The Games We Play

36. Thirty-Five - X

Thirty-Five - X

I’ve never felt anything so good in my life as having Puppet back in my arms. We could hide out here, stay until the chaos outside dies down. I could abandon my blood lust for Darius and November.

I could choose Puppet.

But I can’t. Because until I see their cold, dead bodies, I won’t stop craving the feeling of killing them. It’ll haunt me for the rest of my life. What I’m about to do is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

“You have to stay here,” I say, my throat tightening around the words.

She pulls back and glances up at me. “What? Why? Where are you going? Let’s just leave.”

I run my hands from her shoulders down to her wrists and bring them to my chest. I kiss the inside of each one and let her hands rest on my chest while I unclasp the collar and let it fall to the floor.

“I have to finish this.” I tuck her hair behind her ear and spot the bruising across her cheek and lip in the dimly lit room. “They have to pay. ”

Her hands fist my shirt, and tears well in her eyes. “Let someone else handle it. Why does it have to be you?” she asks. I’ve never seen my puppet cry. Even after what Seth did, she never broke. But here, hiding in the darkness with me, a perpetual monster, she’s breaking.

And it cuts my goddamn heart out.

The gunshots outside grow louder. They’re getting closer. People are trying to escape. Darius could be escaping right now.

“It has to be me. I’m the only one who knows the truth. They took my brother from me. Killed him. And I have to do this for him.” I hope she understands. She can hate me if she wants. But she’ll be alive and safe.

“Scott knows your name,” she says. “Your real name. He told me when he—” Her voice fades away like what she’s reliving is too painful.

My jaw clenches to the point of agony, but I keep my fingers soft against her skin.

“He called you Lima. Dad could already know who you are,” she finishes.

I take her chin between my finger and thumb and angle her head up. “Tonight was the first time I gave anyone my name. You were the first person I ever told. Scott and your dad are chasing a ghost of a man. If something happens, take this.” I pull a folded paper from my pocket and hand it to her. She shakes her head, and I force her fingers to curl around it. “You’ll be safe. There are men there to protect you. Then, when I find you, I’ll answer all your questions.”

I kiss her deeply and wish I had time to prove to her what she has made me feel. I wish I had the courage to tell her exactly in words what I feel for her. I still hadn’t fully grasped it myself, not until I showed up here and saw her leashed like a fucking dog.

“You’ll come back,” she says, like she’s trying to convince herself .

“Always,” I respond, forcing myself to step away and unlock the door. I flick my mask on, a special touch that was my idea for the night. They have night vision, but the exterior has blue neon X’s, so we know who the targets are.

“Don’t open the door for strangers,” I say, repeating what I told her that first night I chased her into the woods.

She reaches for me, but I close the door, adding a physical barrier between us. I shove down the part of myself that makes me human, the part that feels affection for the woman I’m leaving behind.

All I have use for right now is the killer that lives inside my soul.

I reach the center of the chaos, entering through the same door I took Puppet out of. Blood coats the floor from the bodies lying around.

I raise my pistol, ready for anything, as I walk deeper into the thick of it.

A shoulder buries into my ribs, and I’m tackled from the side. The air is knocked from my lungs as I’m slammed into the tile floor with a crack. My pistol flies from my grip and slides across the room.

I throw a stray elbow and kick out to get away from my attacker so I can shove to my feet and whirl. With raised fists, I stand ready to fight.

Scott straightens, his right ear bandaged, and shaggy black hair soaked with blood—or sweat, I can’t be sure—hangs down into his eyes.

“I knew you’d try something tonight. I warned him, and we were ready. You just couldn’t let your bitch get away from you, could you? Thinking with your cock like every other idiot in this goddamn world.”

I watch his movements. There’s a slight sway to his left leg like he’s been wounded.

“Take off your mask, Lance. Let’s make this a fair fight. Face to face. ”

I slowly slide my mask over my face and drop it to the floor, his gun poised and ready, aimed between my eyes.

“Then drop the gun,” I challenge. “Or can you not beat me at hand-to-hand combat?”

“As much as I’d love to entertain your delusions that you could beat me, I have my pet to find.” His eyes light up with hunger, and I know he means Puppet.

“I won’t let that happen,” I retort, every muscle in my body screaming to take him out now.

“You won’t be here to stop me.” Scott’s pointer finger moves over the trigger, and everything slows.

This is it. I can’t dodge a bullet.

This is how my life ends.

And she’s safe. Doc will take care of her. He promised.

My eyes flutter closed as peace carries me to death’s door. The peace of knowing that out of every horrible and unmentionable thing I’ve done in this life, I’ve saved her. Even when I didn’t deserve her, she stayed. She chose me in all my dark and jagged edges. She saw the monster I was and felt safe with it. That’s more than I ever thought I’d have.

The gunshot rings out, and I wait for the pain, for Satan himself to climb from the pits of hell just to drag me back down.

Is death this painless?

This quick?

Is it really this easy?

“X?” Puppet’s faraway voice snaps my eyes open. Scott lies in front of me, dead. I jerk my head to the side, and she’s standing there holding a gun, frozen, aimed at the place Scott just stood .

“It’s you? You’re—” The doors behind us open, and her words cut off. I spin, placing myself between her and whoever is coming.

November leads her troops. All of them are bloodied but alive, from my count. She raises her hand to signal everyone to stop, and even though we’re supposed to be on the same team, I keep my guard up.

“He escaped,” she states, and I know she means Darius. “He couldn’t have got far. Spread out, keep a low profile. When you get eyes on him, stand by for instructions.”

Everyone disperses. Everyone but Puppet and me.

“And what do we have here?” November asks, looking past me, and I move to stand in front of her gaze. “Darius’ daughter? My, my, isn’t this my lucky day?”

“I’ll escort her,” I say, drawing her attention.

Her scrutinizing gaze lands on me, and I will my features not to give away just how much I know. “Doc disappeared after you left, Lance. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“No,” I answer.

She taps her finger to her lips. “I think I’ll take our prize here and make sure she gets locked up while we wait for Darius’ demands.”

“He doesn’t give a fuck about me,” Puppet says from behind me, and I clench my fists. Why did she have to speak? Why is she even fucking here? She was going to leave and get away from all of this. Find somewhere safe.

“I doubt that. He’s your father,” November responds. Puppet walks beside me, and I angle my body to shield her.

“He sold me, let his men do—things.” She swallows, and I want to confront her right there, but I can’t give November any more reason not to trust me. If she finds out I’ve been fucking the leverage she’s been searching for, she’ll rip Puppet from my dead hands .

That’s the only way she will get to touch her.

“All part of his plan to lure this one out, I’m sure. Did you know this man here was supposed to take your father out two years ago? He claimed he did. Odd for him to show up alive and for you two to be so…cozy,” she says with a sneer. “Did you forget Darius had your brother killed, or was a good fuck enough for you to forget your vendetta? I bet you let Darius go yourself. Got his whore of a daughter in exchange for his freedom.”

I step forward, my fists clenched and jaw locked.

November pulls a gun from her back, and I shove Puppet behind me. “Go,” I urge her. Desperately pleading that she listen. “Please.”

“Hand her over, and I promise your death will be quick,” November demands.

I stand with my back rod straight. For the second time tonight, I’m staring down death.

“But,” Puppet starts, and I lean back into her.

“I’m so sorry.” She’s seen my face. She knows who I am, but still, she doesn’t want to leave me. “Run.” I shove her back with one hand and charge at November. The gun fires, and I risk one glance to see the ends of Puppet’s red dress and bare feet slipping through the closing door.