Zinnia
I was done for. Roman found out about my plan.
The moment they yanked the sack off my head, I knew I was in trouble. The grand hall was blinding. Chandeliers hung overhead, the crystal reflecting light like shattered stars. The floor gleamed, like it hadn’t been stained with blood more times than I could count. Roman never did subtle. He liked his theatrics. He liked his audience. And he had one now.
Men in tailored suits and women in silk stood along the edges of the room, glasses of expensive liquor in hand. They watched me with expressions ranging from amusement to curiosity, like I was the entertainment for the night. Maybe I was. A sharp shove sent me stumbling forward. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to stand tall. Roman wouldn’t get the satisfaction of seeing me break again.
He sat on his throne; because of course the bastard had a throne. A massive leather chair, elevated on a platform, as if he were some kind of god looking down at the world he ruled.
“Zinnia,” he drawled, fingers drumming lazily against the armrest. “What a pleasant surprise.”
I spat blood onto the pristine floor. “You should work on your definition of pleasant.” Laughter rippled through the crowd. Roman smirked, but his eyes darkened.
“Still have that bite, huh? Even after everything?” He stood, descending the steps with the slow confidence of a man who thought he had already won. The room was silent as he circled me, his presence like a storm rolling in.
“It’s a shame, really,” he mused. “I was starting to think you were actually on my side. But you just couldn’t help yourself, could you? Always playing your little games.” He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could smell the cologne and whiskey on his breath.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, turning to his audience. “Let’s talk about betrayal.” The room hummed with interest. I kept my face blank, but my pulse pounded in my ears.
“Our dear Zinnia,” Roman continued, “came to me, claimed she had seen the light. That she was done with Reed, done with running. She even put a bullet in one of his men to prove her loyalty.” He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “But here’s the thing about liars. They always slip up.”
He snapped his fingers. A massive screen lowered from the ceiling, the hum of a projector filling the air. My stomach twisted. The footage played in perfect clarity. Me, holding the gun. Milo, tied to the chair. The shot. The fall. Except, I hadn’t account for cameras for different angles, slowed-down frames. The slight tilt of my wrist, the fraction of an inch that had saved Milo’s life. Roman let the silence prolonged. Then he turned back to me, eyes glinting with something deadly.
“You almost had me,” he murmured. “Almost.”
My jaw tightened. My hands curled into fists. I had been careful. I had played the game. And still, I had lost. Roman exhaled, long and slow, like he was savoring this.
“The worst part? Reed actually thought he could keep you safe. That he could come for you before I figured you out.” I stiffened. That bastard. Roman smiled, slow and cruel.
“Oh yes, darling. He’s coming. Right now. And you know what?” He leaned in, close enough that his breath ghosted against my cheek. “I think I’ll let him.”
He lifted a gun, pressing the barrel against my temple. My pulse slammed against my ribs, but I didn’t let it show. “Go ahead,” I whispered. “Do it.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Oh, no. Not yet. Where’s the fun in that?”
His finger twitched against the trigger and my breath hitched just for a fraction of a second. Then, at the last possible moment, he pulled back, stepping away like he had all the time in the world.
“Let’s make this fun, shall we?” His voice was almost playful. “Let’s see how far Reed is willing to go for you. Let’s see how much you’re really worth to him.”
I kept my breathing steady, even as my mind raced. Roman wasn’t just planning to kill me. He wanted to break me first. And worse, he wanted to use me to break Reed.
He was setting a trap and using me as bait.
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