timers, but I know Beck wouldn't let Bishop leave without us. And I can't let myself think about Lola—her face hovers at the edges of my mind like a ghost I refuse to acknowledge. Instead, I focus on the stairs. One wrong step means falling a story onto the pavement below.

Gunshots crack through the air like thunder, concrete dust exploding from the wall inches from my head. I don't turn around and I don't stop. Rafe's hand is solid and secure in mine.

We reach the last stretch: a ladder. Rafe shoulders past me with a look that brooks no argument, his boots clanging against metal as he descends. The ladder groans under his weight. When he reaches the bottom, his silhouette disappears into shadow, then reappears as he positions himself below me. My knuckles whiten as I swing onto the first rung. Halfway down, his hands materialize from the darkness, warm against my ribs even through my vest.

“I've got you,” he murmurs, his breath ghosting against my neck.

I release the rung, my stomach dropping as gravity claims me. His hands tighten at my waist, steadying me as my sneakers hit the pavement with a dull thud. The moment I'm stable, his fingers find mine again, calloused palm against mine. I yank him toward the shadows hugging the wall, pressing my shoulder blades against the cold brick. Above us, silence has replaced the shouting. My ears strain in the darkness, catching only our ragged breathing and distant traffic.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.