Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
But it’s not. It’s not just us.
Because it’s not over.
How could we have thought it was over?
40
CASSIAN
“Touching,” a voice says.
My back stiffens.
Allegra gasps.
She looks first. She turns and looks first. And I am a fucking idiot.
I turn to face Malek, who is standing with a gun at Jet’s head, a half-dozen soldiers behind him.
Malek glances at Enzo’s dead body. “Thanks for handling that for me.”
He shifts his gaze to me, and I begin to rise to my feet.
“No. As you were.” He grins “I like you on your knees.”
I glance at Jet who is standing perfectly still. His hands are empty, a soldier having relieved him of his weapon. His expression is unreadable, his eyes locked on me. He glances downward, then back up and I think I understand the signal.
But it won’t work.
There are too many of them. And there’s a gun to his head and I won’t risk his life.
“Bring me my wife,” Malek commands.
His soldiers fan out, one taking hold of Allegra to drag her to her feet and toward Malek who lowers his weapon to his side as another solider sets the barrel of his to Jet’s temple.
Malek looks at Allegra, naked and bloody. She doesn’t look away. She refuses to be afraid.
“Look at this mess,” he says.
“It was me, you know,” she tells him, raising her hands to show him the blood on her palms. She shrugs off the soldier who tries to keep her from doing it. “I killed him. Me. Just like I’m going to kill you.”
There’s a moment, a split second, where I think I see fear cross Malek’s eyes. It almost makes me laugh. Does he know what he’s in for with her? Except I can’t laugh, not now. Not as I kneel here and Jet stands with a gun to his head, not a single one of my soldiers in sight.
As if on cue, footsteps come charging up the stairs.
Malek grips Allegra by her hair and, like the coward Enzo, uses her as his human shield when my men come charging up.
“Weapons down!” Malek screams the order, but my men don’t take orders from him. “Tell them. Tell them or I fucking shoot her in the stomach!”
“Stop!” I call out. “Lower your weapons! Now!”
They do it.
“Drop them. I want weapons on the fucking ground!” Malek calls out.
“Do it,” I tell my men who look like they’re ready to fight to the death. I shake my head because it would be her death.
They set their weapons on the ground and kick them away.
“Get them out of here,” Malek says, spinning, but then changes his mind. “No, wait. Bring him here. That one. On his knees right there.” Malek points to a spot beside me with his gun. At least he’s pushed Allegra out from in front of him. I look at her. She’s got her hands wrapped around the one of Malek’s which has a fistful of her hair, and I remember my promise to her.
Pieces.
I will deliver her enemies to her in pieces.
I will deliver him in a thousand fucking pieces.
“Good, that’s a good place,” Malek says once my soldier is beside me and, before any of us have a moment to think, he raises his weapon and shoots. The sound of a single man toppled, body falling across my knees is jarring in the aftermath of war. Allegra screams in shock.
Instinctively, I grab hold of his body, catch it. He’s already dead, though.
“Next!” Malek calls like it’s a fucking game.
“Fuck you! It’s me you want, not them!” I shift to rise, setting one foot flat on the ground before me.
Jet has shifted his position. In the commotion, he’s closer to me.
“Stay the fuck down!” Malek orders, aiming his weapon at me.
“No!” Allegra screams and knocks his arm so when he shoots, the bullet hits the dead man.
“You don’t want to make it that quick, do you?” I ask him. I need time.
“Take her. Fucking take her.” Malek shoves Allegra toward a soldier. Good. That’s good. It’d be better if he sent her downstairs, but he won’t do that. He wants her to watch me die. But I’m not dying. Not today.
“Let him go, you fucking bastard. I’ll stay with you. I’ll stay!” Allegra tries to bargain with him.
“No, Allegra,” I start, talking calmly. “You won’t stay. You forget you already belong to me.”
Malek’s eyes narrow. “You’ll stay where I put you, wife,” Malek says to her, but looks at me. “But first, you’ll watch him die.”
Allegra turns her head away. She refuses to watch.
“Allegra,” I say.
She shakes her head.
“Allegra,” I say sharply. “I promised you two things, didn’t I?” I ask her. She’s still not looking at me, but Malek is. “Two things. Look at me. Look at me now, Little Moth.” She does, eyes swimming in tears. “Do you remember what I promised you?”