Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Imogene
I didn’t want to watch. This was too much. Too horrific.
Too depraved.
But I refused to let Gideon endure this alone.
So I looked on in revulsion as Liam stormed toward him, his body coiled like a predator, his movements erratic and wild. His eyes were alight with something feral, a crazed madness that chilled me to the bone. He wasn’t Liam anymore. He was a creature driven by desperation, survival, and the sick thrill of bloodlust.
With a guttural roar, Liam swung his blade clumsily but with terrifying force, aiming for Gideon’s chest. I held my breath, the seconds stretching into an eternity as Gideon deftly sidestepped the blow with fluid, instinctual movements. Relief surged through me for a fleeting moment…until he made no move to retaliate.
Why wasn’t he fighting back?
Liam snarled, baring his teeth like an animal as he swiped again, his strikes fast and frenzied. Gideon continued to dodge each attack with grace and precision, but not without consequence. The blade grazed his forearm, a crimson line blooming against his skin.
I flinched, a strangled gasp escaping my throat as though I’d been struck myself. I dug my nails into my palms, the sting grounding me in the midst of the chaos.
The room seemed to shrink around me, the cage’s chain-link walls blurring at the edges of my vision. The sickening scrape of boots on the concrete floor and the sharp clang of the blade against metal echoed in my ears, amplifying the pounding of my heartbeat.
“It’s remarkable, isn’t it,” Myers’ voice slithered into my ear, soft and mocking.
I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t. My eyes remained locked on Gideon, silently pleading with him.
Go on the offensive. Fight back. Do something.
Myers leaned closer, the faint scent of his aftershave churning my stomach. “He’s fighting against his natural instinct to kill… All for you.”
His words pierced through me like a knife, twisting and cruel.
“You should have seen him in his prime,” Myers continued, his tone dripping with smugness. “The way he practically disemboweled his opponents — it was art. No hesitation. No mercy. Just brutal efficiency. But now… He hesitates.”
“You’re disgusting,” I hissed. “These are real people. Real lives.”
“I know,” Myers said, his wicked grin spreading. His eyes gleamed with a twisted delight as he gestured toward the cage. “That’s what makes it so interesting. To see how people react when it’s life or death. I thought Liam would cower first, but look at him. Thriving. All because of that cage.”
Liam lunged again, this time feinting left before driving his knife into Gideon’s side. The blade missed its mark, but it still raked across his ribs, leaving a trail of blood just above his tattoo.
“No,” I whispered.
Gideon staggered but didn’t falter. His hands remained empty, his feet steady as he danced around Liam’s frenzied movements. He wasn’t fighting. He was enduring.
Liam was nothing but an animal now, rabid and cruel, driven by instincts that had long since overtaken reason. His chest heaved as he slashed and swung with reckless abandon, his grip on the knife white-knuckled. Spittle flew from his mouth as he let out a guttural yell, his face twisted in a grotesque mask of rage and desperation. His movements lacked any precision, but it didn’t matter. He was relentless.
I bit down hard on my lip, trying to block out the sounds — the sharp intake of Gideon’s breath, the sickening crunch of a fist connecting with flesh, Myers’ vile amusement. But I couldn’t.
I wanted to scream at Liam. At Myers. At the guards standing motionless by the exits. But most of all, I wanted to scream at Gideon to stop being so noble. Stop holding back. Just fight.
I had a feeling he wouldn’t out of principle, even if it cost him his life.
Another blow sent Gideon staggering, and he fell to his knees, his breath ragged as blood dripped steadily from his wounds. Liam hovered above him, the blade poised for the final strike, a wild animal ready to kill to save himself.
And that was precisely what he was.
Myers had remarked that the cage changed people.
I’d just witnessed it first-hand.
“Enough!” I screamed, the word ripping from me with a primal force. “I’ll do whatever you want, just stop this!”
Myers gave one of the guards a signal, and he approached the cage, sticking a long pole inside and zapping Liam, forcing him to his knees with a painful jolt of electricity.
“No, Imogene,” Gideon managed to say, his voice a broken rasp as he lifted his gaze toward me. His face was scrunched in determination, his eyes burning with his plea. “Don’t.”
I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. “I can’t... I can’t watch you die.” My voice cracked, and I felt my resolve shatter.
Myers’ laughter cut through. “How touching.”
He yanked me to my feet and pushed me toward the cage. A guard opened the door and Myers dragged me inside.
Was he going to make me fight Liam in Gideon’s place? Or something else? Something much more depraved?
With a sinister grin, Myers moved toward Liam and snatched the knife out of his hands. He used it to cut the zip ties from my wrists before forcing me to take it.
“Kill him.” He nodded at Liam.
“What?” I asked, unable to mask my surprise. “I can’t?—”
“Rules are rules, Ms. Prescott. The match doesn’t end until one of the fighters is dead. You want to end it? You need to kill one of them.”
“Don’t do it,” Gideon whispered. “You’re better than this. Better than me.”
“Remember what Liam did,” Myers taunted. “He shot the man you loved, then paid someone to cover it up. He manipulated you into inviting him into your bed, between your legs, when all along he was the one who wanted him dead. All so he could have you to himself. It was never about money to him. It was always about you . He tried to kill the man you loved. And you’re going to let him get away with it?”
I looked between Gideon and Liam, my insides twisted up. “I… I can’t...”
“You can,” Myers urged, his voice low and hypnotic. “You’ve imagined it, haven’t you? What it would feel like to have that kind of power. To be the one in control. To make someone pay. To make him pay. An eye for an eye, Ms. Prescott. He deserves this.”
“No one deserves this.”
“Oh, come on,” he sneered. “You’ve spent your whole life pretending to be good. Pretending you’re not your father’s daughter. But deep down, you know the truth. You’re just like him.”
“Imogene, look at me.” Gideon’s voice cut through the fog in my head. “You are not him. You’re good. You’re strong. You don’t have to do this.”
My hands shook. My heart pounded. Myers’ voice dripped into my ears, smooth and venomous. “He’s lying to you. He knows you want this. He’s just afraid you’ll realize it’s true.”
I clutched the blade tighter in my hand, as if it were the only thing keeping me grounded. My vision blurred, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. Gideon begged me to stop. Myers taunted me to act. If I did what he wanted, he’d win. But if I refused, he’d win, too.
It was an impossible choice.
I once read something about the difference between a hero and a villain. How a hero wasn’t inherently good, and a villain wasn’t inherently evil. Instead, the difference was in the sacrifice each was willing to make. A hero would sacrifice those he loved to save the world. But a villain… A villain would sacrifice everyone else to save those he loved.
Maybe Myers was right.
Maybe I was a villain.
I spun on my heels, my sudden motion catching Myers by surprise.
I leveled him with a stare, my mouth curling up in the corners.
“I am not my father,” I declared, my voice trembling but resolute.
Then I drove the blade into his stomach.