Chapter 6
Craving's POV


I had gone outside feeling like shit. These were my friends and I had just left them in a shed in the backyard with a bomb in there.

I had walked to the sidewalk. I had heard Allure calling out to me a second ago but I didn't respond. I couldn't believe what I was doing but this was a life or death situation. I had to find a way out of this. I picked up my phone and dialed the strange person as soon as I could.

The saboteur picked up the phone. The voice on the other line was distorted as usual so that I wouldn't be able to recognize it. I was shaking my head not understanding what the fuck was going on with this.

Is it done?”

Yes.”

Well done Craving. I'm proud of you.”

Now tell me...what is the antidote?”

Not so fast, silly. Let's wait until the bomb goes off first.”

I don't have time for this. We had a deal. I get them in the room and you tell me what the antidote is.”

So you can save your friends as soon as I tell you? No...we will wait until they die. I just wait until I see flames.”

How did he know the bomb hadn't gone off yet?

Was he...watching me?

Fuck. There goes my plan.

Fuck you!”

I hung up the phone and started back towards the shed. These people were my family. There was no way in hell I was just about to let them die like this. I ran to the back of the shed as soon as I could. My heart was racing. I only had a matter of minutes left until the bomb went off. I couldn't risk them. I had to make sure that I saved them. I had to get them out of there.

I found myself fiddling at the lock trying to get it open. The key was in my hands. I was so nervous that I dropped it on the ground.

I wasn't acting much like an assassin at all. I was just so nervous.

I felt my hand pick the key back and up and put it back into the lock at that moment. Right when I did that I felt a gun pressed against the back of my head.

Uh...uh...uh...”

Shit.

Let me guess. The saboteur,” I stated.

He laughed. It was odd behavior. I turned around at that time and I saw someone from the past. I had no idea that it was who it was but when I saw him I was shocked.

You remember me?” he asked.

I didn't.

You look familiar.”

He was a boy with brown skin. He had sneaky eyes. He had on all black. There was something very twisted about him but I wasn't exactly sure what it was. There was just something really off about him. I knew immediately he wasn't friendly. I had been wondering if this saboteur was someone that I knew personally. Maybe someone that I had done something to in my past but this boy's face wasn't all that familiar.

My name is Temper,” he stated and smiled.

Wrath's team...”

It all made sense now. Wrath was Urge's brother. Supposedly Wrath had died the day that Desire escaped the Assembly. Urge never went into great detail about how Wrath died but I knew that Wrath's team was punished as the team trying to escape the assembly. Urge had made that happen by being Tom's son. Tom believed anything that Urge said. I hadn't known what happened to Wrath's team. I always wondered but now it was clear. He was right in front of my face.

Don't you dare say that name,” he told me, “You don't earn the right to say that name...”

He was talking as though Wrath was some kind of God or second coming. Wrath was a psycho. From the look in Temper's eyes it was clear that the assassin had taken right after his mentor. He looked completely unstable. He had a deep craze that I didn't understand.

Why are you doing this?”

I'm doing this for Wrath. Your team is responsible for his death. The day that he died your team killed him and hid his body so there wouldn't be any evidence. Your team is to blame for Wrath's death and I am going to make you guys pay.”

Look your beef is with Urge. It has nothing to do with the rest of us...”

My beef is with all of you!”

His finger was itching on the trigger. If he was smart he would have killed me right away but he wasn't. He was crazy and he was emotional. The way he was talking made it clear that he was emotional. He looked like he was about to break down and cry any minute now.

It was clear that he this was some revenge from a past so long ago that I didn't even remember.

He had waited all these years?

If you are going to kill me, then do it now?”

No...I'm going to let you watch your friends die first. I want you to see it. I want you to see how it feels to have your team taken away from you. Just like how you all took away mine.”

You waited all these years for this? A bomb? How lame is that? Why not just disable the bomb? Why not make them suffer more?”

You are trying to trick me...”

He was smarter than I was giving him credit for. I waited to see if there was going to be any sway with how he was holding his gun. I didn't have a lot of time.

My friends were about to die any second now.

I had to act and I had to act now.

I had to do something.

BANG!

Just at that moment I heard a bang I dropped to the ground. I turned to see where it had come from. Someone in the distance was dressed in all black with a rifle. He was a sniper. I thought I was shot at the moment but I wasn't. I wasn't shot.

It was Temper.

Temper was on the ground covered in blood. Someone had shot him right in the middle of the head. I was shocked looking over to see him like that. I was beyond shocked.

Who had shot him?

Who had saved me?


I didn't have time to really sit there and think about it. I found myself opening the door to the shed. As soon as I did I felt Allure pounce in me. She started to punch me on the ground. The chick was strong. The punches were coming at me one at a time.

3848?”

What?” she asked.

That's the code to disarm the bomb! 3848!”

