“Don’t do it.” Luca pushes onto his hands and knees. “Please, Penny.”
I don’t think I’ve heard his desperation before.
He’s scared, and I can’t stand his fear. It rips me apart in the most agonizing torture.
“It’s okay.” I suck in a breath, blink away the threat of tears, and descend the stairs. “Robert doesn’t want to kill me.”
“Don’t.” Sebastian battles to get to his feet, hissing and wincing as he grabs at his injured leg. His black suit pants cling around the bullet wound, the blood seeping onto his boot, then the floor. “Get out of here.”
No. This is my domain. I know this monster better than they do. Neither of them stand a chance without me, and I refuse to live in a world without them. So we’re in this together.
Live or die.
“She was never going to leave,” Robert taunts. “She can’t walk away from those in need. She wants to be the savior, but like always, she’s the cause of the bloodshed. She was responsible for the death of hundreds of women through my pure frustration. Weren’t you, my sweet?”
I fight against the penetrating words, refusing to let them sink in as I reach the bottom of the stairs.
“If you would’ve stopped manipulating Luther and become like every other slave, many lives would’ve been saved,” he continues. “But you had to be better than everyone, didn’t you?
“They still would’ve been used and discarded,” I whisper. “The only difference is that I would’ve joined them.”
I return my attention to Luca, a knife twisting in my gut at the sight of his ashen skin. He’s hurting, badly, but I can’t see an injury. “What did he do to you?”
“Forget about me.” He sits back on his haunches. “Save yourself.”
“It’s time to hurry this along, pretty Penny. We don’t have all night.” Robert inches closer, his guns trained on the back of Luca and Sebastian’s heads. “We’re going to play a game. One where you get to choose which one of them lives and which one dies.”
More sobs clog my throat, the building sorrow tattooing my heart. “You’ll kill them both no matter what I do.”
“I promise I won’t. You know why?”
I shake my head.
He smirks. “Because watching you live with the guilt for the rest of your life will be fucking bliss.”
This time the torment escapes, the agony parting my lips. I sob, believing him. He’s sick enough to follow through.
“Decide,” he taunts. “The brother or the lover.”
My lips tremble. Everything does. I can barely think over the shuddering rack of my body.
“It’s okay, shorty.” Luca hunches over, his hands on his knees, his forgiving eyes on mine. “You know the right choice. You need him more than me.”
“Don’t pull that bullshit,” Sebastian mutters.
“How honorable.” Robert jams his gun into the back of Luca’s head. “Make your choice or I’ll do it for you.”
“Wait. Stop,” I beg. “I’ll decide. Just give me a minute.”
I need more time. I can’t do this.
“Don’t leave me hanging,” he growls. “Fucking tell me.”
I glance from my brother to Luca, knowing there’s only one choice.
It hurts. Oh, God, how it hurts but there’s no other way.
Someone has to die.
“Penny,” Robert growls.
My pulse becomes a staccato, the thunder pounding in my ears. “I choose…” I can’t say it. Can’t get the words out.
He snickers, loving every moment of my struggle.
“Run, Penny,” Luca roars. “Just fucking run.”
I raise my chin, strengthened by the reminder of his salvation. He’s always been my shield. My lifeline.
No matter how much this hurts, I’m indebted to return the favor.
I turn my attention to Sebastian, hoping he understands my heartache—the gut-wrenching agony—as I cement my choice. He smiles at me in return. A pained, yet comforting smile forever etched in my mind.
Then I divert my gaze to the monster, swallowing over the agonizing dryness of my throat as I start toward him. “I choose me.”
33
Luca
My heart drops as she breaks into a run.
I can barely hold my head up, even struggle to see, but she’s clear before me, her determination obvious as she sprints to take her own life.
I pivot on my toes, swaying with the movement and lunge, diving for Robert’s legs. Gunfire pummels my ears, the double shots striking fear in my veins as I take the motherfucker to the ground.
Penny screams. It’s all I hear, the high pitch, the terror.
I climb on top of my blurred opponent, swinging my fists at the darkening obscurity of his body, sometimes connecting with hardened flesh, other times with empty