“Fuck you,” Micah yells.
“Micah, please—” Brooke utters as Micah turns his rage to her. “It’s your fault. Tell him you’re responsible for her being in this position.”
Brooke recoils as Micah shouts, “Tell him. You’re the Deceiver. You’ve been playing me all along. All of us”
Her face pales as she erratically shakes her head.
“Stop lying,” Micah roars. “The simplest fucking challenge and you backed out. The entire fucking time you’ve been pulling the strings. You let them bury us alive; you had no problem walking across a fucking rusted walkway in middle of the Gulf. But you wouldn’t drink a simple vial of liquid and tell me the truth after I drank it first to show it was safe?”
Micah zones in on his brother, “Did you know? Is that why you made us partner together?”
“I suspected it when she didn’t want to play. She had more reason to need Mercy than any of us. But that’s not why I made her partner with you. Ivy had to be with me.”
“So, the bitch just played me for fun.”
Tears trail down Brooke’s cheeks as she whispers, “I’m sorry. I had to win.”
“No, don’t cry. I’m not falling for your act again.”
Brooke takes a step closer as he jerks me back. She remains there as she says, “I couldn’t sacrifice you. I saved your life. Would you have rather me gotten us to the final round and stab you? Or would you have stabbed me? I knew what was ahead and I couldn’t do it.”
“You did stab me. Right in the fucking back,” Micah shouts.
“Your issue is not with Ivy. Let her go,” Luca states.
Micah keeps me in between them as he responds, “You always think you’re better than everyone else. That you should get your way just because you’reyou.”
“I played the same game that you did,” Luca shouts. “Let. Her. Go.”
“No. This is bullshit. I didn’t have a chance with the lying bitch.” He swings the blade at Brooke before returning it to my skin, the sharp tip under my jaw.
Decider says, “Choices. You picked your teammate, which is a test of your judgment. Yours proved to be catastrophic.”
Luca adds, “And your next choice will be fatal if you don’t remove the fucking knife from her neck. She didn’t want to play Mercy. We did. This is between us. Leave her out of it.”
“I need to win,” Micah all but sobs out the words.
“Too late. But you can walk out of here alive if she does.” Luca is only a few feet away, but it feels like he’s so far.
Brooke maintains her spot as she pleads with Micah, “I’m so sorry.”
It doesn’t help as Micah goes on another rant at her. Luca’s controlled movements become hasty as he surges forward, his hand grabbing Micah the second he waves it around during his tirade. They both go to the ground as I stumble back. Brooke moves beside me, and I have no choice but to grab onto her to keep from falling as we watch Luca and Micah battle against each other.
Luca manages to get the dagger as he hovers over Micah. I hold my breath, waiting for the moment that Luca plunges it into his brother. But he doesn’t. His foot connects with Micah’s stomach before Luca backs away. Micah rolls over to all fours, coughing and groaning. Luca kicks him again, his foot sinking into his side as I cringe.
“Stop it,” I beg. “There’s enough killing already.”
I don’t think Micah would’ve hurt me. I think he was just desperate. We’ve all become something we’re not because of this foolish circus. “I’m done. You win. And you don’t even have to kill me.”
“That’s not an option. Winner has to sacrifice. No one will succeed by default,” Decider chimes in again.
I debate just stabbing him, so he’ll shut the hell up. “You’re really getting on my fucking nerves with the Mercy riddles. It’s just a fucking game.”
One of the faceless hoods moves in front the door, blocking where I can’t leave. “I quit.”
But he allows Micah to pass as he says, “I’m done. There’s no need for me to be here.”
“Then I win, right?” Brooke sniffles, as she backs to the wall.
