Chapter 17
Quill
Fuck.
I’m sweating and my heart is racing, but it’s not for me. I don’t give a shit about dying. I can’t die, though, I just fucking can’t, before I’ve saved Piper, and avenged her by murdering every single fucking soldier.
And yet, I’m outnumbered twenty-to-one, and the man I had previously felt was the closest thing I had to an actual, real father, is currently pointing a gun at me.
This is clearly not one of those situations where I can use force. And force is the one thing that comes easily to me.
If I have even the slightest chance of getting out of this, I’m going to have to… talk. Which feels impossible.
But nothing is impossible if it means saving Piper.
The first thing I think of is Josh. His tiny, freaked-out sobs reach my ears, and I realize that no matter how much I wish I could keep Piper all to myself, thereisone other person who seems to care about her in this world.
That person is Josh, and while I don’t think he’s capable of much, he would at least try. He clearly didn’t let fear get in the way of climbing through my window and asking for help.
“How about letting the village idiot go,” I say through my clenched jaw. “He didn’t do a thing. This is between you and me.”
Tragen’s eyebrow shoots up. I guess he thinks he knows me, but he apparently wasn’t expectingthis.
“Let him go,” I insist, a little more forcefully.
I guess neither Tragen nor I know each other all that well.Because unexpectedly, he shrugs.
“Let the idiot go.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” grumbles one of the soldiers, whose name is Kevin. I take a threatening step in his direction, even though I know I’d be dead before I could do a thing.
Before I can reach him, though, Tragen turns the gun on him and… shoots.
“Fuck!” cries out Josh as Kevin topples over, a bullet lodged firmly in his brain.
I train my eyes back to Tragen, confusion beating at me. But I try to keep a neutral expression.
“You have some nerve, fucking up my life and then fucking up my living room,” I growl.
If Kevin got killed over anare you fucking kidding me, I really can’t understand why the hell I’m still breathing. I also don’t understand why Tragen felt the need to show up with two dozen soldiers. Surely he’s strong enough to shoot me himself?
I suddenly wonder if he’s got something other than death on his mind.
“Tragen said you can leave,” I snap at Josh, turning my head just slightly while keeping my eyes fixed on the officer. “So get the fuck out.”
In my periphery, I see him hesitating. “I don’t… Quill… I don’t want to leave you like this…”
He’s actually sobbing, but for some inexplicable reason, Idon’tfeel the urge to punch him in the nose. Instead, I feel a weird urge to… reassure him.
“It’s okay, Josh. Everything’s okay. Go.”
“But, but…” he sniffles loudly. “They’re going to kill you.”
“They’re not going to do a thing that I don’t deserve. Fucking go.”
“Piper will be heartbroken…”
I swallow all of my bitterness.Would she really?