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I’m about to die, but if I’m going to, I’m determined to take this asshole with me. “Maxen, I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think it’s going to work out between us.”
He chuckles and leans forward to press a kiss on my forehead. Now’s my shot.
I get enough of a grip on the hidden dagger to pull it free and slam it into his side. Maxen howls, pulling out the blade and shoving it into my left shoulder. I scream as he pulls it free and presses it against my throat.
“Goodbye, Sadie. Though you were never going to win, you put up a hell of a fight.”
“Drop the knife!” a familiar voice commands from the tunnel.
Maxen and I look in that direction, and the move burrows the blade into my skin. My vision is swimming, but I’d swear Aaron just stepped into the cavern and is now leveling his carbine at Maxen’s chest. “I said drop the knife!”
“Well, if it isn’t our little boy scout. Mr. Nobility. I’d say I’m surprised to see you here, but with the way you’ve been up Sadie’s ass for the last decade, I guess not.”
Aaron looks like a death angel, fury emblazoned on his face. “Get off her, Gates. I’d hate to bathe her in your blood when I blow your fucking head off.”
The knife cuts deeper into my neck, making me whimper. “I think you should throw down your gun instead. We both know you will. You’d sacrifice anything for Sadie here, wouldn’t you?”
Maxen looks down at me again, grinning like a madman. “Did you know that about our boy, Sadie? He thinks himself a martyr. He’s been pining for you for so long, but you never even noticed.”
“Shut your mouth, Smoke,” Aaron seethes.
“No, really. How does it feel, Grim? You gave up your marriage for a woman, wanted her for years, and then found out that she’s been fucking me. Emasculating, isn’t it? It was a hell of a lot of fun rubbing your face in it too.”
“Stop,” I beg weakly.
“What’s the matter, Fate? Don’t like me shattering your Make Believe life? You’d rather Just Pretend those closest to you haven’t been lying all these years. I bet you didn’t know what Grim’s been hiding all this time. His wife didn’t request a divorce, as he told you. When you two were stationed together, she wanted him to transfer.
“She already knew what you’re too naive to see. Aaron chose you over his wife and divorced her. That’s what’s been the best part of all this. Taking from Grim the one thing he wanted most in this world.”
Tears begin streaming from my eyes, mixing with the blood and the dirt. “Why?”
“Why? Knot pays well, but who could pass up an opportunity like this? You asked what drives me, Sadie. The simple answer is, I do. The US gave away more than a billion dollars to the very terrorists I fought my whole life against. I figured I was due a cut of that. Besides, if the US wants to be friends with these guys, who am I to say boo?
“If you’re asking about why Aaron, that’s much baser. A little bug told me that your boy was spilling some bad feelings to Knot about me. The same kind of bug that heard your conversation with Knot about Avara.”
The flower he put in my hair. My eyes sag closed, and my body goes limp under Maxen’s weight.
“Since everyone at Knot Corp but you knows that Aaron worships the ground you walk on, Knot likely passed off his concerns as jealousy. I sure as hell made it clear to everyone there that I had intentions where you’re concerned.”
“It was you. You killed Avara.”
“Not exactly. If you remember, you were sucking my cock right about the time Avara was killed.”
“Please stop,” I sob, squeezing my eyes shut.
At this point, I don’t know where Aaron is or what he’s doing. The only things I’m sure of are that Maxen isn’t going to let me walk out of here, and Aaron will blow his head off as soon as that knife severs my carotid. And live with this nightmare for the rest of his life.
Having made his point and done enough damage, Maxen goes back to negotiating with Aaron. “So… we’re at a bit of an impasse here. The way I see it, you can either carry both Sadie and me out in body bags, or all three of us can walk away from this cave.”
“I don’t plan on ever letting you see the sun again,” Aaron threatens.
“Hmm, then maybe I should slit her throat now. When I die, at least I’ll go knowing I’ve destroyed you too.”
He pushes onto his knees, straddling my hips while keeping pressure on the knife at my neck. “Actually, I think that’s the way to go.”
Maxen grabs my hair with his free hand, pulling me off the cave floor. I bite my lip as my broken arm drags across the ground, and the wounds covering my body make it difficult to stand on my own strength. The blade never leaves my throat as Maxen wraps an arm around my waist and begins walking backward toward the tunnel that passes by the falls. He’d only be doing this if he knew there was a back entrance.
Aaron follows, never once lowering his gun. My shame pains me as I look into his eyes. All at once, I read the fear, hurt, and longing there. That were always there. There’s so much I wish I could say that I’ll never get the chance to. All I can do is try to ensure that Aaron will live. My voice cracks as I beg, “You need to leave while you still can. He probably has help deep in the cave.”