Page 174 of Barinov

“What’s happening?” Cade mumbles, his body shaking.

“Give the phone to Cade, please,” Luca says, his voice dripping into a calm and terrifying tone. “I need to speak to my artist.”

“Not gonna happen you—”

“GIVE HIM THE PHONE!”

I flinch at the volume. I pull the phone away from my ear, staring at it like it’s one of O’Malley’s grenades.

“He wants to talk to you.”

Cade takes it with shaky fingers. His hazel eyes dart to mine before he presses it to his ear and swallows. “Hello?”

I stand there. Forced to watch as the color drains from his face. His eyes widen, turning into pools of terror at whatever that fuck is saying to him.

“N-n-no, please!” Cade shrieks, his voice breaking. “I’ll do it… just…” He trails off, his eyes shimmering with tears as they lock onto mine. “Just don’t hurt her.”

He sniffles, listening to the monster on the other end. “I understand.”

He hangs up and hands the phone back to me.

“What’d he say?”

Cade doesn’t answer. He won’t even look at me. He just reaches for that damn collar. I lunge, grab his hand, and yank him hard into my chest.

“NO!”

“Lex!” he roars, tears finally spilling over. “I have to.” He looks down at the metal, his expression going flat. “I have to.”

He pulls away from me. I watch, fucking paralyzed, as he grabs the collar and snaps it around his own throat. It locks with a sharp, mechanical click. Instantly, the indicator light begins to glow a steady, blinding white.

“Cade,” I murmur as I reach out and run a hand down his cheek. My thumb brushes the edge of the metal. “You shouldn’t have done that, babe.”

“I had to.” Cade’s fingers feel cold as he raises my hand to his lips. “Just win The Blackout, Barinov.” He presses a hard, lingering kiss to my knuckles. “Just win.”

I nod, swiping a tear from my eye with the back of my hand. I grab the red skull mask and slide it over my face. The world framing into narrow slits as I grip the pistol tighter and turn toward the dark tunnel of the arena.

“Stay behind me,” I growl, my free hand wrapping around Cade’s wrist.

“No, Lex,” Cade whispers. He yanks out of my grip and stumbles backward into Roman.

“What?”

“Luca,” he says, sniffling. “Luca said that if me or your dad, or Rez, or Roman… If any of us take one step inside before a champion’s crowned then…”

He pauses, eyes glazed and staring off at the entrance behind me.

“Then what?”

Cade’s attention snaps back to me. He brushes his fingertips against his collar. “You know what.”

I nod.

“Get to the ground floor as fast as you can,” Roman says, stepping away from Cade. “It has more cover.”

“And don’t shoot blindly,” Dad orders, his voice rough and worried all at the same damn time. “You’ve only got one shot.”

Heavy hands clasp down on my shoulders. “You’ve got this, brother,” Rez says, rubbing the tension out. “That fucker in there doesn’t stand a chance.”