“How could you do this?” I’m panting now, just barely holding onto the emotion building inside of me. “You taught me to care for you; to trust you and run inyourdirection when I’m crumbling. Was that a part of your plan? Has every moment we spent together been building to this?”
Boston whistles lowly from somewhere in the distance. “I think this man was in love, Nathaniel. How touching.”
Nate doesn’t even flinch. He keeps his gaze locked onto mine and re-cocks the gun.
A pitiful whimper leaves me. I yank at the rope around my wrists, try to pull my gift from the depths of my stomach where they’ve banished it, but it’s a fruitless struggle.
I am completely at his mercy. Nate is going to break me.
“Kill me,” I insist, “because I will not give youanything. Fucking shoot, Nathaniel. I’m tired of breathing, anyway.”
And for the first time since he sat me in this chair, I see a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Anger.
“As you wish, sweet Lanny. As you wish.”
And suddenly, I’m plunged into the darkness.
Nathaniel
20
THE ENTIRE WAREHOUSE ISdevoid of light—to everyone else, at least.
I have about two seconds before the council starts to panic, but I’m already moving. Spinning around, I put a bullet into Ryan’s head, aiming to the right of his crumbling body and giving the same gift to Boston.
Cecilia screams, turning to run as their bodies lie limply on the concrete, the red proof of Landon’s previous torture combining with their own blood as it puddles around them.
I aim again, shooting Cecilia down before she reaches the door.
Landon is still sitting on the metal chair, shaking and flinching at every gunshot as he stares wildly into the dark. I would have kept him with me, in the light, but I’m terrified the violence will scar him.
He doesn’t need to see. He’s already seen too much.
Will he forgive me? Will he listen to my explanation, or run before I can open my bastardous mouth?
Those are questions for later; there is still a threat here. Joesph.
And just as the thought occurs to me, as I search the open warehouse, I hear Landon’s screech of pain.
“Fuck!” he shouts, and I whip back around to face him.
Rage and terror fill my body, overflowing into the open as I choke on this new reality presented to me.
The needle at the end of the injection gun is damp and thick, the red light blinking on the side of the metal telling everyone with eyes that it is now empty.
The suppression chip is pushed firmly into Landon’s system, dissolving slowly and ruining his chance at ever using coercion again.
“See? Wasn’t so hard, now, was it, Nathaniel?” Joseph asks mockingly, and my eyes flicker from Landon’s petrified face to the council member’s smirk.
“Let go of him.” My own voice sounds so far away, so separate from my psyche that it almost startles me.
I’ve never felt this out of control before.
Joseph moves, and within a flash, a gleaming knife is pressed to Landon’s neck.
“How about this?” Joseph negotiates. “You lower that gun, and Idon’tkill your little prince?”
The knife pressed further into his neck, creating a thin, angry mark. Landon’s breath catches.
