I walk slowly to the engine room. I try the door, but I already know it’s locked.
The engines burn louder, but we won’t move because the GPS autopilot is engaged and she doesn’t know how to turn it off.
I kick the door in easily.
Kai stands frozen as I enter, but I don’t raise my gun.
“What’s your plan now?” I ask because I know she has a plan B and a plan C, etc. She won’t stop until I’ve decided I’ve had enough.
She faces me stoically, with no fear. She won’t die terrified.
“To cause as much pain as possible to you before I go.”
I nod. “I don’t think that’s your real plan.”
“It is.”
“Liar. You haven’t given up yet. You’ll only change to trying to hurt me to extract revenge when you’ve given up trying to survive.”
She frowns, hating I know her so well.
“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to kill me.”
I raise an eyebrow and wait. Apparently plan B is persuading me not to kill her, although I’m guessing there’s more to her plan. With Kai, there always is.
“I’m not a snitch. I won’t tell anybody this ever happened.”
I nod, believing if I let her go free, she would never mention this to anyone.
“I haven’t witnessed anything else. I know nothing about the organization you work for. I don’t know the name. I don’t know who your boss is. Or what crimes anyone has committed. I’ve never seen anyone steal, or rape, or shoot, or murder. And even if I did, I would know well enough to keep my mouth shut to survive.”
My eyes harden. I believe her. My father wants her dead, and I have no idea why. It may not even be about Kai. It might be that he is just testing me to kill someone innocent to ensure I would do anything for him.
“I will pay my debt to you. And I will pay any debts my father owes if that is what this is about. No matter how high of a price, I will find a way to pay it back. My stealing your watch and using it to pay my father’s last debt should prove that to you.”
I smirk. “I have no doubt you would. You’re a thief. You know how cruel the world can be. But you are also a survivor. I would guess one of the reasons you’ve never been kissed is because the men in your life have only caused you more pain. None of them were worthy of taking something so innocent from you. You protected something so simple that most people give without thinking. You only gave when you were desperate for it. But I have no doubt you would sell your body, even your soul to survive. To protect your father. You would give everything.”
She nods, her throat tight, and the vein in her neck pulsing hard. She’s already relented to the fact she would eventually sell her body to survive. Like so many women from her part of town do.
I raise the gun again as anger pulses through me. I can’t stand the thought of her selling herself to another man. She’s mine. “You won’t be selling yourself, thief.”
She swallows and licks her lips.
“Don’t kill me…”
I hesitate.
“…not with your gun. If you’re going to kill me, then do it with your bare hands.”
I smirk, both liking and hating her plan C because the only way I could truly kill her is by touching her. But her touch will end me too.
8
Kai
I try to look past the black metal aimed at me, to the man behind it. The gun might lead to my death, but Enzo will be the one squeezing the trigger.
I don’t know why I ask him to kill me without using the gun. It will make no difference. I will be dead no matter how he does it. A gun might even make my death swifter.