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“That’s not—"
“Isn’t it? You hate me, I know that. You want to hurt me. To break me the way your father broke you. But deep down, I think you want something else.”
“No… no, that’s not—" He tugs his hair furiously, pacing back and forth. Unraveling. If I push him too hard, he might crack, which won’t end well for either of us. But if I push him just enough…
“I think you want something else, something better… you just don’t know how to ask for it.”
“Shut up. Shut the fuck up.” He marches toward me and jams the gun toward me. “You don’t have any fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I? Admit it, Cade. You look at me and Bexley and you want that… you want someone who loves you, someone whogetsyou.”
“Love?” He scoffs. “Love makes you weak.”
“You’re wrong. Love doesn’t make you weak, it makes you strong. You can do it. You can pull the trigger and kill me and then go after Phillip and Bexley and the rest of Q. But you’ll be killing the last shred of your humanity. You’ll be giving up any shot you have at redemption.”
The gun vibrates against my forehead as his hand trembles, my words hitting their intended target. “Or,” I continue, bringing my hand slowly to his and wrapping my fingers around it, gently starting to lower the gun away from my face, “you can do the right thing. For once in your life, you can choose to be better.”
My heart is a runaway train in my chest, beating so hard I feel lightheaded. The gun hangs between us, still too close for comfort. But I see the moment Cade decides. I see the second I reach him.
“I… I… Fuck. Fuck.” His roar echoes through me, making my hairs stand on end. It’s so full of pain and regret and slams into me. My natural instinct is to comfort him, but he doesn’t deserve my comfort. The gun clatters to the floor as he backs away from me, burying his face in his hands.
I crouch down and snatch it up, grasping it in trembling fingers. It would be so easy to end him. To rid the Earth of a messed-up guy like Cade Kingsley.
But that’s how we got here.
Vengeance. Blood thirst. Secrets and betrayals.
If we want to be better, we have to do better.
Still, I lift the gun, pointing it right at him.
“Mia?” It’s a cracked whisper. “What are you—"
“It would be so easy to kill you. To end you.” My voice quivers. “But I’m not you. I’ll never be you, Cade. Even in this fucked-up town with its dark secrets and despicable traditions, I will always choose forgiveness… I will always choose love.”
I take a step forward, and the chain connected to my ankle rattles. Cade stands as still as a statue, inhaling a ragged breath. “Do it,” he barks. “Do it and put me out of my fucking misery.”
He means it. Resignation swirls in his eyes mixed with blistering defeat. He wants death.
And he wants me to be the one to deliver it.
My stomach twists as my finger gently tightens around the trigger. It would be so easy…
“Do it. Just fucking do—"
The gunshot cracks around us, making me flinch. Cade cusses under his breath, but he’s still standing, clutching his shoulder.
“You missed,” he sneers, inspecting his blood-smeared hand. Pain contorts his face as he stares at me with a strange mix of fear and respect.
“No,” I say softly. “I didn’t.”
Voices outside the door startle me, and I quickly add, “You should go.”
“Go?” His brows crinkle.
“Go.” My eyes flick to the stone door behind me. “Go, and never come back here. Because next time, I won’t miss.”
“You’re letting me go, just like that? Why?”
