“Lucas wasn’t looking for someone who could fight. He liked the fact that Sera could make herself disappear in a room full of people. He was going to use her to gather information. That is what he wanted, and you weren’t happy with her having a place to stay, so you killed her over it.”
“No, I killed her over the fact that she fought me to go back. She wantedyou,not me. So then I decided that no one would have her if I couldn’t. That’s when Lucas threw me off that bridge, but he failed at killing me.”
“If he wanted to kill you, you would be dead,” I assure him. “Maybe he thought there was some hope for you, but he was wrong. What do you hope to gain through all of this? Patel plays no part in this. This is between you and me, so let her go.”
He smiles at me. “My eyes have been on you from the moment I saw my dead father lying at your feet. I watched you,I listened for words about you. I wanted you, I wanted tobeyou. And then you were gone… You were fucking gone, and I couldn’t find you. I realized that someone must have killed you for you to have turned silent like that. I vowed to find the parasite that took down the man who I thought was invincible. But here… I find you playing house with some fucking… weak man. Pretending like you can just wash yourself of your past life and move on?”
He shakes his head and then slams his hand down on the desk, making the fingernails jump.
“I will destroy everyone and everything that has done this to you. I will twist your life out of fucking control until you become the man you once were. And then, when you finally are, I’m going to put a bullet in your head for betraying me like you did. For making a fool out of me. They always say to never meet your heroes, and now I realize why.”
“You’ve been looking for a reason to fuck me over, Colby. I just don’t understand why. You think I’ve made it this far in life with the prestige I have by running in blind and blowing off heads like you have? I’m not that fucking sloppy. My name instills fear in anyone who hears it because I don’t just murder people without hesitation. But youwanta reason to destroy me, don’t you? I’ve been your obsession for many years, but I didn’t turn out to be exactly like you, so now you’re going to kill me?”
Colby grins at me, and I don’t like that look. “I hope you’re ready for this because I sure as fuck am. I found the tracker in my pocket and knew you’d be coming to my apartment, so I told Barlow’s crew exactly where you were. They should be there any minute now. Or maybe they’re already there.”
And that’s the moment I hear the explosion. His laughter fills the room as I drop the phone and rush to the window. I pull the curtain back and look out at the wreckage surrounding my van. Smoke and fire rise up out of it. Chunks of debris have rainedout around it. The windows have been blown out… and all of my friends were left inside it.
No, no, no.
The three of us rush from the room, and I can feel Cassel’s anxiety knowing that we left Jeremy in the van that is now destroyed. Cassel hits the button for the elevator and it lights up, but it’s not coming fast enough. He looks at the stairs, but I know that even though waiting at the elevator seems so much worse than being on the move, the elevator is going to get us down eleven flights of stairs faster than our legs ever could.
“It’s coming,” I promise as I hold him still so he doesn’t try the stairs. He’s calling Jeremy again and again, but no one picks up. No one picks up any of our calls, either.
The doors part and a woman looks startled when we rush inside and jab the button for the lobby as fast as we can. I realize that Jackson must have grabbed the album that he has tucked under his arm. It was quick thinking so we didn’t leave evidence of what I’d done behind.
The elevator descends rapidly, but in this state, it feels like it doesn’t descend fast enough even though I can feel the drop in my body. The doors open at the lobby and we dash out through the front door and around the back to where the van is parked in public parking. People are moving near it while smoke rises up around it, flames eating at it, curious about what’s happened and possibly wondering if they can help while staying safe themselves.
“Careful,” Jackson warns, but I jerk the door open, heat eating through my gloves as I fling it wide…
And see that the inside is empty.
“Where is he? Where is he?” Cassel asks. It comes out more like a plea and I feel awful that he’s going through this. I hate that he’s left with so much uncertainty because I’ve felt that terror before about Jackson. It’s such an overwhelming fear.
My eyes are drawn to a parking garage and something pulls me toward it. “This way,” I say.
“Did you see them?” Cassel asks.
“No,” I admit. “But if they were attacked and knew people would run to the van to help, they would go this way to keep anyone who isn’t involved from getting hurt.”
Cassel hesitates, but he trusts me, he always has. My only fear is that I’m wrong. So while people hurry over to see my beautiful murder van burn up, the three of us run toward the parking garage.
When I reach it, I hear the slightest noise, and I look over to find Ellis staring me right in the eyes. He’s tucked back out of sight and would have been impossible to see if he hadn’t scooted forward to catch my attention.
I rush over to him and he grabs me for some reason.
“There were like ten people. Sophia was insistent that something was wrong… she could see some people watching and waiting, so she made us get out of the van. I guess this is… something they do, just blow people up… but we only made it so far before the explosion threw us back. Tavish told us to run here and for me to stay hidden,” Ellis says.
“You’re doing good,” I reassure him as I notice that he’s bleeding. It must have been from the explosion, but he’s alive. They’re all alive and that’s what matters most.
“I’m scared the others are hurt. I haven’t seen them. I should be doing something,” Ellis says, the hand he has on me tightening.
“No, you should stay right here,” I instruct him as I force him back down. “We’ll find the others and help them. You stay quiet and hidden, okay?”
He seems uncertain but nods.
I pull out my gun and use the parked vehicles to inch my way forward with constant cover. The question now is… wherethe hell are they in this parking garage? It’s no wonder none of our calls would go through; these places are notorious for having poor reception. And it’s even worse the lower underground you go. There are also fewer people…
“I’m voting down,” I say.