I watched her lift her arm, “Thanks.”

At the next moment she hit me again and this time all I saw was darkness.





I woke up in the house. I wasn't the only one who woke up. The others were there too. I saw Urge standing against the wall. Allure was immediately in front of me with Love right behind her. Desire was crossing his arms there as well.

They looked at me. The look in their eyes said it all.

I tried to move but my feet and hands were tied up in the chair by a rope. It was tied tightly. I had no doubt that Allure had done it. I turned to the right to look out the window. The shed was still in one piece. My team had managed to disable the bomb in time. I looked back at the team. Allure looked pissed. I had seen her mad before and it was nothing pretty. I noticed what she had in her hand too. She had brass knuckles.

Fuck...

I smiled at them, “So...guys...have I ever told you guys that you are like family...”

Allure hit me.

I could have sworn she loosened a tooth by how hard she hit me. My head jerked back at that moment.

Allure stop it, that's enough,” Desire stated.

I wasn't surprised that he was the only one trying to make her stop. Love just looked disappointed while Urge was leaning up against the wall as though he was removed from this or too cool to even care about me getting beat up.

My jaw felt like it was wired shut when she hit me.

Remind me never to tell someone they hit like a girl...”

Who are you working for?” she asked.

The same people you are working for.”

She didn't like that answer. She grabbed me pulling me up and then headbutting me at that moment. I was shocked. The top of my head started to bleed. Who headbutted someone? Allure was mad as fuck. I had never seen her so pissed off.

She didn't even seem moved by it.

Wrong answer.”

Look Holyfield Jr. I put you in that position but I saved you too remember?”

Why was there a dead man in the driveway?” Allure asked.

Because dead men can't drive...”

Wrong answer.”

Allure kicked me in my chest. She kicked me so hard that I fell over to the ground. Now you would think a football player would have been able to really take an assault from some girl, but this girl literally was a monster. I was on the floor, still tied into the chair. My chest felt like it was caving in.

God, I guess you can't take a joke.”

Desire ran over to me and picked me and the chair up, “Craving can you just tell her what she needs to know. This is ridiculous.”

Ok ok...I'll be serious,” I told them, “I'm dying.”

Allure clenched her fist, “Wrong answer.”

Wait!” I screamed out, “I'm serious! I put it on everything.”

Allure stopped. Desire looked over at me. The others did too. Love even stood up straight at that moment. Urge of course was still in the back of the room removed from everything. The most reaction I got out of him by announcing the fact that I was dying was a squint.

Love crossed his arms, “What are you talking about Craving?”
I shook my head, “I was poisoned on one of my missions. I started to feel really sick and it was clear someone had given me some slow acting poison. Maybe even some sort of virus or something. I don't know. Then I started to get contacted. The person was asking me to sabotage missions with you guys or I would die.”

So it's you...you've been sabotaging our missions this whole time?” Allure stated.

I nodded.

It was Desire who stopped, “Don't be stupid, Allure. It wasn't Craving. He was someone's puppet...”

Seriously. Straight up Pinocchio. Except without the lies. Another part of me grows really big though...”

Jesus are you ever serious?” Love asked me.

You guys are fine. The saboteur is dead. What is there to worry about?” I asked at that moment, “Everything worked out in the end?”

Are you cured?”

Huh?”

Are you cured? Because the guy who knew the antidote is dead,” Desire stated.

I looked at him. Fuck. I hadn't even thought about it. I had been so worried about trying to save my team that I hadn't even realized that I was still sick. I started to cough at that moment. Blood came out. It spilled on my shirt. Whatever the fuck was wrong with me was killing me from the inside out. I had no idea what it was.

I stopped. Love had asked me if I was ever serious at that moment it just hit me that I was serious. The only chance that I had to live was gone. It had disappeared and here I was coughing...slowly dying with no idea how to get better.

And Temper was dead.

No...”

Desire looked at me hard. I wasn't so much worried about myself then how I would make other people feel when I died. Desire was...crying at that moment. Tears had filled his eyes. All of a sudden shit had become real. It had become too real. Seeing my best friend start crying like that was more than I could take.

At that moment Desire went behind me and started to untie me. He started to untie my arms from the back. I watched Allure immediately grab him pulling him back.

What the hell do you think you're doing?” she asked.

Desire was emotional and pushed her hard, “I noticed that person in the backyard. He was Temper. He was one of Wrath's proteges. Wrath is still alive and he's sending his people to fuck with us...”

Desire thought Wrath was alive?

I shook my head confused.

Desire...Wrath is dead,” I told him, “Temper was acting on his own. He was trying to get revenge for Wrath.”

Desire looked confused. I had no idea why the hell he would think that Wrath was alive this entire time. What the fuck was going on with him? I shook my head at that moment. It was silly to really sit there and think like that.

And he was using you,” Allure stated, “Craving, you have betrayed our trust. You'll die anyway, you deserve a quick death.”

