Sebastian’s assertion of his sole right to claim me makes my heart thump in my throat, his dominance overpowering. Overwhelming. I feel myself trusting him more; I feel protected by his insane need to declare his ownership of me.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I’m not going to be part of it any longer,” Sebastian says.
“Like you have a choice.” I hear the gun click as Newman readies it to fire. “Such a pity that you won’t share her. Alas, I knew it would come down to this someday.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrow as he furrows his brows.
Newman … Hubert … laughs again. “Don’t be so surprised. I’ve known you were trying to game us for a long time. Pity those fools wouldn’t listen to me.”
He must mean the others, but I’m a little taken aback by the fact that he calls them fools if they’re supposed to be a ‘club’. I guess they truly don’t care about anyone but themselves.
“Those fools have more decency than you will ever have. And that says a lot,” Sebastian sneers. “I’m done. I’m taking her and I’m getting far away from all of this.”
“And you think that I would just let you leave?” Hubert cocks his head. “You seem to be under the impression that you have a say in this matter.”
He flicks his gun. “Keep tempting me, Sebastian. Keep pushing me and I might put a bullet in your balls rather than your brain.”
“You know that you won’t come out of this alive if you do.”
“And why’s that?” He laughs. “I hold the gun. I hold the money. I hold the power.” He stares at Sebastian intently, narrowing his eyes. “You have nothing.”
“I have her.”
“You wish! You think you can just take her and leave? You think we’d allow you to step out of our club, just like that?”
“Yes, because I don’t think you want more mess on your hands.”
“I don’t care about any mess,” Hubert scoffs.
“But do you care about your pride? Because right now, you’re the lowest of the lowest of scum.”
“Fuck you!” Hubert spits, squeezing his gun tight.
Sebastian holds up his hands. “I only want her. Just let us leave. I won’t follow you. I won’t have anyone hunt after you. I’ll leave all of you alone, and you’ll leave me alone, and we can continue our lives the way we want without each other.” Sebastian’s voice is calmer than I expected. Calmer than I could muster. I’m fuming right now, contemplating whether to kick him in the balls or make a run for it. I’m very tempted … but I know it wouldn’t stop Hubert from pulling that trigger, which isn’t right. As much as I hate Sebastian for what he did, I don’t want him dead.
At first Hubert’s eyebrows rise, then his lips, and then he bursts out into laughter. “Jesus Christ, that’s a good one.” He can’t seem to catch his breath. “You know what … you deserve it.” He rummages in his pocket. A cigar comes out. “You think you’re a big boy? Here, catch.”
Time slows down. The cigar flies through the air, and Hubert raises his gun to shoot. He throws the cigar at Sebastian, catching him off guard. All it takes is a second. A second where Sebastian moves. Where his eyes leave the gun. Where his body is vulnerable.
Hubert will gun him down.
The first thought that crosses my mind is that I can’t let it happen.
I throw myself at Hubert, lunging at him with full force. Right before he pulls the trigger.
We smack to the ground. The loud bang that follows has my ears popping. A beep ensues. All I hear are mumbles and the bullet ricocheting off the wall. Hubert pushes and shoves me aside, and I fight him with every ounce of my strength. Sebastian comes running toward us, but I’m way too busy trying to get Hubert off me. Sebastian hangs around his neck, trying to pull him away from me, but they’re equal in strength. Hubert’s on top of me now, pressing the gun into my scalp. In an effort to protect myself, I do the only thing I can. What I remember. What I was instructed to do.
I pull out the knife from my pocket and shove it deep into his abdomen.
He growls and jerks, pulling up his knees as the knife lodges deep into his body.
Sebastian pushes him off me and kicks him in the nuts, causing him to clutch his crotch and whimper. He quickly grabs my hand and pulls me up. I put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. Staring at the floor, I feel sick. I just rammed a knife into someone’s body. I will never forget the feel of the steel puncturing flesh.
“We have to go,” Sebastian says.