Chapter Nineteen Amethyst #3
“He’s a predator," I say. My voice is stronger now. Clearer. “And you put your hands on something he considers his.."
“And you think he’s going to make it through this facility alive and what? Kill me?"
“Yes."
“Quickly?"
I smile again. Wider this time.
“No. He’ll take his time. Make sure you understand exactly why you’re dying."
Enzo studies me. Silent. Calculating. Then he does something unexpected. He smiles. Wide. Genuine.
And that puts me on high alert.
Something’s wrong.
He walks to the table. Picks up the knife again. Turns it over in his hands.
“Kade," he says. Thoughtful. “I know all about Kade."
My chest tightens.
“Have for years, actually." He Pauses. “Quite the coincidence that you two got together.” He walks closer. Slow. Deliberate.
“Made things easier, really. Took the dirty work right out of my hands."
He stops in front of me. Knife loose in his grip.
“Giltrude was a problem. Had been for a while. But killing her myself? Messy. Political. Better to let someone else do it."
Understanding crashes through me. Cold. Sharp.
“You knew," I say.
“I knew."
“You let it happen."
“I orchestrated it."
He crouches again. Eye level.
“Your Kade did exactly what I needed him to do. Removed an obstacle. Cleared the path and now here we are."
Rage flares. Hot. Immediate. But I push it down. Bury it. Can’t afford emotion. Not now. Enzo stands. Walks behind me. I can’t see him. Can only hear his footsteps. Slow. Circling.
“Tell me something," he says. His voice is closer now. Right behind me. “If he only finds your body—"
His hand grabs my hair. Yanks my head back. Hard. Pain shoots through my scalp. My neck.
“—what do you think he’d do?"
I stare at the ceiling. Breathing hard. Blood running down my throat.
“He’ll burn your whole world down."
Enzo’s grip tightens.
“The whole world?"
“Every. Single. Piece."
“Interesting."
The knife appears. Cold steel against my throat. Right over my pulse.
“How easy it would be," he says. Soft. Almost gentle. “Just slice. Ear to ear. Watch you bleed out. Leave your body for him to find."
The blade presses harder. Not cutting. Not yet. Just pressure. Promise.
“But before I do that—"
He pulls the knife away. Releases my hair. Walks around to face me.
“—I want the information on the Raven’s organization."
I stare at him. Silent.
“Locations."
Silence.
“Personnel."
Silence.
“Operations."
Silence. His jaw tightens.
“You’re testing my patience."
I don’t respond. Can’t give him anything. Won’t. The knife moves. Fast. Cuts across my shoulder. Shallow. Burning.
I bite down. Hard. Don’t make a sound.
He cuts again. My arm. My side. My thigh. Shallow cuts. Precise.
Not fatal. Just pain. Just blood. Just trying to break me down.
But I don’t break.
Won’t break.
Kade is coming.
I only have to live long enough for him to arrive.
I’ve lost count of the cuts. Ten. Maybe fifteen. Blood everywhere. Soaking my clothes. Dripping to the floor. Pooling. My vision is blurring. Edges going dark. But I’m still conscious. Still here. Still silent. Enzo is pacing now. Frustrated. Angry. The calm facade cracking.
“You’re going to die here," he says. “You know that."
I know.
“Bleeding out. Alone. And for what? Loyalty to an organization that doesn’t care about you? Protection of a man who’s probably already dead?"
No. Not dead. Coming. He’s coming. I can feel it. Enzo stops pacing. Walks to me. Grabs my face. Hard. Forces me to look at him.
“Last chance."
I stare at him. Through the blood. Through the pain. Through the darkness creeping in. And I smile. One more time. His hand pulls back. Ready to hit. Ready to—
The door explodes inward. Not opens. Explodes. A guard stumbles through. Face pale. Eyes wide. Panicked.
“Sir—"
He’s breathing hard. Gasping.
“We’re under attack."
Everything stops. Enzo freezes. Hand still raised. The guard is shaking.
“Multiple breaches. Armed intruders. They’re—"
Gunfire. Distant. But getting closer. Shouting. Screaming. Chaos.
I feel it before I see it.
I smile. Slowly. Despite the blood. Despite the pain. Because I know exactly who’s coming through that door.
Enzo looks at me. Sees the smile. Understanding dawns.
“Your protector," he says. Flat. Cold.
“Yes."
Understanding settles across his face. Not fear. Not yet. But the first hint of it.
More gunfire. Closer now. Much closer. The guard is backing toward the door.
“Sir, we need to—"
“Go," Enzo says. “Lock this down. Full security protocol."
“Yes, sir."
The guard runs. Enzo turns back to me. Knife still in his hand.
“He won’t make it to you in time."
I’m still smiling.
“You don’t know him."
“I know enough."
“No."
My voice is stronger now. Clearer.
“You don’t."
The gunfire is right outside now. Screaming. Bodies hitting the floor. The sound of something being torn apart. Someone. Multiple someones. Enzo’s grip tightens on the knife. He looks at me. Calculating. Deciding.
The gunfire is getting closer. The screams are getting louder. Enzo still thinks this is a fight.
It isn’t.
Kade is here.
And Enzo is already dead.
He just doesn’t know it yet.