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Shoot Caishen and get out.
Nico and Dante are waiting on the side with a speedboat. No one will trace it back to us.
I rush down the narrow hallway and spot the double doors I’m supposed to enter, willing my heartbeat to slow down. My body breaks out in a cold sweat. My ears begin to pound. Adrenaline. Good. Through the tiny slit, I can see the disgusting bastard waiting for me in a robe.
Let’s do this!I think to myself as I kick the door open and charge the room. I’m ready to shoot, but before I can pull the trigger, I’m brought to a halt.
Chapter Twenty
ANYA
My ears start ringing, and my throat falls into my stomach as I scan the room. Chills run up my spine as my blood freezes over.
“Fuck,” I whisper.
“Anya, what is it?”Nico yells.
The guys begin to shout into my ear, but the roaring sound drowns them out. My eyes fall to the people in the room.
Jet with a comforting arm wrapped around a shaking Nora. Behind them, a man has both arms raised, aiming a gun right into the back of their heads.
Next to them is Ethan. Liling’s father. Calm as ever. His gaze is downcast as if he’s resigned to defeat and accepted his fate as another man trains a gun on him.
Bile rises up my throat.
Scanning the large bedroom, I try to get my mind to work quickly. The windows are small slits at the top, allowing just enough sunlight during the day but not enough for anything to get through. There’s a skylight, but that would require more effort than we have time for. The only escape is through the door behind me.
A voice catches my attention, bringing me out of my stupor. My eyes move to the last one.
“Nanya!”
My heart plummets to the bottom of the ocean. There’s a man crouched with baby Dot. Tears streaking down her red face, she’s sitting on his lap as she hangs onto her bunny with all her might.
“My daughter!”Tao screams.
“Anya, what the fuck is going on?”Dante yells.
“Baby, talk to me!”
I open my mouth, but the words get caught in my throat.
“Did you really think you could kill me? That it’d be that easy? I’ve been doing this much longer than you.” Caishen laughs.
“Let them go, Caishen.”
“You don’t get to make any demands,” he snarls. “I gave you a chance, and you squandered it.”
When I don’t respond, he smiles.
“What do you know about choice theory?” he asks as he struts back and forth around the room. I don’t respond. “Most people think it’s the idea that you can only control yourself but not others.”
I’m not sure why he’s giving me a psychology lesson, but the context alone tells me it’s about to get worse.
“When, really, you havelimitedabilities to control others, but never zero. Do you know what our five basic needs are as humans in terms of choice theory?”
He cannot be serious right now. Luckily, he doesn’t wait for my reply.
“Get the fuck out of there now!”
