Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ALYX
“Jesus. How much longer?”
Tanit paced, heels clicking on the concrete. I watched her with weary eyes, observing how agitated and nervous she was getting with every second that passed.
Every thirty seconds, she would look at her phone, and I noticed the wet fabric of her white shirt along her armpits. She was sweating, worried, no longer as confident as she was before the snake came by.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said in a soft, calm voice. “There’s still time to stop this.”
“Shut up. God, it’s hot in here.” She glanced up at the ceiling. “Fucking old buildings with no air conditioning.”
I pressed my lips together, my palms sweaty and wrists burning, still trying to wriggle them free from the rope.
“I’ll go home, you know. If you free me, I’ll be able to go home. Then you can have Granite for yourself again.”
Her top lip pulled up, her eyes narrowing at me.
“Let’s get this straight, okay? You never had Granite.
He was never yours to begin with. You were nothing but a mere distraction, new pussy to fuck until he got bored with you.
That’s what they do, you know,” she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “fuck women until they grow tired of them, tossing them out like garbage when a new cunt walks in.” She snorted, steadying herself against the desk, looking down at her phone.
“We’re nothing but tits and ass for them.
All they care about are their stupid bikes, money, beer, and whores. Dirty fucks.”
“If they’re so bad, why are you doing this?”
She let out a laugh, throwing her hair back. “I already told you. A woman like me needs a man like Granite if she wants to live a decent life. I don’t have a rich daddy like you do, princess.”
“Oh, believe me. My life isn’t as perfect as it seems.” I rolled my eyes. Funny how people with no money always thought people with money were happier. It was automatically assumed that happiness came with all those big houses, fancy cars, and designer clothing—things only money could buy.
Tanit scowled at me, her dainty nose all scrunched up.
“I suppose this is where you tell me money can’t buy happiness?
Well, let me tell you, that saying was thought up by some poor douche who tried to convince himself he was happy with his miserable poverty-stricken existence.
” She pushed herself off the desk. “For people like me, money sure as hell can buy a fuck-load of joy.”
If only she knew how wrong she was. I would have traded all the luxuries in my life for a single goddamn day where my mother would hug me, saying she was proud of me.
I smiled halfheartedly at the thought. “I suppose everyone’s burden is the heaviest.”
“Yeah, well. I look after me, and no one else. Unfortunately for you, you fucked with the wrong girl’s life.”
The skin around my wrists burned as the rope cut into it, my fingers aching as I tried to pull my hands free.
Tanit picked up the gun from the desk, holding it like she was inspecting it. “Ever wonder what it feels like to kill someone?”
My throat closed, and my heart stopped.
“I’ve seen people die before,” she continued, “and I’ve seen the faces of those who killed them. The adrenaline, exhilaration. Sheer fucking excitement of knowing you had the power to drain another human being of life. In that moment…you’re God.”
Fear knocked against my chest as she placed her finger on the trigger, turning it from side to side, scrutinizing it. The look on her face was unreadable, almost like she was trapped in her own mind and space in time. Like she lost her grip on reality momentarily. It was fucking terrifying.
“Tanit, listen to me. You are not a killer.” God, my voice was shaking. Truth was, I didn’t know her well enough to know whether she was a killer or not. But I knew she was desperate, and desperation made people do stupid, stupid things. “Like I said, there is still time to make this right.”
Tanit spun around and aimed the gun at me, letting out a shrill shriek of a maniacal laugh. “I could shoot you right now, you know.” She stalked toward me. “With one gentle squeeze from my finger, I could take your last breath.”
“Tanit, please stop this before—”
“It’s thrilling, don’t you think? To know you hold a person’s life right in the palm of your hand.” She grazed her teeth on her bottom lip, and when she placed the barrel of the gun against my temple. My entire body froze; even my hands no longer fought against the ropes.
My heart pounded against my ribs like it would break bone at any minute. Every limb was numb, my mind a frenzy of fear and panic. My lips trembled, and tears rushed down my face uncontrollably. “Tanit, stop.”
“Right now, I can experience firsthand what it feels like to be God. How does that saying go?” She feigned a look of thought. “He giveth, and he taketh away.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the blow. Waiting for the moment I would no longer be here. The moment I would take my last breath.
“Tanit!”
Granite’s voice echoed off the walls, and I jolted the same time Tanit jerked around.
“Granite? What are you—”
“What are you doing, Tanit?”
Granite cautiously stepped in, never taking his eyes off her.
The relief that swept over me when I saw him was indescribable, yet my heart kept racing.
Tanit was a loose cannon, and I knew she could explode at any time.
All she needed was one tiny thing to light the fuse.
And right now, she was facing Granite, still clutching the gun in her hand.
Jesus. She wouldn’t hurt Granite…would she?
“Granite, t-this is…” she stuttered. “What…what are you doing here?”
