Page 272 of Coal Hearts

Victor pressed pause and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Ward.” He stressed my name again, his temper clinging sharply to every letter. “I was going to kill you last night. That paperwork I was doing so late? That was this. I was up late because of you.” He pointed the remote toward me. “It took all my fucking willpower not to shoot you in that corridor. But...I decided to see how deep you’d entrench yourself, and...somewhere along the way, you made me doubt. Again. The moment I think I know who you are, you become someone else, and I’m getting really fucking sick of you playing me for a fool.”

I shrugged, keeping my cool in the face of his blazing fury. “You’re not a fool.”

Ignoring me, he snarled, “You entered my home and went behind my back in every possible way. You denied yourself, all while thinking you’re better than us. You had the fucking audacity to come into my fucking sanctuary and try to steal what is fucking mine!” Scratching his freshly shaven cheek, he sucked in a calming breath. “Sorry, I’m a little frustrated with your lack of respect. Shall we watch the final video?”

I just nodded as the guards crowded me a little tighter.

Victor pressed play.

And I laughed as our little video journey went full circle and returned to the library.

I knew my fate before a single word was spoken.

I had Ily shoved against the bookcases, glowering at her as if I wanted to eat her alive.

Audio crackled.

Static and scuffling.

Ily gasped as my fingers dug into her hips, and my life ended in her perfectly clear, horribly condemning whisper, “—undercover.” Unintelligible whispering. “...mixed signals.” Unrecognisable murmurings. “...meant to come? ...sent...to...jewels? Y-You’re a cop?”

Chairs slammed back against the deck as men all shot to their feet. Some started toward me, fury on monstrous faces.

The guards tightened ranks.

Guns were pulled out of holsters.

The slaves behind me broke out in urgent whispers.

Ily’s horrified gasp clutched at the back of my neck, but I only had eyes for Victor.

I never looked away from him as he rewound and replayed the sound bite.

“—undercover.” Unintelligible whispering. “...mixed signals.” Unrecognisable murmurings. “...meant to come? ...sent...to...jewels? Y-You’re a cop?”

Only once Ily’s shocked but hopeful voice faded into the morning sunlight did he stop the video and lean back.

He didn’t speak.

Didn’t have to.

Two guards marched toward me and pressed two guns against my temples.

I went cold inside.

Mercifully, exquisitely cold.

How fucking tragic that today was the first day of my life that I learned to live. That food finally tasted sweet, and my senses finally knew joy.

So short-lived.

Twenty-nine years of struggle and for what?

Such a goddamn waste.

I wished I’d embraced my darkness a decade ago.

At least I would’ve lived.