What are the chances he’s high enough that I can convince him this was all a fever dream? Fuck, none, because McKinnon’s here. He won’t lie to Luke, which makes him better for Luke to have than me. And I guess after this, that’s what it’ll be—just them.
He won’t want anything to do with me.
“C’mere, princess,” Luke says.
McKinnon looks around, blushing. “Um, he never calls me that. Must be whatever you gave him.”
Whatever you say, McKinnon.But he takes a seat beside Luke, who paws at him. Know the feeling, bro. All I wanted to do when I was high on that drug was fuck my husband. Or touch him. Or just be with him.
In the chair across from Henry, they have my husband in chains, dressed as if he’s about to be admitted. I take stock of him as I always do. Physically, he looks better than McKinnon, who he clobbered at the end of the game, but it’s hard to tell if all those bruises are from the game.
There’s a mix of relief and regret on his face. I don’t know what’s going on with him, and my heart aches. Is it just going to do that now? Hurt when he hurts? Allegedly. But I don’t get it. I’m here to save the day as promised. Doesn’t he think that I will? Maybe that’s it. I guess for some, this is a scary situation. For me, it’s a playground. I finally get to give everyone what theydeserve. Actually use what Jasper taught me. I didn’t go through that hell for nothing.
Who should I kill first?
I lock in on Clarence. “I’m proud of you, Clarence. You did all this. Jasper’s smiling up at you. Just kidding, he thinks you’re a traitor for going against his fucking wishes.”
Although, to be honest, both things are true.I’m impressed that Clarence gave in to his lust for revenge.It’s not the way Uncle Jasper would have wanted it to play out, but he would have admired Clarence’s descent into darkness. It’s a fucking miracle he held off as long as he did. I wouldn’t have.
Clarence trembles, taking a breath to drum up some confidence.“You mocked me for loving him, said that love was for idiots.”
“Guess you get the last laugh. I’m an idiot,” I say, trying to catch Ryan’s eyes. He still won’t look at me. Oh, c’mon. That was romantic as fuck.
“You’re never going to see Ryan again. You’re going to find out what it’s like to live without the person you love.”
I don’t know if Henry and Kline are armed, so I have to assume they are. I have the 9mm I took off the guard at the entryway. Pearl’s going to be pissed that she missed this. I gave McKinnon the knife in the man’s boot. Clarence wouldn’t touch a firearm. Uncle Jasper made him a few times, and then he gave up, quoting that Clarence was useless with a firearm. But, in hindsight, was that Uncle Jasper’s way of pandering to him?
It might have been, and I never would have guessed that. You think you know a guy.
Click-click.
My head spins. Henry is the first to pull a gun. Aimed at me.
“No,” Clarence says. “I don’t want him dead.”
“Aww, that’s nice. Here I thought you didn’t like me.”
“If you’re dead, you can’t suffer.”
Ryan stands up, leaping instead of running because of his shackled ankles. Putting himself between me and the gun. “You’re not shooting him.”
“Ryan.” That’s me, because what the fuck? He needs to be out of target range. I don’t think Henry would shoot him, but accidents happen.
“Put the gun down, Henry,” Kline says.
“Ryan, move,” Henry says.
Ryan shuffles backward toward me, and I do the calculations with the information that little interaction bought me. Henry won’t shoot Ryan, but he would shoot me. Clarence doesn’t want me dead, just a lifetime of suffering—thoughtful. Kline’s still a wild card. Hopefully, McKinnon’s as good at strategy off the ice as he is on the ice, and he’s found a way to use that knife I procured for him to cut Luke free.
I can’t worry about him right now, though. Ryan’s in front of a fucking gun.
“You can have me, okay? Just let everyone else go,” Ryan says.
After this, we’re having a long talk about his self-sacrificing habit. That has to end.
Kline stands slowly, but it costs him. He hasn’t been given much time to recover. “Put it down, Henry, or maybe I won’t settle for Ryan anymore.”
Finally. Kline coming in clutch.
