Chapter 28: Three Strikes

Unknown’s POV

Rage wasn’t enough to describe what I was feeling. I was beyond furious. That she-wolf had slipped through my fingers again. She should be dead by now, but somehow she’d survived. Again.

“Tell me why she’s still breathing,” I demanded, glaring at Vex. The assassin I’d hired was turning out to be nothing but a disappointment.

“I swear I almost had her this time. If that Ashworth Pack warrior hadn’t shown up…” he mumbled, dabbing at the wound on his face.

Did he think I was an idiot? That I didn’t know exactly what happened? Since taking this job, all I’d heard were his excuses. Three times now, and still no dead Thea Sterling. The only saving grace was that I hadn’t paid him yet. That would have been the real waste—paying for a kill that never happened.

Three hundred thousand dollars. That should have been enough incentive to get the job done on schedule. I took another drink, frustration eating away at my control.

“Really? You almost had her? Is that why your face looks like it lost a fight with a lamp?” I clapped sarcastically, each word feeding my growing anger.

“I promise I’ll get her next time. She won’t escape again,” he said, staring at the floor.

“She’s already escaped you three times!” I roared, fighting the urge to end this worthless piece of shit right here.

He fell silent, still studying the floor like it held the secrets of the universe.

This incompetent fool had severely delayed my plans. This should have been resolved months ago. But here we were, with Thea Sterling still breathing free air.

I’d done my research. Multiple employers had vouched for his professionalism, guaranteed he’d get the job done. So far, all I’d gotten were empty promises.

“You can’t even kill one fucking wolfless? How hard can it be?”

Chapter 28. Three Strikes

Seriously, how could someone be this lucky? Three times she’d escaped death. The third time was supposed to be the charm, but she was still alive, just a little bruised.

“I don’t fucking know,” he snarled, frustration written across his face. “I’ve never had a target this difficult to kill. Usually, it’s one and done.”

I paced the room restlessly. This should have been simple. She was in my way, the only obstacle between me and what I wanted. When I realized she had to die for me to get what I wanted, I’d set this plan in motion.

Initially, I’d wanted it to look like an accident. I didn’t need neutral territory police sniffing around after her death. The timing with the Rogue attacks had been perfect cover. But now they knew the truth—that this had nothing to do with the Rogues.

Soon they’d trace it back to Vex, and then to me. I couldn’t let all my efforts go to waste.

“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the wall.

Time was running out. By now, I should have been enjoying my victory. Instead, I was nowhere near my goal.

“Give me one more chance,” Vex pleaded.

I laughed coldly. “So you can fail again? I don’t think so.”

Why wouldn’t death just take this wolfless bitch? I’d never believed in the goddess, but at this point, it seemed like some force was protecting her. Three near-death experiences couldn’t be pure luck.

She was the luckiest bitch I’d ever encountered. Her continued survival was driving me insane. I’d never failed before—I always got what I wanted. But taking Thea Sterling’s life had become an impossible task.

“I’d like to see you do better,” he sneered.

His mockery finally ignited my fury. I grabbed the nearest object and hurled it at him. He didn’t even have time to dodge as the bottle struck his face.

I smiled watching the mixture of blood and alcohol drip from his temple. His pain slightly soothed my anger.

Chapter 28: Three Strikes

“Want to repeat that?”

He shut his mouth, jaw clenched. Despite the rage in his eyes, he shook his head. At least he knew when to keep quiet.

“There has to be a way to end her quickly. I’ve wasted too much time on her already,” I muttered to myself.

If she wasn’t essential to my plans, I wouldn’t bother with all this. Thea was a complication, and I worried each time she escaped death increased the risk of exposing me. That couldn’t happen—it would destroy everything I’d carefully built.

“Look, she’s proven she’s not an easy target. Now with the police involved and her Alpha ex-husband Sebastian protecting her, my job’s gotten a lot harder,” his voice pulled me back to reality.

The mention of Sebastian Ashworth made my teeth grind. I’d already considered all this. I didn’t need him stating the obvious. I suspected he was just trying to prove his continued usefulness.

I sat down to think. Success required a new plan. The old one had clearly failed, so I needed something new. Something that would eliminate her permanently.

So far, I’d targeted her alone. This time, I didn’t care who else had to die.

If I had to blow up an entire building with her in it, so be it. As long as she died, I didn’t care who died with her.

The thought finally brought a smile to my face, calming my mind. At least now I had a direction.

“You’re smiling. Does that mean you have a plan?” My gaze fell on Vex. He looked at me expectantly.

The police had his blood sample for DNA testing. I needed to handle this before they could match it. With his criminal record, they’d find him easily. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Actually, yes,” I stood up, smirking.

He grinned back, looking pleased with himself.

This time, Thea…