29. Sian
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
SIAN
T here’s a split second between Jodi’s blood and brains shooting out of her head and my scream. I take a step back behind Tate again, wanting to run and hide. Tate doesn’t move. He doesn’t change his stance, and I doubt his face reflects any emotion.
Does he feel anything for the girl who just got killed? Will he just have his cleanup crew clean everything up and move on as though nothing has happened?
Daniel grins at me. “What’s wrong, Sian? I thought you were tough. Do you know how Tate knows Jodi? How she broke his trust? I sent her to woo him and fuck him and make him fall in love with her. And then she lured him to me by pretending she had been raped. Sound familiar? Then I tortured the fuck out of him and his little lapdog. No doubt you’ve seen his scars. It’s my best work.”
I only knew what Tate told me the other day, but that doesn’t make hearing it any better. I look at Tate for a trace of his humanity, but it’s not there. I bite my lip and look at Daniel. “So, you killed her?”
“She let them go. I know she felt remorse for tricking Tate. She fell for his charming ways. She thought she had covered her tracks well, but I’m not an idiot. I’ve been doing this my entire life.”
I feel sick to my stomach as I look down at Jodi’s dead body. I swallow hard.
“What’s wrong, Sian? Can you not stomach what we do? You know, Tate has killed many people. Is that the sort of person you want to be with? Come on, we both know you want to be with me.”
I’m well aware that they’ve both killed people, but Daniel is nuts if he thinks Tate is anything like him. Daniel hurts people for fun, whereas Tate has said he doesn’t take innocent blood.
“Come with me and I’ll let Tate live.” I’m stunned to silence by his words.
Tate doesn’t move. “Don’t move, Sian. He hasn’t got the upper hand here.”
Daniel and Tate start jibing each other, and I can only stare at Jodi, completely zoned out. I don’t feel sorry for her; she betrayed Tate, and he was tortured as a result.
Should I feel guilty? Was she not just a part of Daniel’s game? A victim herself? Just like I was? I gag as the metallic bloody scent coming from her body hits my nose. I’m not paying attention to the two men, but when I do, Daniel is the more heated of the two. Tate is maintaining his composure.
How can he be so cold? Daniel just shot someone Tate once had a relationship with, and he doesn’t even care. Would he be like that if it were me? Would he just stop caring?
No, I can’t think like that. Jodi betrayed Tate. She broke his trust. I would never do that.
Daniel lifts the gun and points it at me. “He didn’t care about Jodi. Do you think he’ll care enough to save you?”
I’m so lost in my mind that the words take a while to register in my brain, but I see the gun and I hold my hands up. I needn’t have bothered. Tate instantly takes a step in front of me, and my heart soars. He won’t let anything happen to me; I can trust him on that. He cares about me, and that’s going to infuriate Daniel even more. I’m happy Daniel is going to be pissed off. I don’t want him to have any power over me.
Daniel chuckles. “Tate, you surprise me. You really do like my used toys, don’t you?” He looks over Tate’s shoulder at me. “Come with me and I won’t kill your little boyfriend.”
“She’s not going with you. Sian, don’t move. He won’t shoot me. He enjoys this game too much to want to kill me.”
Tate sounds so sure; I almost believe him. But I know Daniel better than Tate realizes, and I know he doesn’t care about things like that. If he wants me, he will get me.
Daniel gives a sinister laugh that distracts me before he raises his gun and fires it. He hits Tate in the arm, who bends over, grunting in pain. While bent over, Tate laughs, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been in a situation like this before.
Tate straightens and raises his own gun, but Daniel moves his hand and shoots at Rick. Rick grabs his side. “Drop the gun or I shoot your lapdog again.”
Tate hesitates, and I know Daniel has struck a nerve. Rick means something to Tate, and he doesn’t want to lose him. I realize now that Tate cares for very few people, but the people he does care for, he’s fiercely loyal to. I can’t ask Tate to choose me over Rick. I watch as Tate slowly drops his gun, standing tall.
Daniel waves his gun around. “All your men as well. They drop their guns to the ground and kick them away.”
Tate nods, and I hear the heavy thuds of guns being dropped and kicked. I swallow hard. Daniel looks at Tate triumphantly. “How the tide has turned. Shame, Tate. It must feel like shit not to get your way. Now... where was I? Oh, yes.” He points his gun at Tate. “Sian, you have three seconds to get over here before I shoot Tate in the head. Come over here and we’ll leave, and Tate can see to his little cleanup and move on with his life.”
I can feel my breathing constricting as Daniel starts a slow count down. “One.”
“She isn’t leaving with you, Daniel.” Tate grits his teeth, and using his good arm, he grips mine.
“How about now?” Daniel angles his gun directly at me.
“You won’t shoot her,” Tate says.
“You wanna take that risk?” He challenges. “Sian, two.”
I know what I have to do. I have a split second to decide, but I need to protect Tate the way he has protected me. It’s my turn to be brave.