Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
Alexei
It's me that has to endure the fall out of her little stunt.
She gets to go inside to dry herself off and probably continue being dramatic even though it was just a tiny, tiny drug overdose. I get left by the pool in my soaking suit to face her family and be quizzed on what exactly that was all about.
There's lots of mumbled I knew this would happens and was only a matter of times. As if being pushed into a pool is an overreaction to what we all know she did to my car.
Isla runs the show while I sit there stewing. Mostly about my car. Somewhat about how vicious her attacks are compared to mine. I briefly consider that Freddie was right. I have just been playing with her, and maybe I should be trying a bit harder.
Nothing I have done to her was ever going to be lethal. Yet she's blown up my car and fed me a poison that would kill me with a single sip. It was so strong I could smell it. Actually smell it.
She has no fucking idea how strong a poison has to be to taste it let alone smell it. Whatever planter box I dumped that into, they're certainly going to die.
In the end, everyone settles for the lie that we're not trying to kill each other and the reality that putting us in close proximity is going to cause teething issues even if it doesn't cause death.
Still, a declaration is made. It's probably best that I stay away and give them some space, apparently. According to Anton.
So when we're not immediately invited back to the property, I'm not surprised. Freddie even comes to us a few times in the interim. Annoyingly, things are smoother when her and I aren't forced together.
I can focus on what we're supposed to be doing instead of letting myself get sucked into her again. Whenever she's around my chest is tight with pain and trying to ignore her only makes it squeeze tighter.
After about a week, something comes up that is more important than keeping me away from their house and Isla and I are invited back in. Though I'm warned to be on my best behavior. Something that isn't necessary, because what they have is absolutely-
"Nothing. So you have nothing, Anton?" Isla says on a sigh, slumping back into the armchairs in the library.
Anton purses his lips but doesn't disagree.
"Chet is on the attack-" Anton starts.
"But anticipating where the next threat will be is next to impossible," Freddie finishes.
"Fending him off is working well enough," I say, only half paying attention to the conversation. Planning to kill Chet is all well and good, but he's never been one to show himself easily. Defense is all we have right now.
"Still, we need to…"
Their voices drift away from me as my mind wanders, my knee bouncing in anticipation. I fiddle with my bottom lip as I consider what we're doing here. When will this all end, with Sage and with Chet? If there even is an end to look forward to.
"I need a cigarette," I say, standing up and heading for the yard. The others ignore me but Isla gives me a squeeze on the arm as a warning.
The no-trust act is getting old.
Outside, I slump against the side of the house and light my cigarette, deeply breathing it in.
But it does nothing to help. Any sense of calm I ever manage to claw back is short-lived.
There's a deeper anger and pain within me that won't shy away easily.
For my brother. For this feeling to finally go away.
The nagging reality that I haven't been trying hard enough, and why.
I have spent too much time playing with her. I should be going for the kill shots.
She has been.
She's been reckless and stupid and playing much less fair than I have.
About as fair as she played with my brother.
Unrealistically hoping that the fresh air will slow my heart rate, I stub out the cigarette and head towards the gardens, passing the pool and walking down further than I've been out here before.
Their meticulously maintained rose garden would be a good place to stop, but something about the perfection of it is off-putting. Continuing on I come to a clearing. It's a patch of grass with a gorgeous tree in the center. As perfect as the rest of the mansion estate but a little lonely and lost.
I stop in my tracks when I see someone sitting underneath the tree.
It's her.
Sage has her eyes closed, head tipped back as her hair gently sways in the wind. She's sitting quietly in her sundress and I briefly wonder what she's thinking about. Though I can probably guess.
I should've gone for the kill shot every other time, and now she is sitting here, alive again, bathing in the sun and just begging for me to take this as far as she always has.
I pick up a knife from my belt and aim it in her direction.
I made a promise to Anton, but with grief blanketing my heart, this would be too easy.
To just throw the knife and take her out.
It would take only seconds, and she'd be gone.
I wonder if that would make this horrible feeling inside me go away.
I cock my arm back and aim the knife, her head perfectly in my sights.
An image of Victor's mutilated body flashes in my mind.
When Isla came to me at the front gates of my estate that day and told me something had happened to Victor, I ran through the property faster than I ever have before in my life, all the way to the top floor.
The first thing I saw was Sage, quietly sobbing over her lover's body. My chest froze over as I realized I'd killed him. That it was me. It sickens me to think now that my first instinct then was to go to her. To beg for her forgiveness and tell her I didn't mean it.
Then I spotted my brother.
I don't think I will ever live down the guilt I feel that he wasn't the first thing on my mind when I ran into that room. That he was my afterthought. All because of her.
Now, I'm glad I killed her bodyguard. So she can know even half of this feeling that I do.
I saw Victor's cold, bloody body, missing an eye, sprawled out without a care to it. And I ran before anyone saw me. I didn't come back for over a week.
And here I've been playing gentle with her. For what fucking reason? Who knows? Because they're right. I could've killed her by now. At any time of my choosing. It would have been easy and it would have been fun. It never had to be quick.
Now, as I cock my arm back and let the knife fly free, it's the image of Victor's dead body that flies through my mind. It's that image that fuels me as I let the knife fly and it heads directly towards Sage's skull.