She had leaned over to the table to get a gun. She pointed it at me. I had expected this from Allure to be honest. She had trusted me at a time. Her and I were close. We did a lot together. She felt betrayed and she wasn't the type to just forgive so easily. She wasn't like Desire. This was a stone woman and the look on her face said that she meant to pull that trigger.

Desire stood in front of her at that moment. He outstretched his arms so that I was blocked completely. Desire was just holding me there.

I won't let you,” he told me, “Who gave you the power to make those decisions Allure? He betrayed all of us. If I can forgive then so can you?”

I knew it was clear at that moment. There was a reason that I loved Desire. There was a reason that I would do anything for him. It was because he would do anything for me. I knew that the reason he had threatened me before was because he was surprised and in shock. I didn't recognize that Desire. This was the Desire that I knew. He was the boy who would risk his life for the person he cared about.

It was touching really. A part of me wanted Allure to just get her revenge and put me out of my misery. Who wanted to die slow? However when I looked at Desire I knew that he wanted me to live longer and that was all that mattered.

Allure put the gun up, “Fine let's vote since I can't make those decisions alone. I vote for Craving to die...”

I vote for him to live,” Desire replied.

I had to admit it was hilarious knowing that this had all come down to a vote among people who I had just attempted to kill. I figured Desire was going to be the only vote I got anyway. That was the only thing that really made sense.

You can't vote,” Allure stated slickly.

Excuse me?”

You aren't a member of the team, remember? You ran away. You are a normal boy now. You aren't one of us,” Allure stated, “You can't vote.”

I sighed.

Well there went my one vote. I knew Desire wouldn't be able to argue that unless he willingly said that he wanted to come back to the Assembly. I knew that Desire's biggest wish was to live a normal life and be happy. So there was no way in hell that he was going to say he was back on the team willingly.

Desire can have my vote,” Urge bluntly, “If Desire wants Craving to live, then my vote is for him to live.”

I was shocked but then the more I thought about it, Urge only cared about one person...ever. That person was Desire. I thought Desire was going to thank him. Hell I was probably going to thank him. Urge didn't give us the opportunity though. He said what he said and he walked out of the room nonchalantly...too above this situation. That was what he was good at.

1 to 1,” Allure stated, “And Love is the finishing vote.”

Love looked at me. I was done for. One thing that Love did was he followed the rules. He followed all the rules in the Assembly. He had become known for that. He was the poster boy for the Assembly. He did whatever Tom's moderators asked him. Tom would have wanted me dead if he knew that I had been fucking with his missions. They were his objectives after all. They were his missions that we had been sent on.

The team leader Lust would have probably wanted me dead if she found out that I had been fucking with the missions as well. Love was Lust's protege. If he crawled any further up Lust's ass he would be lodged in her intestines.

I was done for.

There was no hope.

Craving is forgiven...” Love stated.

What?” I asked.

I wasn't the only one surprised. Desire's eyes went wide and then Allure just looked like she was ready to spas out and throw something.

Have you LOST your fucking mind?” Allure replied with the angriest look, “He just tried to kill us. Is no aware that we were just about to die.

A vote is a vote. Untie him,” Love replied.



Desire was spending a lot of time at the house at that moment. I had to admit I liked it and I missed it. He spent a lot of time in my room and it was just like old times. The two of us just sitting around talking and chatting. I hadn't realized how much I missed him. I hadn't realized how lonely I had been all of these years without him in my life.

Don't you got a mourning fiance to get back to?” I asked him, “He'll probably get suspicious. Does he know you are spending time sneaking off to the same house your ex is in?”

Desire laughed.

I'm not here for Urge. I'm here for you...” he replied.

I'm not dead yet.”

You won't die. We will figure something out,” Desire stated shaking his head, “I've been looking up your symptoms and trying to find an antidote.”

Desire this isn't Hell's kitchen. Antidotes aren't some cooking recipe.”

I laughed. I laughed so hard that I started to cough. Desire leaned over to me on the bed we were sitting on. He was patting me on his back. I was lucky to have him in my life. I was lucky to have him as my best friend. This wouldn't have been such a bad thing if it wasn't for Desire.

I'll figure it out. Back in school, my expertise was poison,” I stated.

I remember.”

So you won't die ok?”

I sighed deeply.

Look, Desire, if I do die, it's ok,” I explained, “Being an assassin you kind of get used to it. How many people died in our training class? A ton. No one cries for the assassin. One day it was going to come...”

No it won't...”

He was crying. I hated this. I hated seeing him like this. I didn't know how to comfort him. It had been so long since I had comforted someone. Urge, Allure and Love weren't exactly the types to need comforting. I had gotten used to not being human really. I got used to just joking it off. There was no way to joke off the kind of emotion that Desire had though.

