Page 107 of Serpent King's Revenge

I began working on the ropes, digging the scalpel into them while simultaneously slashing at Knuckles' flesh. It was brutal, but I had to keep up appearances. Each cut, each groan of pain from Knuckles made my stomach churn, but I steeled myself, focusing on our end goal.

"Look at you, Nathan," Ba said, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. "You're a natural at this."

"Learned from the best, didn't I?" I replied, hating myself for playing into his sick game.

As I continued to work on the ropes, I could feel them beginning to loosen. My heart raced as I prepared for the moment when the final strand would give way. Knuckles seemed to sense it too; his breathing grew more labored, his body tensing in anticipation.

"Almost there," I muttered under my breath, praying that Ba wouldn't catch on.

I kept cutting, slicing through both rope and flesh, all the while watching Ba's every move. He stood there, arms crossed and smirking, completely oblivious to what was about to happen.

"Thought you could turn my boy against me?" he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Nathan is my creature, my creation, my greatest accomplishment."

I kept my focus on the ropes binding Knuckles, my fingers working deftly with the scalpel. Each slice brought us closer to freedom, but also forced me to inflict more pain on the man who had been more like a father to me than Ba ever was. The weight of every cut bore down on me—the price of our escape. As much as it disgusted me, I couldn't let Ba see through my act.

"Ba," I said, maintaining a steady hand and a steady voice, "you always told me that loyalty was everything."

"Damn right," he replied, smug satisfaction coloring his words.

"See? I learned," I continued, forcing a hint of pride into my tone. It tasted like bile on my tongue.

As the ropes began to fray, I glanced up at Ba, taking in the cruel gleam in his eyes. It would only be a matter of moments now.

"Guess you were right about something after all," I added.

Because the moment had come.

With one final slice, the ropes fell away from Knuckles' wrists. I quickly slipped the gun out of my waistband and pressed it into his battered hand.

"Make it count," I whispered, hoping he understood the gravity of the situation.

Knuckles nodded, his one good eye filled with determination despite the pain. "You know me, Nathan. I don't miss."

Then he raised his hand, everyone in the room moving in slow motion.

And he took his shot.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Abby

Almost there.

I crept closer to the room, my fingers tight around the knife's handle. The metal felt cold, but my grip was steady. My other hand brushed against the gun tucked in my leggings—safety off, ready if I needed it.

Diane wouldn't go down easy, she never did. And Lily, poor kid, she didn't stand a chance against someone like Diane. It had to be quick.

"Hey!"

The shout hit me like a slap. I hadn't seen him, some guard, just standing there off to my left. How did I miss that? He was big, bulky, his voice loud enough to bounce down the hallway. This was gonna get messy fast.

I snapped my head toward the guard, and in that split second, my eyes caught Diane's. She saw me, her face hard as stone.

Time slowed for a breath, and I knew we were both calculating moves.

Then, downstairs, a gunshot cracked through the air, loud and close. It echoed up to us, a promise of chaos below.

I didn't hesitate.

I lunged at the guard, knife leading the way. He barely had time to lift his gun before I was on him, blade slicing through his side like it was nothing. Blood spurted, warm and wet against my hand, but I didn't stop to think about it.

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