Page 51 of Mercy & Malice

“Correct,” he states bluntly.

“What the hell is wrong with you people? I can’t kill Micah. Luca and Ivy won’t kill each other either. That’s complete insanity.” Right? No one wants to win that badly. “I want out. Remy is dead, my mom is in the hospital, and now you want me to kill someone. I’m done.”

He tsks. “Quitting isn’t an option, even for the Deceiver. You can sabotage the challenges, but you can’t truly stop playing. You must participate until the very end regardless of what you want.”

“You really are crazy and heartless.” There’s no good way out. Only the best of bad choices. “I can’t sacrifice Micah. I’ll back out of this but keep playing your stupid game.”

Either way, I’m sacrificing him. Though one way he still gets to live.

“Very well. I’ll see you back here soon, Brooke. Don’t forget your place in Mercy. We don’t take betrayal of the Keepers lightly.”

“Whatever,” I mumble then climb the stairs to leave this godforsaken place. Why did I ever step foot in it willingly? This is awful. No matter what I do, I’m going to lose him.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I’m steering my car to his house. Maybe if I confess now, before I’m forced to, it’ll make it go over better? Who am I kidding (other than myself), nothing will make this easier to take. It’s over.

I knock on the front door; the housekeeper opens it as she smiles and allows me inside. They know me. I’ve been walking into this house since I was a kid and the twins invited me over to hang out. But there was only one I truly wanted to be around all the time. The other was a decent friend, too, even though he was moody and broody. But Micah has been my safe haven because as much as he’s teased and infuriated me, as many times as I yelled and drove him insane, he’s never hurt me. He doesn’t sling me across the room by my hair. Or punch me in the mouth for saying something that’s true even if he doesn’t want to hear. I’d run to him when those things happened, even if I didn’t tell him. Micah has saved me on so many days when things felt like too much.

When I get to his room, he’s not there. I check the gym next. And luckily for me, I find him. But with how he’s wailing on the punching bag, I can tell he’s in a bad mood. His moves are erratic and uncontrolled. As soon as he notices me standing and gaping at him, his movements get even more rigid and sloppy.

“What the fuck do you want?”

“You. All I’ve ever wanted was you. Even when you’re teasing me or driving me crazy, you make everything better. You always have. When you’re being stubborn or unreasonable, I still feel safe and trust that you’d never hurt me.”

He starts ripping the tape off his hands. “Yet you felt you couldn’t tell me that your father was beating the shit out of you and your mom. You didn’t trust me enough to confide in me and let me protect you.”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt. And I didn’t want to put you in the middle of my mess or make it worse for my mom. She won’t leave him. I’ve begged her so many times. I think that’s what she was finally doing this time. But she keeps saying it wasn’t him who attacked her. I know it was. I think he was trying to kill her because she finally decided to leave. And I’ve been so mad that she wouldn’t even after insisting we should. Then she tries and almost dies. But even if she stays, he’ll end up killing her. I just know. I’ve always known there would be a day when he wouldn’t stop until she’s dead.”

Micah says, “And you stayed there and allowed him another shot at it.”

I admit, “That’s another reason I didn’t tell you. It’s my fault. I was ashamed and felt responsible for his behavior because I’ve dealt with it so long. So, yeah. I stayed and didn’t do a damn thing to get away. But what was I supposed to do, leave my mom there to die?”

“Fucking yes. If she won’t save herself, fucking leave her to die. She doesn’t get to drag you into her hell because she fucked the wrong man who turned out to be a psychopath.” Micah’s shouting by the time he reaches the last word.

I try to not cry and fail as tears fall down my cheeks. “He’s still my father. It’s so difficult to look at a person you love but someone you fear and hate. More times than not, I wish my mom never met him, even if it meant I was never born. No one deserves to be trapped with that monster.”

Micah walks until he’s directly in front of me. “You not existing isn’t an option. That bastard has laid his hands on you for the last time. You’re not going back there. I don’t give a fuck what your mom decides, you won’t ever be in his control again.”

“I can’t just let her go back.” I’m aware that I can’t walk in that house again. All I can see even when I’m not there is my mother in a pool of blood.

“It’s not going to fucking happen, Brooke. He won’t get the chance to hurt you again. He’s lucky he’s not six feet under right now but will wish he was after he gets the punishment I have in the works for him. Death is too easy.”

My emotions are all over the place. Because when Micah finds out everything, he’s not going to feel the same way. He’ll probably happily send me back to my living hell.

“Please don’t do anything. I’ll try to talk to my mom again. She barely woke up long enough to speak to me, but I’ll try and talk to her again.” Soon you won’t care about the outcome.

I remove the distance between us, pressing my lips to his. He’s rigid and barely responsive before I ask, “Why won’t you kiss me?”

His penetrating eyes look down at me. “Because I don’t believe you know what you want.”

Holding his gaze, I say, “I want you to kiss me.”

My lips are back on his, but he doesn’t move until I pull back. That’s when he clasps around my neck, hauling my mouth to his as his mouth crushes mine, greedy and claiming as he devours me. His throaty words spilling out between kisses. “I’m so fucking sick of craving you all the damn time.”

I try to think of something to say, anything to not lose him. But can’t find the words.

Then he utters, “But I will wait forever if that’s what it takes.”

If only I believed that.