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I sat in the dark, tensely waiting until I heard footsteps out in the hall. The door swung open before Alex stepped in. Behind him was the man that had gotten out of the truck with Eric.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” Alex said without an ounce of emotion.
“What, no needles full of sedative this time?” I asked sarcastically. My last moments on this earth would not be spent begging for my life. But that didn’t mean I was going to go quietly.
“Since this was decided so last minute, we don’t have any.”
I didn’t answer and braced my body to get ready for when they uncuffed me.
“Robert, you hold her legs down while I get her arms,” Alex muttered to the man behind him.
My eyes went wide. Robert. Robert Dailey. The husband of one of the other victims I had looked into. I remembered him from the news clips I had watched. That’s why he looked so familiar. I felt sick. His poor wife. She had no idea who she had married. I was glad it was Kiara I had chosen to visit first. If I had gone to see Robert first, there was no doubt—I wouldn’t have survived this long.
Robert’s hands wrapped around my ankles, and I flinched but didn’t fight back. His grip wasn’t tight. I wanted to wait until Alex freed my arms. He went for my right arm first and unlocked the handcuff. Grabbing my freed wrist, he gripped it as he unlocked my other cuff. The second the lock clicked, I moved.
I slipped my right hand out of Alex’s grasp as I pulled my leg back before ramming my foot right into Robert’s face. I swung my fist, smashing it against Alex’s cheek. But it wasn’t enough. He was ready for me to fight back. He practically lay on top of me, pinning my arms under him as he unlocked the handcuff from the bed.
Then he grabbed one of my arms and snapped the cuff back on. I was straining to move under his weight as he grabbed my other wrist, cuffing my arms together in front of me. Once they were locked, he climbed off me and pulled me up with him.
“That bitch,” Robert cried. He had both hands over his nose, and blood was pouring out. “I think she broke it.”
“Go get cleaned up. Eric will help me downstairs,” Alex said without his eyes leaving me.
Robert ran from the room while Alex’s grip on my arm tightened.
“Let’s go,” he demanded.
I dug in my heels, refusing to walk. He shook his head and lifted me up, throwing me over his shoulder. I flailed and screamed, but he easily carried me to the basement.
The room wasn’t dark like it had been earlier when I had snuck down there. There were candles lit everywhere and a lantern on each table. Flashbacks of what had happened to Lacey claimed my mind. I knew exactly what was going to happen, and that made it so much worse.
Alex carried me to the back table and laid me down. Eric came up from behind and pushed my shoulders down as Alex locked the cuffs around my ankles. He unlocked my wrists, only to lock them into the giant metal restraints that connected to the table.
Alex and Eric walked back up the stairs once I was secured. I twisted and pulled, but the chains were impossible to escape from. I yelled as loud as I could. Screamed until my voice grew hoarse. And then I heard them. The chanting.
My heart was beating out of my chest, my body cemented with dread. This was it. My worst nightmare since this had all started. Craning my neck, I saw them walking in with the same long hooded cloaks they had worn last year. There were only four men.
Once they surrounded the table, I was able to look at their faces. Eric, Alex, Robert. The man I didn’t recognize was right above my head. This was his sacrifice. He looked to be around my age. My screams were locked in my throat as I stared into his eyes, seeing only determination. No fear or guilt. Like everyone else around this table, the guy had been born into it, and he was going to do what was expected of him.
Alex left for a few moments, only to return with a knife. He handed it off to the man who stood above me. I stopped struggling because I wasn’t going to beg or plead. Their chants grew louder, and I tried to shut them out. To find my own peace in my final moments.
I thought of my family. Lacey. My parents. I had faith that Kiara would get justice for them. And now for me. Their secrets would be revealed, and the society would crumble. I wouldn’t be there to see it. But everything I had done in the past year had led to this. It was worth it for all the future women who wouldn’t be killed. For all the families who wouldn’t wonder for years what had happened to their loved ones.
I even had a chance to love one more time before it came to this. Niko was who I last thought of as the man raised the knife above my heart. I wasn’t scared anymore. I was grateful I’d had one more year to live. It had all been worth it.
