Our dealer starts handing out cards, and I try to focus. It doesn’t matter now if I win or lose, but I need to protect Rose and Langston by giving them as much time as possible to get away. And if I win, they’ll have no reason to go after her. She would belong to me either way.
So I’ll win—to protect her.
Whatever pain they want me to endure now is nothing compared to the pain I’ve felt in my lifetime. Now that Rose and Langston are safe, there is nothing they could do to me here that could hurt me.
Cards are dealt one by one, and I feel an icy chill curl around my spine, taking hold. I stare at the extra card that was passed out. Why is there an extra card?
I hesitate to pick up the cards, knowing that whatever is on that card is about to change my fate once again. For once, I’m desperate to know what my own future holds.
The other two men at my table have both picked up their cards. They scan them quickly before staring me down, trying to intimidate me.
I’ve come this far. I won’t be intimidated.
I grab the cards and slide them toward me before picking them up. I scan the first five cards quickly before getting to the new card—the card that will change everything, as usual, with my life.
‘The Sacrifice Card’ the top reads.
I smile; how ironic. My whole life is one big sacrifice. My life has never been my own. First, it was about protecting Langston. Then, it became about saving my kids. And after this is all over, it will always be about Langston and my kids. That is my entire purpose for living—to protect them.
I read the card quickly, knowing it doesn’t matter what the words say. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect those I love. I always have.
The words sink in. They envelop my body. The sacrifice I will have to make. It’s the same one I always make.
The first two men bet.
I look down at my cards. Without the sacrifice card, I’ll lose. I can’t lose, so I do the only thing I can. I sacrifice everything to protect those I love.
15
Langston
I got Rose out. I only had to punch a couple of guys and shoot another, but I got her out. I was afraid she’d be traumatized when she saw me with a gun. Instead, she beamed like I was a freaking superhero or something.
I don’t deserve her. I don’t deserve any of my kids. Still, once this is all over, I’m taking them somewhere safe. I’m quitting the business. I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder every day for the rest of my life wondering if today is my last day or not. My kids deserve better.
Enzo met me about thirty minutes after I left. Thank god, he’d been monitoring my location and started driving as soon as he saw us leaving. He took Rose somewhere safe. She fell asleep as soon as I put her in his arms. I don’t know what she’s been through, but she looks physically safe. Psychologically, who knows what she went through? She’s tough, though, and I’ll do everything I can to help her heal and move on from this.
Until I can get back, I trust Enzo and Kai to keep Rose safe and to keep her away from Phoenix. I don’t know what we are going to tell Rose and Atlas about Phoenix, but for now, keeping them away is for the best.
Now, I’m driving like a maniac to get back to Liesel, to get her the fuck out of there.
I run every red light. Take every turn too sharp. Speed as fast as the car will go through the straightaways. But none of it is fast enough. Every second that I’m away is another second of pain for Liesel. Another second of agony that she has to heal from. Another second something could happen that she won’t be able to get over. It’s another second of me hating myself. Another second that could be our last together.
A tear springs to my eye just thinking about life without Liesel. Our entire life has been about each other. I can’t lose her now that I’ve finally gotten her. Now that I’m so close to getting her to love me like we should have all those years ago before life fucked us both.
I slam on the breaks as I pull back up at the club. I open my door and jump out, running to the entrance. Nothing can stop me now, except…
“Liesel.”
She’s standing in the doorway in gray sweatpants and a loose-fitting white T-shirt, an angel casually walking away from hell. Blood clings to her skin, littered with cuts and bruises. She actually doesn’t look much, if any, worse than the last time I saw her.
And she’s alive.
She’s free.
She’s mine.
I pause for a second before my brain works again, and I race to her. I force myself to stop just in front of her, my hands reaching out but not touching her. Just because I don’t see any new injuries doesn’t mean she wasn’t hurt worse. And it doesn’t mean the injuries I saw happen don’t still hurt like hell. I won’t make her suffer more.
“You got Rose?” she asks.
I nod.
A happy tear rolls down her cheek as she smiles and then jumps into my embrace.
Once she’s in my arms, I can’t help but hold her tightly. My arms extend around her and hold onto her like vice grips. I’m never letting any part of my family go again—never.
Her head nestles into my chest, and her tears soak through my shirt.
“We need to leave,” I say, wanting to get her as far away from this vile place as I can. Once we are safely away, we can talk more.
She nods as I lead her to my car. We both jump in, and I drive just as hard and fast as I did to get back to her. My hand finds hers, and we hold hands, not speaking, letting the car engine do all the talking.
After speeding away and seeing no cars following us, I pull over into an alleyway and park the car.
Then I look over at Liesel.
“What happened?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I won the game. I told them I had already taken my prize and then I left. They have no reason to come after Rose now. I won.”
I nod. There’s a heaviness in her eyes. What isn’t she telling me?
“Rose is safe with Enzo and Kai. I didn’t see any injuries, and her spirit hasn’t changed. I don’t think they hurt her.”
“Thank god.”
I grab the base of her neck and rub my thumb over her swollen cheek. I want to know everything that happened, and yet I’m not sure my heart can take it. She can’t keep putting herself last. She can’t keep taking all the pain while shielding the rest of us. She has to let some of us take on the danger too.
I’m about to ask her more questions when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I can feel Liesel’s heartbeat in her neck skip when I reach for my phone.
“It’s Siren,” I say before I answer. “Hello.”
Liesel grips onto my hand so tight that my knuckles start turning white.
“Hey,” Zeke says.
“Did you win the game? Did you get Atlas?”
There’s a long pause. Too long of a pause.
“What did they say?” Liesel asks.
I shake my head. “Zeke? Siren?”
I hold the phone out, thinking that the call must have dropped, but it still shows that we are connected.
“We won the game. We got Atlas,” Zeke says, his voice sounds strange when he should sound happy.
“Good, let’s all go to my island house. Meet there. We can protect ourselves there.” I look to Liesel, who nods her head in agreement.