CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Sasha woke up listening to people argue.
“That wasn’t fair!”
“Welcome to being the hero, toots. Life isn’t fair.”
“Brother, why?Why?”
“Why not? We had to end on a raising of the stakes, didn’t we? We couldn’t end with it being tied. My teambrokeit, so my teamfixedit. Simple as that. You know I don’t care which of us really wins or loses in the end.”
“You sick bastard, you just did that to get your rocks off!” Sidney.
“And? Your point being?”
She recognized that voice now as Vile. The sound of it made Sasha thrash reflexively in panic. Letting out a low moan of terror she tried to getaway.Away from what, or where, she didn’t know, and didn’t care.
Justaway.
She fell out of the chair she was sitting in. Someone had put her into a large upholstered chair by a roaring fire and wrapped a blanket around her.
Her money was on Virtue or Sidney.
Speaking of. Sidney was crouching down next to her, holding her close, muttering to her. “Hey, it’s okay—you’re here. You’re here.”
Sasha just clung to her twin and didn’t know what to do or say, except “Sid?—”
“Oh, Sash. Virtue told me what happened. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…” Sidney kissed her forehead and rocked her back and forth gently. “We’ll get through this. I promise. We will. Somehow.”
No. She didn’t think they would. How could they fight something like that? Something capable of doingthat?
“At least I didn’t make them eat you.” Vile was leaning against the wall by the fireplace, arms folded across his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, looking extremely annoyed. “I thought about it and thought better of it. Look at me, showing restraint. See? I told you I was being kind.”
“You couldn’t have made us eat her, she was out of the story.” Virtue jabbed a finger into his twin’s chest. “Which automatically ends it.”
“Why did you tell them that? I haven’t told them that yet!” Vile sighed. “Fine. Yes. I would have, if I could have.”
Virtue shook his head. “But you have what you want. The score is now zero-one. Happy?”
“Never.” Vile smiled. “But you know that. And!” He clapped his hands in front of him. “It is our turn to choose the next story. But since Sasha is a bitout of sorts,I will choose. And I have just the story in mind.”
“What?” That woke Sasha out of her stupor. She was happy to just sit there in a lump on the floor and not be involved. But to hear Vile sayhewas going to pick the next story? “No. No, no, no—you don’t get to pick—you—anything but what you’d choose?—”
“Oh, don’t be such a fussbudget.” Vile waved a hand at her dismissively. “We’re about to stop for the second book anyway. You’ll get a break for a long while. And knowing how things go, half of this might change between now and then anyway.”
“I don’t—but—” Sasha shook her head. None of that made any sense. “No. Just no. You do not get to pick.”
“Oh, come now. It’ll be fun! Besides, do you have a story in mind?” Vile grinned.
No. No, she didn’t. And he knew that. She was too busy trying not to throw up. Or have a panic attack. Because ofhimand whathe’djust done to her.
“Don’t worry, it won’t be gothic horror, since that would quickly turn into you screwing your way through the classics and—” Vile paused. “Wait. How about gothic horror?”
“No.” Virtue seemed to at least have some sway over his twin. “Be reasonable, brother.”
“Very well.” He sounded like a scolded child. “But, Idohave just the story. It is one of my favorites! I think it will give everyone something they want. Sidney will get to have her time to shine. And Sasha and I will get to have some fun while we work out whose side she’sreallyon.” Vile strolled over to where Sasha and Sidney were still sitting on the floor. He nudged Sidney out of the way to grasp Sasha’s hand and pull her up to her feet. “Won’t we, Sasha?”
Sasha felt a cold sweat break out over her body. Being trapped alone with Vile was the last thing she wanted to do. He had just chopped her up into pieces. He had murdered her in cold blood.
