Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 50

Jade’s POV:

I snatched Ryan’s tactical knife from its sheath with lightning–fast precision. Before he could react, I’d also plucked the zippo lighter from his vest pocket.

“Borrowing these,” I said, my tone making it clear it wasn’t a request. I twirled the blade once between my fingers, testing its weight and balance.

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Zach stepped forward, his hand instinctively moving toward his sidearm. “Who the fuck do you think

“Stand down,” Ryan ordered, raising his hand to stop Zach. Something in his eyes told me he found my movements hauntingly familiar.

Zach’s face flushed with anger, but he backed off, turning away with a scowl. I couldn’t help but smile internally. Little Zachie, still as cute and temperamental as ever. Some things never change.

I walked toward Xavier, who was propped against a tree trunk, his face pale from blood loss. The bullet wound in his thigh had soaked his pants with an expanding circle of dark crimson. He needed

immediate attention.

“Stay back,” Xavier warned in heavily accented English, his gun trained on me despite his shaking hands. “What do you want? Who sent you?”

I knelt beside him, ignoring the weapon. “Put that down before you hurt yourself worse. I’m going to

remove the bullet.”

Without waiting for permission, I ripped his pant leg open to examine the wound. The bullet had entered at an angle, missing the femoral artery but remaining lodged in the muscle tissue. Straightforward extraction.

“This will hurt,” I stated flatly, then plunged the knife into the wound,

Xavier howled, his back arching in pain. Zach lunged forward, but Ryan caught him by the shoulder, holding him back with surprising strength.

“Wait,” Ryan said, eyes narrowed as he watched my hands work with practiced efficiency.

I located the bullet, wedged it against the blade, and extracted it in one smooth motion. The small

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Chapter 50

piece of metal clinked as I dropped it onto a nearby rock. Blood flowed freely now, but that was

expected.

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“Hold still,” 1 commanded, flicking Ryan’s zippo open. I heated the back of the blade until it glowed dull red, then pressed it against the wound.

The sizzle of burning flesh was followed by Xavier’s muffled scream as he bit down on his belt. The

smell of cauterized tissue filled the air, but the bleeding stopped almost immediately.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Ryan asked, his voice quiet with suspicion.

I wiped the blade clean on Xavier’s torn pant leg before handing it back to Ryan, handle first. “Does

it matter? He’ll live.”

The leader of the Apex Tactical Group, the rival mercenary team that had ambushed them, stepped

forward with his hands slightly raised. His face was swollen from the beating I’d given him earlier,

one eye nearly closed shut.

“Listen,” he said, addressing me directly. “We’ve done our job. The Transcendent Military Alliance

doesn’t allow unnecessary casualties. Let us leave.”

I studied him for a moment. “Four of your men stay to help transport the cargo. The ones with minor

injuries. The rest can go.”

He nodded quickly, relieved at the relatively lenient terms.

I turned back to Ryan’s team. “Your trucks are operational. Let’s finish the delivery.”

Ryan looked like he was about to argue, but I cut him off by holding out my hand. “Your sidearm.

Now.”

His eyes widened with disbelief, but something in my expression must have convinced him. He handed over his gun, grip first.

Without hesitation, I aimed and fired. The bullet tore through the Apex leader’s thigh, almost the exact spot where Xavier had been shot. He collapsed with a scream,

“That’s for Xavier,” I explained calmly, returning the weapon to a stunned Ryan. “Now we’re even.”

The remaining Apex mercenaries quickly gathered their wounded leader and retreated, casting fearful glances over their shoulders. Four stayed behind as instructed, standing awkwardly next to

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Chapter 50

the trucks.

…

:

“Let’s move,” I ordered, walking toward the lead vehicle. “We have a delivery to complete.”

ร C

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The sun was setting by the time we reached the designated drop point – an abandoned factory on the outskirts of a small town. The exchange went smoothly; the client didn’t ask questions about the change in personnel, just inspected the cargo and handed over payment.

Ryan distributed the cash among his team members, the mood noticeably lighter now that they had successfully completed the mission and earned a substantial payout. I watched from a distance, noting how the dynamics worked within the group – not much had changed since I’d led them in my previous life.

–

We relocated to a safe house a run–down apartment in a nondescript building that had clearly seen better days. Xavier needed proper medical attention, but the plan was to get him to an underground

clinic in the morning.

Ryan approached me with a plate of food and an envelope. “Your share,” he said, offering both items.

I took only the plate. “Keep the money. I don’t need it.”

He hesitated, studying my face. “Who are you?”

“Someone who knows what it’s like when no one respects your outfit anymore,” I answered, taking a bite of the reheated beans and rice. “Your Commander built something impressive. Shame to see it

falling apart.”

Zach’s jaw tightened. “Our Commander isn’t dead.”

“I said I’d take over for your dead Commander,” I corrected him, putting special emphasis on the word ‘dead. “No point denying it. I saw the explosion myself.”

“Fuck you,” he spat. “You don’t know shit about our Commander. And you sure as hell aren’t taking

over Titan Defense,”

I looked at him, allowing a small smile to form. “Sit down, Zachie.”

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