Phoenix Contract: Part Five (Fallen Angel Watchers) by Melissa Thomas

you,” Aiden gasped.
    Twisting cat-like in his grip, she slammed her fist into his face and scored a clean hit on his nose. He gave a pained yelp and his hold on her released as he threw up his arms to protect his face. She followed through, bringing her knee into his crotch. Wearing a classically funny face—an Oreo mouth and arched eyebrows—the man slowly dropped to his knees, clutching his private parts.
    A howl of laughter greeted Aiden as she turned and came face-to-face with a carbon copy of the man she’d just downed. She performed a double take and then realized they were identical twins.
    “Oh, Rory, you’re getting your ass kicked by a little girl! You’re just killing me, man!” Rory’s twin chortled but retained enough presence of mind to keep his guard up against Aiden. He had apparently learned from his brother’s mistake.
    Pounding feet and heavy breathing announced the arrival of the two men following her. Thinking fast, Aiden released a wounded moan and sank to the ground, making sure that her purse was beneath her as she knelt.
    “What happened?” one of the new arrivals demanded. He assumed command, his voice deep and powerful, so Aiden labeled him the leader.
    “We caught her,” Rory gasped through gritted teeth.
    “And she kicked Rory in the balls,” Rory’s twin supplied, hyena hawing.
    “Shut up, Culkin!” Rory snarled.
    Aiden took advantage of their distraction to thrust her hand into her purse. Groping for the .45, she writhed and moaned to disguise her movements.
    “No, what happened to her , you idiots?” leader-guy asked. “You weren’t supposed to hurt her.”
    “We didn’t, Kieran. Honest,” Culkin replied, adopting a defensive tone. Then he cackled. “But she sure hurt Rory!”
    Once Aiden’s hand made contact with the gun, she slid her fingers into position. She drew back the hammer and groaned loudly to disguise the click. Leader-guy, Kieran, muttered a curse and bent over her. He gently touched her shoulders.
    Both of his hands were empty. Good.
    “It hurts,” Aiden whimpered pitifully, summoning tears as she toggled the thumb safety.
    “Damn brutes,” Kieran muttered, furious. “Here, let me help you.” He circled around to face her and made an effort to pick her up.
    “No, I want to stand,” Aiden protested. She struggled weakly, increasing the volume of her “hurt little girl” noises until he ceased trying to carry her in his arms.
    “Okay, okay, stop fighting me! Here, I’ll help you stand.” He placed his hands on her upper arms and lifted her experimentally.
    Aiden allowed him to take all of her weight, contributing nothing to the effort. She kept her arms folded against her abdomen, the gun concealed, until she was upright. They were practically hugging.
    When she could no longer keep her weapon concealed, Aiden grabbed hold of the man’s belt with her left hand and shoved the gun into his stomach. He became deathly still as he recognized the cold metal barrel for what it was.
    “Do you know what this is?” Aiden demanded. Staring up into his face, she got her first good look at him.
    He towered over her at six foot something, so she had to crane her neck in order to examine him. He was handsome, which was really a shame, because it seemed like only really cute boys she met anymore were bad guys.
    Unlike the twins, Kieran had thick black hair worn short in a crew cut that boasted military precision. He had bright blue eyes and a generous mouth. At the moment, the corners were turned down into an unhappy pout. Judging just by the hard abs beneath the .45’s muzzle, he was in great shape.
    She secured her grip on his pants and made sure that the muzzle of the weapon remained right up against his stomach. If he got the chance, he could easily overpower her, and if she was forced to pull the trigger, then her ruse was blown.
    Kieran nodded, solemnly and slowly. “Guys, she’s got a gun. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
    An answering