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“Good, I can feel you too. Len, you’re the bravest person I know. There is no one else I know who would ever risk their life for people, knowing they’ll get nothing in return. I know I’ve only known you for days, but you’ve proven to me that life truly is a better place with someone like you in it. When I stop cramming my head in my own ass and look around me, I realize that I’m insanely lonely. I’ve been lonely my entire life. My mother and father taught me from a young age that it wasn’t worth it to care about others… so I didn’t. I just stopped, but I didn’t realize how toxic that was or what it was doing to me.”
Kade’s hand digs tighter into me as he continues. “In less than a week, you gave me what I didn’t realize I’d been waiting my whole life for. So please, let me repay it by helping you.”
I dig my aching fingers into him. “I… feel you.”
“You feel me?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t let go because we’ll do this together. We’ll get through this together, okay?”
“He’s not going to let me out. He won’t let me out until I give him what he wants. I know his games. They’re always the same ones. Again and again.”
“No, not anymore. My father played mind games with me, but he’s gone, and he can never touch me again. I’ve been stupid enough that I never woke up after the fact and realized that. But I’m here to tell you that no matter what fucked-up game Norn plays, there’s a reason why he didn’t kill either of us. He wants to use you, so you can’t let him. But you can give him what he wants.”
“He wants me to kill you. He wants me to kill you to get out of here.”
“So?” he asks before leaning in close so the cameras can’t pick up on his words. “I can play my hand at dying for you. He has a camera watching. Make it look real.”
I can’t pull away long enough to even tell that there’s a camera. All I can do is press in close to him and keep my eyes shut.
Kade’s hand rubs down my back as I try to pretend we’re anywhere but stuck inside this room. But we’re not. We’re here. We’re stuck here and when I open my eyes, I see the way the walls are looming over us, closing in on us, and my stomach seizes again.
His hand tightens around me. “Len, focus. There’s nothing in this room that can hurt you. It’s just you and me.”
“You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t. But I do know that you can’t let him win. You’re going to get out of here and we’re going to stop him. And then I’m going to take you to the fanciest damn restaurant in this town and I’m going to treat you like a fucking king. I’m going to make you share your bed with me so I don’t have to sleep on the hard couch, and we’ll play your weird games that I kind of enjoy. And watch your geeky, nerdy shows. You wanted to make me watch that… Defenders or whatever.”
“Avengers.”
“Right.” And then I’m going to carry you off to your room and we can… role-play your weird little superhero stuff as I make you moan for me. But first, we have to get out of this room.”
“Why do you even want me?” I ask.
“I should be asking you that question, not the other way around, Len. Who wouldn’t want you? You’re insanely nice, sweet, and the most caring person I’ve ever met. So please, let me show you that I can be worth it to you. But to do that, you’re going to have to get through this, okay?”
“If I let go of you, the panic attack is going to return.”
“You only have to let go long enough to shoot at me.”
The moment Kade’s hands start letting go, I grab onto him tighter, panic eating through me.
“Focus.”
“I have to get out of here,” I say, my hand shaking as I reach for my gun. “Kade… fuck…” Fuck, fuck…
I hold the gun tightly in my hand and stare at him, my hand shaking so much I’m not sure I can even keep it steady. “I killed your father like this. He gave us a roof and food and clothes, and I killed him. Just like this.”
“He was a piece of shit.”
“Yeah… he was… but he was less of a piece of shit than everyone else I was surrounded with.”
I take a deep breath and calm my hand for just a moment before I pull the trigger.
Kade jerks back, the look of surprise on his face genuine as he stumbles back. “You… you actually shot me,” he says, voice showing his shock.
He touches his side, and his hand comes back wet with blood. “You actually shot me!”