Assassins have no true lives,” I told him, “We are nothing more than weapons. I understand why you wouldn't want this life. It's no life to live. All my life all I do is face death until it's my turn. I at least thought I would go out in some blaze of glory. But I'll go out slow. What kind of assassin dies like this? No blaze of glory...no tears...”

It's ok to cry, Craving,” Desire stated, “Assassins are still people. You are still my friend.”

I shook my head, “I can't...”

Then I'll cry for you...”

I hated when he did shit like this. Desire had a way of just pulling at your fucking heart muscle. The dude was enough to make a stone love him.

We sat in the room at that moment. My best friend and I cried. I didn't think it was going to come out but it did. I only much less then a month to live. I would die and I knew it. Desire was holding my hand though and all of a sudden I felt human again. Maybe that is why I cried as much as I did. Desire made me remember what it was to be a regular person.

We are such pussies,” I finally said.

We are just people.”

I understand so much why you wouldn't want this,” I told Desire, “You know what I want for you. I want you to somehow escape this. I want you to run away from here and be happy. Never see me again. Be happy Desire. You deserve it. You are a good person.”

He shook his head.

Dam...”

Dam, what?”

You reminded me of Urge at that moment,” he stated sighing, “When I ran away, Urge helped me. He wanted me to be happy. He said he wanted me to live a normal life and that he never wanted to see me again.”

I knew how Urge felt about him. Desire was able to melt anyone's heart and he was the only one who had been able in all these years to melt Urge's heart. He was the only one able to get to him like the rest of us couldn't.

You should listen to him. It's not over.”

Urge used to say that all the time. Now he thinks I should come back...”

Fuck Urge then. He just misses you. I missed you too. I wanted you to come back because of it, but that was selfish. There is still hope. Maybe not for me. Maybe not for Urge, but there is still hope for you. And we can all live through you. We can all let be happy. You can still get away. You can still be happy.”

I looked at Desire. It was his dream. This life in the suburbs was his dream. He was never built to be an assassin. He wasn't like the rest of us. His heart was too big.

Desire smiled at me and just at that moment there was a knock on the door. Desire went to open it and I saw Love walk in. Love didn't look at Desire. I wondered if something bad had happened between the two of them because they were both giving each other awkward vibes. Love walked over to me however.

I just wanted to make sure you were doing ok,” Love told me.

They were treating me as if I was on my deathbed. It made me feel even more sick. A part of me knew that I wasn't far from my deathbed. So I was willing to take the affection I could get. Seeing Love actually giving me attention for once was different.

He never seemed to give a fuck before.

Where are you going?”

He was dressed up in a suit. He looked fly. I had to admit Love was an attractive guy. For so long I had wanted to have sex with him. He had this sparkle around him really. If it took me being on my deathbed to finally get attention from him, then maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

On a date,” Love stated, “With Envy...”

Oh...”

Yeah, it's more for business than anything else. He is going to lay off us a while if I agreed to go out with him,” Love stated.

Is that the only reason you are going?”

Yeah.”

Well you look nice. Come over here gimme a hug before you go...”

He walked over to me. I couldn't help it. I squeezed his tight little ass as soon as he got close to me. He laughed at that moment.

Jerk.”

I didn't know what I'm doing,” I stated putting my hand on my forehead, “I'm all delirious. The plight! The plight! I'm dying remember?”

Love rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. I couldn't help but watch his tight little ass walk away. The things I would do to him. I watched as Desire shut the door at that moment. He had caught me staring at Love. It was clear that he did by the expression that was following. Desire was looking at me with this weird look.

Hmm...”

Hmm, what?” I asked.

You like Love.”

I rolled my eyes.

Bullshit. I just want to fuck him. That don't mean nothing. I'm an assassin. I don't love these hoes. Hell if you gave me half the shot---”

Desire wasn't having it, “You're lying. I know you like Love. It isn't just about sex. I saw how you looked at him. It was the same look you used to give Ardor.”

Ardor.

I hadn't heard the name in years. Ardor was a boy who I had met in training. He was the first person that I ever loved. He hadn't made it through training. He was weak. Assassins training didn't deal with the weak. Tom ordered the leaders to kill all the assassins that didn't make the cut. Ardor hadn't made the cut. Ever since then I had closed off that side of me. Ever since Ardor I had refused to love again.

I had refused to feel emotion again ever since Ardor.

I just wanted to fuck Love. There was no emotion there.

Right?

Had I been looking at Love like that?

I shook off the questions and shook off the idea, “It doesn't even matter...”

Yes it does,” Desire stated, “You said it was too late for you. It's not too late. You can still be a human. You can still live a normal life. Maybe that starts with realizing how you feel about Love...”

God. I didn't want to deal with this.

Why couldn't I just die in peace?

There was always a good thing and a bad thing about having your best friend around.

He knew you more than you knew yourself.


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