Page 75 of Four Times Saved

Looking at Lily's father, I scowled. I supposed, in a way, I was here, faced with decisions that would break down everything I'd worked to achieve, because of him. All the battles I overcame, perishing because of him. Because he chose to arrange Lily's kidnapping, and because he had an idiot 'yes mongrel' who was ready and willing to go along with a deranged plan.

I wouldn't have joined an alliance with a mob boss, (I think we can drop the whole 'former' part of it) if it wasn't for these assholes threatening Lily's life and health.

Yes, I had had thrilling thoughts of them falling off the face of the earth. But, I didn't want to be the one to kill them. Not really. In my fantasies, maybe. Never in real life.

"Come on. We don't have all day. It's just like slicing into butter. You don't even have to cut deep. Stick it in somewhere and forget it. That's what she said, huh, guys?" Tyler threw over his shoulder to an unreceptive audience while he laughed.

I shuddered, turning to my best friends who had all turned paler than usual, begging them with my eyes to save me from this. But we were all facing the same fate.

"Okay, listen. If you don't do it, I'll cut off one of your fingers, how about that?" Tyler's tone turned cold. Okay. Cold-er.

But I wasn't budging. I'd faced up to some tough guys back in the day, and walked away with my life. "Yeah, right. And how would you explain that to the ladies?"

Really, Ryan? That's the best you can come up with? One of those voices said.

"Neither of them know we left together." He shrugged.

"They saw us talking together." I began to sweat as I failed to recall whether they did or not.

I'm embarrassed for you. Yup, that's one of the devils. Shut up! I fired back an internal retort. Great, let's get in an argument inside my head and escape my reality, because that's going to save me.

"So, doesn't mean we left together." He argued back in a childish, taunting kind of way.

"Still not doing it." I slammed the knife back into his palm and turned to walk away.

Okay? Brave. Look at you. I ain't mad at it.

The little fiend on my shoulder crossed its arms and feet, and smirked. The fucking bastard.

The world spun and before I knew it, I was on my knees. Tyler had whacked the shit out of the back of my neck and knocked me off balance. The floaters before my eyes didn't get a chance to clear as he pressed the sharp blade against my neck.

"If you want to see Lily again, you will do this. Don't think I'm bluffing. You have five seconds to make up your mind." He started counting down.

My best friends rushed forward. Ethan's cheeks were sunken, like there was a vacuum behind the skin sucking it in. His jawbone tried to split his flesh and his eyes were frozen open. He huffed, giving Tyler the stare of death, but I'm sorry to say, that was all he had. A stare, the only threat. Eric's lips were pressed together, his fists clenched, his feet set to pounce. Matt, bless him, began to tremble a little, looking between me and Tyler, before rolling his shoulders and stepping up.

"Woah, there." Tyler chortled, like he was out for a ride on his dear old horse on a bright sunny day, in a verdant field. The horse had had a misstep, and he was trying to steady him with a pat on the back and a tug on his harness. Pure glee in his exclamation. The man was a case. "Don't try anything funny. My hand might slip," he told them.

Everyone went silent. Even the two kidnappers behind me. I had to admit, a special wave of lava poured through my blood at the thought of the two fuckers gaining any satisfaction in watching me be killed along with them. Me and them, we weren't the same. We shouldn't die the same.

"One!" Tyler announced as the blade drew blood.

Lily in that hospital bed flashed before my eyes. The scream she released as she ran toward the rescuers, it was a scream I didn't ever want to hear again. Blood-curdling, heart-stopping, traumatic.

"Two!" The blade pressed the tiniest bit deeper, but the difference was noticeable, despite the adrenaline.

The pads of my fingers itched, recalling the rough stitches in the back of Lily's head, the side of her face that was swollen the first night we brought her home, her losing consciousness last night, hell, even the few weeks ago when we failed to see the extent of danger lurking behind Terry Thornbread's eyes as he 'accepted defeat' and left. Fuck, even Mrs. Thornbread's frozen face of fear provided a haunting image.

"Three!" The blade moved and I gulped, catching the horror on my best friends' faces. Imagining the two men behind me getting one last laugh on their way out.

"F—" Tyler started.

"Okay! Okay! I'll do it! I'll do it!" I shouted, the 'F' sound disorienting me as I went back and forth over whether or not he was already at five. Tears spurted from my eyes when I opened them and I was still breathing.

He pulled the knife from my neck and handed it to me again. This time his face was tough and unyielding. A trembling leaf had nothing on me as I tottered forward, raising the knife, hoping for a stroke of fate to intervene and stop this madness. There was none. And I plunged. With my eyes shut, I didn't know where I hit, but there was a yelp from Terry and I dry heaved.

"Ooh. Nice shot. Right in..." Tyler started.

"Shut up. Please." I forced the words through my teeth; my spit drenched my face.

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