Page 158 of Kiss of Deceit

Soon, I began gaining on him, and he glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening right before I slammed into him. He lashed out his good arm, hitting my wrist hard. My cry died in my throat when my knife fell into the deep snow. My hands were so cold, my grasp on it wasn’t as tight as I believed. We rolled on the ground, and I didn’t have a chance to reach into my pocket to get my last blade.

The ground suddenly tilted, and it took me a moment to realize we were on a hill. One so steep, I couldn’t stop or get any footing. Soon it got steeper, and my heart dipped when it felt like I was freefalling. I could hear Leo attempting to gain any kind of control. Pain exploded down my ribs when I hit something like a rock or branch.

A second later, my vision went black, my head slamming into something hard. My last conscious thought was wishing I could have said goodbye to Kole.

I blinked my eyes open, starry sky slowly coming into focus. I wasn’t sure how long I was out for, but the helicopter’s spotlight was sweeping across the darkness, getting closer. My head was throbbing, my mind hazy as I tried getting my bearings. Half of my body was numb from cold while the other half was in agony.

When I attempted to move, I hissed out a pained breath. My ankle was twisted at an odd angle, and I realized the snap I’d heard was my bone. I tried again to put weight on it, only to have agony searing up my leg. I had at least one broken rib from how painful it was to breathe.

I looked around, going utterly still when I saw Leo only about ten feet away from me. I waited a few seconds, and when he didn’t move, I rolled onto my stomach. The snow was so fucking cold. I couldn’t feel my hands, and soon they started tingling, pricking like pins and needles. I pushed forward, pulling my body with my arms.

Dizziness swept through me, and I closed my eyes as I kept going. My useless ankle seared with pain from each small move. My rib pain was stabbing, stealing my breath. When Leo let out a quiet groan, ice flooded my veins. I fought through the raging pain, inching my way closer to him.

“Shit,” he grumbled, his voice thick with pain. He jerked as if remembering I fell down the hill with him. He craned his neck, searching the snow until his stare stopped on me. “You just don’t die, do you?” He choked out a laugh at his joke as he sat up. Blood was seeping out of a wound from his forehead, but he didn’t seem to have any broken bones like I did.

Fear jolted through me as he shakily climbed to his feet. The roar of the helicopter came closer, but he paid it no mind as he staggered toward me. I uselessly attempted to stand, biting back my cry when my ankle gave out. I fell on my ass, my ribs screaming in anguish.

“You’re the reason we’re here,” he said hoarsely. “If you’d left on that helicopter with Miles, none of this would have happened.”

“I’d rather die right here than go anywhere with you,” I choked out, fumbling in my pocket. When my fingers wrapped around my last pocketknife, relief sliced through me. I pulled it out, flicking it open. My hands shook from my injuries and the cold as I waited for him to get closer.

He swiped the blood away that was dripping down his face. He raised his boot, kicking me in the chest. I flew back, landing in a heap, a cry escaping my lips. My ribs were throbbing, the pain radiating everywhere. I forced myself to roll onto my stomach as he stumbled beside me.

“You can blame me all you want,” I heaved out. “But all of this is you. You started this twelve fucking years ago.”

With a groan, I wrapped my arm around his ankles, reaching my other hand up and stabbing him in the calf. His anguishedbellow sliced through the wind. My hold on his legs ruined his balance, and he went crashing into the snow beside me.

I scooted closer, slamming the blade into his stomach. His palm connected with my cheek as he tried to shove me away. Lights shined down on us, and I heard the helicopter hovering above us. Leo squinted his eyes, the brightness blinding him.

“I want you to know, it didn’t work,” I heaved out between pained breaths. “Your torture. The fear, the pain. You didn’t ruin me. And you sure as fuck didn’t create what I am.”

He was too busy holding his stomach where I’d stabbed him to argue with me. But his eyes cut to me, rage filling them. I moved my knife to his throat, relishing in how panic flashed across his face.

“I am nothing like you,” I snarled. “I don’t kill for the joy. I do it to keep monsters like you from hurting innocents. But let me tell you what you did do.Youcreated the person who will be your downfall. And I’m going to savor every fucking moment of this.”

A blaring voice came from above us in the helicopter. “Put the weapon down and move away from him. There are officers on their way.”

“You hear that?” Leo mocked weakly, raising his hands over his head as if surrendering. “You better listen.”

I pressed the blade harder to his throat. “If you think I would do that, then you clearly don’t know me at all.”

“If you take my life, my death will steal yours,” he croaked out. “You’ll be right back in prison.”

The man in the helicopter gave me more orders through the speaker, but his words didn’t matter. I stared into my monster’s eyes, a strange peace filling me. I pushed the jagged metal slowly into his throat as he jerked, disbelief clouding his gaze. Blood poured onto my frozen hand when I twisted the blade. The helicopter was still above us, the speaker yelling demands.

“You shouldn’t start games you can’t win,” I whispered, listening to him take his last choked breaths. “Rot in hell, you fucking bastard.”

His chest stopped moving, his eyes open and unseeing. I breathed out a cry, rolling away from him. It was over.

My monster was gone.

CHAPTER SIXTY

kole

I stormedthrough the hospital entrance ignoring Harry as he chased after me. The nurse jumped from her seat, her eyes widening at my bloodied face before she glanced at the sling on my arm.

“Dani Henderson,” I gritted out, attempting to stay calm. “I need to know what room she’s in.”