AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Her car seat and pram.”
“You bugged your own daughter?”
“For her safety. You were going off at all times of the day without informing me.”
For the second time, Savannah’s palm meets my cheek with a loudthwack. The skin tingles from the impact. Unlike last time, I don’t hide my anger.
Before she can react, my fingers grip her neck. “Watch yourself, Miss Hayes,” I warn. Not wanting to leave a mark on her, I let go. I laugh as I recall her asking Ray to strip like a crazy person. “Stripping was a good idea, but you underestimated me.”
“Tell me something. The guesthouse? The car? You were watching?”
I nod. “And listening.”
Her eyes close. Her chest rises and falls rapidly until it becomes slow and even. When she looks at me again, desperation shines through.
“What are you going to do to me, Xavier? We both know you’re not letting me walk out of here.”
“Yes, I am. We had a deal, remember?” I walk back over to my side of the table and take my seat. “Are you going to tell me where my daughter is?” I smile at her.
The sound of the clock ticks in the silence. I count nineteen seconds before she speaks.
“Why are we playing this game? You’ve known where she is this whole time.”
My upside-down grin unsettles her. She still can’t see the entire board.
“If I move this piece, what happens?” I move my queen on the board and grin.
“What are you waiting for?”
I laugh at her. She’s getting warmer to the truth.
“It doesn’t matter which move you make, youlose. I’ve got you cornered.”
She stands up. “You’re buying time.”
“What was it you said to Ray?” I pretend to think about it. I echo the words that have replayed in my head. “We are not God. We cannot decide who lives or dies. We are not mercenaries of death,” I snarl.
Her tears are back. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Idecide who lives and dies. I am the Gamemaker. You were right. I amnotGod. I am much larger than a deity who does not exist. I amhere, on Earth, where the world can see me.“ I hold my hands up. “I’ve chosen toprotectlives with these hands. These hands have also taken lives. I am Xavier Rivers, and tonight, I will create your fate.”
She looks out the window to the driveway. “Who is that?”
I stand up, feeling the full effects of being the most powerful in this game. My fingers twitch in anticipation. I’ve been waiting for this moment since that night.
“You made it so easy for me, Savannah.Youinspired my final move. All those days and nights, sitting up alone in the room. You became a recluse. You stopped eating and sleeping. You had a mental breakdown after giving birth. You threw crazy accusations of murder. You reduced your digital footprint because you were convinced somebody was following you. You asked Ray to strip naked because you thought someone bugged your clothes. You asked Mia to keep a baby hostage.”
She backs away from me. “I’m not crazy.”
My smile ceases to exist as I narrow my eyes. “But you made it so easy for me to convince everyone else you were. I simply watered the seeds you planted.”
“A medical professional will see through it.”
“Not when the people who love you will testify to your erratic behaviour. It’s in your genes. A traumatic experience can trigger symptoms, and you’ve had your fair share of trauma.”
“Because of you!” She begins to panic.
My eyes soften. “You need help, Savannah. You’re not well.”