Granite glanced in my direction, eyes wide and alert, then turned his focus back to Tanit. “Put the gun down, Tanit.” He lifted his hands and calmly moved closer, taking one slow, carefully placed step at a time. “What are you doing?”
She brushed hair out of her face with the back of her hand still clutching the gun. A tear slipped down her face. “I’m sorry, Granite. But I couldn’t just sit on the side and watch her take you away from me.”
“So, you kidnapped her?”
I watched silently while desperately trying to stay calm. Granite’s face remained soft, gentle, his eyes not showing the tiniest bit of resentment.
Tanit wiped at her face. “I didn’t know what else to do, Granite. You rejected me…twice, because of her.” Tanit’s face snapped in my direction, her eyes dark, glowing orbs of hate.
Granite quickly moved forward. “Tanit, look at me. Look at me.” She turned his way, and he held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
A sudden look of bewilderment clouded her face, and she took a step back, narrowing her eyes at him. “You won’t give her up, will you?”
“Give me the gun, and we can talk about it.”
Movement by the door caught my eye, and I saw Onyx standing to the side, gun in hand and out of Tanit’s view.
He noticed me looking at him and placed his finger in front of his lips, telling me to keep quiet. Suddenly, I was back there that night they took me, the night Onyx shot the man who had a gun to my head.
A shiver ran down my spine, and I was struggling to keep the bile down. The fear I experienced that night did not come close to the terror I was feeling now, knowing Granite was also in danger. That night, I didn’t know him. I didn’t care.
Today…I cared.
“Listen, Tanit,” Granite started, and he hunched his shoulders forward slightly in a bid to make himself seem smaller. Less intimidating. “Give me the gun, and I promise we can talk this through. No one needs to get hurt.”
“I got hurt.” She pressed the muzzle of the gun against her chest. “I got hurt when you brought this slut to your bed and tossed me out like I was nothing. Do you have any idea how that feels? For months, I was your secret midnight fuck.” Tears mixed with snot ran down her mouth and chin.
“And then she came along, taking my place in your fucking bed.”
Granite pinched his eyes closed, biting his lip. “You knew, Tanit. You knew right from the start that what you and I had, it wasn’t serious. You agreed. I was honest with you from the beginning, and you were okay with it.”
“Because I thought you’d change your mind, that maybe if we spent enough time together, you could love me.”
I glanced from Tanit’s sorrow-filled face, to Onyx lurking by the door.
His aim was on her, but Granite was half-blocking his way.
It was like Granite knew his brother was there, and he knew Onyx would shoot if he had the opportunity.
Through all this, Granite was trying to protect her. He was trying to protect us both.
“Tanit, listen,” Granite slowly started to move toward me, “I’m going to untie her and let her go. Then you and I can talk this through. Alone.”
“Granite,” I whispered, but he shushed me by holding out his hand, not once taking his eyes off Tanit. She seemed confused, frenzied, almost disconnected somehow.
Granite positioned himself between her and me. “Say okay, Tanit. I’m going to untie Alyx, and I need to hear that you’re okay with that.”
My heart had started to claw up my throat, my skin damp and cold. Even if he did manage to untie me, I wasn’t sure my weak legs would have been able to carry me.
Tanit nodded, wiping tears from her cheek. And Granite stepped backward, crouching as he started to untie my legs.
“As soon as Alyx is out of here, you and I are going to talk calmly about this and see if we can sort something out.” He reached behind me and untied my wrists.
“Do not run,” he whispered. “Walk slowly to the door, and then you get the hell out of here with Onyx.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to leave him here. Not with her still holding the gun.
“Do as I say, Alyx.”
“I’m not leaving you here with her.”
Tanit’s glare cut to me, her bewildered look replaced with sheer hate. “You’ll never take your claws out of him, will you?” she shouted, the anger in her voice slamming against my chest.
“Tanit, calm down.” Granite tried to push me out of the way, but she lifted the gun and aimed it straight at me.
“As long as you fucking breathe, you will never let him go. You will never let me. Have. Him." Her arm shook, and I knew she was about to pull the trigger. I saw it in her eyes, the way they darkened, the bloodlust mixed with her scorn. In her mind, I had to die.
“Alyx!” Granite called, and I closed my eyes, seconds suddenly turning into hours.
And then the explosion came, the thunderous crack fracturing the silence. I was expecting the blow, but instead I got slammed into the ground, the wind knocked out of me.
I opened my eyes, blue irises staring down on me. “You okay?”
“Onyx.” I tried to push him off me. “Granite. Is Granite okay?” Finally, Onyx gave way, and I saw Granite standing a few feet away, holding a gun.
I got up to my feet and gasped when I saw Tanit’s body, her back halfway on the desk like she had stumbled back, a blood stain spreading along her white shirt.
Granite shot her.
Granite killed Tanit…so he could save me.