Darkest Sins (Perfectly Imperfect #9)

19 years ago from the present day

Z.E.R.O. unit base

(Kai 16 years old)

The papers rustle in my hands as I turn them over, scanning the messy handwriting. Yesterday, Kruger sent me to the unit’s resident shrink for an evaluation. It didn’t have anything to do with my well-being. He just needed to know if I could handle the pressure before he sent me into the field, and if I had enough smarts to adapt should something unexpected come up. Apparently, I passed with flying colors.

Earlier tonight, I broke into the psych office and took my file, but it doesn’t do me any good since I can’t read worth a damn. I shove the papers into the side pocket of my tactical pants and head into the armory. One of the guards is stationed there at all times.

I find the man slumped on his chair, snoring. I slap his face, then press the tip of my knife just under his Adam’s apple.

“Read this to me.” I dump the folded papers onto his lap.

The man blinks at me in confusion, then starts reading. Mostly, it’s the same old shrink nonsense: profound psychicnumbing as a result of traumatic childhood events, including abandonment, which led to manifestations of extreme rage associated with multiple violent episodes involving struggles for self-preservation.

“Total absence of empathy or care for others. Inability to form connections with anyone around him. The only exception is the subject’s superior officer, Lennox Kruger. However, the degree of the subject’s emotional attachment is inconclusive due to his continued unwillingness to cooperate,” the guard reads. “Overall, evaluation findings are as expected given the subject’s background and ongoing program stressors.”

“Continue.” I bark.

“Mental and physical capacities are well above average. The subject is deemed fit for duty, able to meet the challenges of mission assignments. He is expected to fulfill required tasks without fail.”

The man stops reading and looks up at me.

I put more force behind my blade. “Anything else?”

“Just another note,” he chokes out.

“Read it.”

The guard swallows before continuing. “In conclusion, it is unlikely that the subject will ever progress to be able to form deep-rooted personal relationships of any kind. Should it happen, however, the history of observed behavioral range—from utter calm to controlled rage—cannot be ignored. The subject presents an extreme liability risk, and his unpredictability could potentially lead to objectionable situations, up to and including potential case(s) of Absent Without Leave (AWOL). Regular disciplinary actions mayprovide no effect. Upon suspected gross misconduct of duties, immediate termination is advised.”

I rip the papers out of the guard’s hands and head back into the dorm.

Nothing new in that shit sandwich. Evaluation, my ass.

Chapter 15

“For God’s sake, Nera. Why are you fidgeting this entire evening?”

I quickly turn back toward my friends and grab my drink off the table. “No reason.”

“Are we waiting for someone else to join us?” Jaya prods. “Because from the moment we stepped inside the club, you’ve been looking around nonstop.”

“Nope,” I mumble into my glass while stealing another look at the entrance directly across the room from me.

He’s not coming. We were supposed to have gone out last Friday, but Dania got a stomach bug and we rescheduled our club night for a week later instead. Since my demon and I never exchanged numbers, I couldn’t let him know about the change of plans. I’ve been hopeful he’ll be here tonight anyway.

“I heard my dad talking with some of his buddies who came over for a drink last night.” Dania leans over the table, whispering, “Apparently, Alvino walked in on his girlfriend giving one of the Camorra soldiers a blowjob. He killed them both and dumped their naked bodies in front of a mall. Their genitals were cut out.”

I shudder. “That certainly sounds like Alvino.”

“One of my sister’s friends was dating him when she was still in high school,” Jaya says. “She broke up with him after only two weeks, and she and her family left the country shortly after. I think they were afraid Alvino would do something to her. He doesn’t take rejection well, it seems.”

A shiver runs through me again, but unlike last time, the sensation doesn’t ebb. It remains as a faint tingling at the back of my neck. Slowly, I lower my glass to the tabletop. The conversation shifts to ex-boyfriends and then to Dania jabbering on about her latest crush—some guy she met online—and I tune it out. My eyes wander around the club, skimming over the random men all around us, searching for that familiar tall figure. Finding nothing. I look further, peering into the dark recesses, hoping to spot the glint of my demon’s eyes. Still nothing. But, I know he’s here.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Dania and head into the crowd.

There are hundreds of people in this club, squished together, and I have to push between their bodies to keep going, keep searching. The tingling is stronger now, but in this crowd, I can’t look more than a few feet in front of me. I notice a small raised platform up ahead, one of the huge speakers placed on top, and hurry toward it, elbowing everyone out of my way.