Page 58 of Daddy's Reluctant Queen

He sighs and says, “You love him, don’t you? That’s what it is?”

“I loveyou, Adam,” I counter. “You’re asking me to kill you.”

“I’m asking you to take some of the power back,” he says. “And if you can’t do that, fine. Do it just to end my suffering. Please. They’re going to hold me here for as long as they can. That might be days, weeks, I don’t know. I can’t take another hour of this. Please, Sof. Please just end it for me.”

Tears stream down my face in rivers as I stare at him. He’s been reduced to a poor, sniffling thing, a shadow of the man I once knew. Even if we could escape, even if I could help him…

I will myself to stand and walk over to the cabinet. This is a kindness, what I’m doing. Adam would never want to live the rest of his life with these scars.

The cabinet opens with little effort, and sitting on the first shelf is a nine millimeter. I take it out and turn to him.

He sits up straight and a sort of peace comes over his face. “That’s it,” he says. “Thank you.”

I raise the gun and point it at his forehead. One shot. Right between the eyes, and he’s gone. Gone forever. Our entire lives,we’ve never been separated so long. Now, we’ll be separated forever. Or for as long as I live.

I don’t know if I can do this. My hand starts to shake.

“Don’t wuss out, Sof,” he says, his voice going high with desperation. “Please, pull the trigger.”

“You’re my brother.” I start to weep. “Adam…”

“It’s okay,” he says. “This is how it has to end, Sof. We both know it. I just want it to finally be over.”

“I can’t!” I shout at him. “Why are you asking this of me? Dammit, Adam!”

“Just do it.” He starts crying. “Pull the trigger!”

I hear the door open behind me and a rush of air follows. I’m standing here holding the gun on him, gasping for air. I can’t do this. I just can’t.

I feel a warm hand on mine and I look over to see Titus is standing at my side. “I’ve got it,” he says.

I let him have the gun and I take a step back from him. He regards me for a moment with a question in his eyes.Are you sure?

I look at my brother. On his knees, begging for death, his body so broken, he’s swaying to maintain his balance.

I nod and turn away.

The next thing I hear is Adam’s sobs. The last thing he says is, “Be good to her.”

And then the gun goes off and he’s silent.

I start crying. Emotion takes me, gripping my shoulders and threatening to push me to the floor. Arms wrap around me and I’m pulled into Titus’s chest. I weep into him, holding on for dear life as the grief takes me over.

Someone says something behind me. Cyril. He’s asking what’s going on. Titus just tells him to leave.

My brother’s gone. He’s gone.

20

TITUS

I’m not going to lock Sofia up this time. Maybe it’s out of pity for her loss or maybe it just seems like she’s been punished enough. Whatever the reason, it just doesn’t seem right to do so now.

I walked her up to her room and now I’m standing in her doorway while she slumps onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. The urge to join her, wrap her up in my arms while she mourns, is so great. If she asked it of me, I couldn’t deny her.

She doesn’t. Instead, she lies in bed, sniffling for a few moments before saying aloud, “Leave me alone, please.”

I don’t press the issue. I step out of the room and close the door, leaving it unlocked.