Serena Miles (Book One) by Robert Saldivar (best books to read TXT) 📕

with in a 1,000 years. They built the city from nothing; making it beautiful, and for what? Just so that it could be run by criminals. 

 

I was never alive before the war between scientist and governments, but I couldn't imagine it being this bad. It couldn't be. Because even the cities beyond the wall, the cities governed by the scientist now, couldn't have been as polluted with criminals the way Danvel was. I refused to believe it. 

 

It wasn't my job to clean up the city. There was another guy running around doing that — although no one has heard from him since he saved all those kids from that creepy lab. Well, where ever he was; that was his job. He chose that. I was just here to get my revenge. 

 

There was still no sign of Donte. I've been hitting all his hot spots, but he never showed up. I guess he was smarter than I thought, but there was no where he could hide. I was going to find him — that was a given. 

 

I hopped off the building and allowed my self to free fall a few feet before I effortlessly landed on an extended ledge that was in front of my open window. I crawled back through it. 

 

My apartment wasn't much. To be honest, it wasn't even an apartment. It was just a studio where everything was in one tiny room. Thankfully I didn't have any furniture. I didn't need any of it. A bed? I slept better on the floor. That's what happens when your deep in the jungle training. You don't get a bed. I was lucky if I was able to sleep laying down. 

 

I crossed over to the refrigerator, opened it, and grabbed a soda. I popped it open and began to sip it as I stared at the wall, thinking. 

 

Knock!

 

My eyes shifted to the door with curiosity. 

 

Another knock echoed through the studio. I tiptoed over to it, slowing down my heart rate in case it was an assassin coming after me. 

 

I was a huntress being hunted. It's a long story. 

 

I leaned my ears against the door as I listened closely for anything that would give me a clue as to what was behind the it, but I got nothing. 

 

"Hey, princess let me in, huh?" 

 

I rolled my eyes at the sound of the voice, and opened the door. It was Josh.

 

"I don't like when you call me that," I said. My arms were folded as I blocked the entrance.

 

Josh was an old friend. I knew him ever since I was a little girl. We practically grew up as siblings since our moms were also really close to each other. He wasn't always this good looking — with his broad shoulders, piercing green eyes and long locks of hair that curled like surfing waves. Actually, look up the story of the ugly duckling, and his picture would be there. He was kind of hideous, but oh how the years done him justice. Then again, I was in a jungle for a few years, with nothing but dirty, vicious and down right dreadful men. 

 

Josh tossed a plastic bag on the counter, "I got you food. I hope you didn't eat yet."

 

"I wasn't planning on eating tonight," I said. 

 

We looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

 

"Yeah, and I wasn't planning on kissing Tonia tonight," He said, sarcastically.

 

"Are you still going through with that?"

 

"Well, I didn't come all dressed up like this nice for you."

 

I tried to force a smile, but failed. I guess I didn't like Josh in any other way than just a friend, but for some reason when he said that — even though he was joking — it stung. Why couldn't I find a guy who dressed up for me like that? Take me on a date? Why couldn't I have a guy who thought about kissing my lips, all day?

 

Because I was a murderer. 

 

"Any closer to getting Donte?" He asked, breaking my train of thought.

 

"No, but I'm close, but I haven't made any progress. I don't know where else to look. I know he's out there, Josh."

 

I started to eat the food that he brought me and noticed his eyes on my bruised knuckles. He looked back up at me with concern.

 

"How much men was it this time?" He asked.

 

I swallowed my food that danced around in my mouth; trying to avoid the question. He wasn't going to let it go.

 

"About 6 maybe," I said. "I'm fine though. I barley got hit,"

 

"But how much of them did you kill?"

 

Silence.

 

"Jesus, Serena. you killed all of them didn't you?"

 

"Don't act like you didn't know this was the reason I came back to this hell hole of a city!" I blurted out, my defense on guard. "You knew the day I came back I wasn't the same person."

 

"How much more people have to die until you catch Donte?" asked Josh.

 

"If I'm lucky, all of them," 

 

Josh looked at me with pity as if I was on a fools run. "They have families, Serena."

 

"So did I!" I screamed at him. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to say something like that. "Donte took them from me! He killed them in front of me, Josh. He killed them and sent me off as a sex slave. I hate him." 

 

Tears flooded from my eyes. Josh moved in closer to me, inches away from my face. He placed is hands to my cheek gently as his kind eyes searched through me. 

 

"I hate him for what he did to you as well," he said. "But I don't want you turning into him."

 

He rested his other hand on my other cheek, and my heart started to race when I thought he was moving in for my lips...

 

In stead, it was for my forehead. I smiled to myself for thinking it was going to be anything other than a friendly kiss on the forehead. Either way, I knew that Josh cared for me. He always did and always would. 

 

I grabbed his two hands and held them as our eyes connected again.

 

"You better get going before Tonia gets impatient." I said. 

 

His eye opened wide when he realized the time. He smiled, gently pulled his hands from my grip and stood up, towering over me. "Don't become him, okay?"

 

I answered with a small nod. Josh was right — there was no denying that. I didn't want to become like Donte. I really wanted to live a regular life — dating, having friends, having a family of my own — but I wasn't sure if my revenge would allow it. 

 

"Go get that kiss," I told him, while miserably failing at a smile once again. 

 

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Publication Date: 10-21-2016

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