Page 124 of Devil May Lie

“It’s not a game,” Berga said.

“An experiment then?”

“Not that either.” He met Madden’s confused gaze. “It’s not an experiment. It never was. Not between us.”

This was the best way to handle everything, all at once, with one trigger pull. No one would have to worry about him making mistakes at school or the Bunker, and Berga would no longer have to go on feeling like this empty, useless thing.

Best of all, Madden would get the justice he deserved.

“It was my fault,” Berga said, tightening his hands around Madden’s cajolingly. “You wanted to make me pay, now is your chance. Do it. Let’s put an end to this properly, Mad King.”

He closed his eyes.

“And after?” Madden’s asked, voice low and threatening.

“After?” His brow furrowed, but he didn’t risk looking. “Oh. You mean the drug? After you kill me, you can call someone to come help take care of that for you.”

“Someone?”

“Yes, anyone will do. Though, I do suggest calling someone you’re attracted to. I wasn’t lying about the effects of the drug being increased. I needed to incapacitate you long enough to confess everything, but, surprisingly, I don’t really have anything in my arsenal that can force someone to sit still—at least not anything without nasty side effects.”

“Let me get this straight,” Madden said, hand clenching around the gun beneath Berga’s. “You gave me Impression so you could tie me up, convince me to shoot you in the head, and then have me go fuck someone else?”

Bega pursed his lips. “I didn’t really consider it as convincing you, since it was surely something you’d want—”

“For a certified genius,” he hissed, “you’re a real fucking moron, Jekyll.”

“I—”

Wait.

Berga’s eyes popped open.

“What did you just—” Before he could finish, Madden did as he was told.

He pulled the trigger.

Chapter 31:

The Butcher yelped and fell over, clutching his left ear as the resounding gunshot reverberated throughout the room.

Madden held the weapon steady, slightly off to the side where he’d aimed it just before pulling the trigger.

On the gun Berga had brought so he could shoot him to death with it.

To say he was pissed off would be an understatement.

Berga groaned and shifted, eyes finding Madden’s heated gaze as he uncurled himself from the huddled ball and lifted back into a seated position. He stared at him, mouth slightly open, eyes wide.

“The urge to hit you is strong,” Madden stated. “But then, you’d probably like that, seeing as how you’re turned on by pain.”

“You remember.”

He heaved a sigh and finally dropped the gun. “You’re so dense. Aren’t you a medical student? Shouldn’t you know it’s not that easy to lose your memory? Especially not two months’ worth. Good Light. Why are you so easily fooled?”

“What…” He clearly floundered for what to say, so Madden took pity on him and filled the silence himself.

“In your defense, everyone else was fooled too. Although,” he shook the gun, “maybe not Kelevra. He seemed to have caught on rather early, but he never said anything, so I could be wrong.”

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