“Don’t even think about it, Reyna,” Jodie said.
The arm on her throat tightened as a warning.
Reyna felt a sense of déjà vu. She was once again standing onthat patio on New Year’s Eve, watching Beckham die before her eyes. Harrington was no longer strong enough to do that. He was sick again. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have someone else do it. Maybe even Roland.
“I can’t let him kill you,” Reyna told Jodie. She choked on the words.
“He’ll kill me anyway.” Jodie yelled.
“You won’t kill her,” Reyna snapped at Harrington. “Give me your word.”
“Done.”
“You will let her go and never look for her again.”
Harrington grated his teeth together but then nodded. “As you wish.”
“Your word.”
“You have my word.”
“Whatever that’s worth,” Reyna muttered.
She wavered. There was no right choice here. Giving herself up to Harrington meant he would live forever. He would run this planet into the ground and ruin everything she had worked for. But if she didn’t, he’d kill Jodie and take Reyna prisoneranyway.
There had to be a third option.
She couldn’t, no, wouldn’t stand by and let him win again. She could see three steps ahead of her. She could stop this.
“Admit it, my little queen,” Harrington taunted. “I am always and will always be one step ahead of you. You are a worthy opponent, my dear, but I have lived hundreds of years longer than you. I can see the long game. All the things that are a mystery to you.”
“No,” she whispered.
“Oh yes.” He slowly rose to his feet, pushing the chair out of the way. He shifted his weight onto his cane. It was almost painful to watch him shuffle his feet across the floor until he came to thefront of his desk. “You could never beat me.”
“I will.”
She had to.
She had to beat him.
This couldn’t all be for nothing.
“There are no moves that I haven’t anticipated. You have nothing left to play. I’ve taken all of your players captive. It is just you and me. And there is nothing that you can do to stop me now.”
Reyna closed her eyes and blocked out his words. “You’ll let them all go? You’ll make the killing stop?”
“If you come willingly, I will stop everything. But you can never run away or plot escape. You will be delighted with your new position at my side. You will do what I say.”
“Reyna, no,” Jodie spat. “Let me die. What is my life worth anyway?”
“Everything.”
“Nothing. I’m nobody. No one will even miss me.”
“I would,” Reyna yelled back. “I would miss you. I would miss everyone out there. You all came here for me. You believed in me. And in the end, I failed.Again.”
“Reyna, please don’t do this.”
