Page 130 of Brutal Game

“I want you to be happy,” I whispered into the burning room. “Please be happy.”

The smoke made my tears sting.

I shut my eyes. I didn’t want to die, but it looked like once again, I didn’t have a fucking choice. At least I could distract myself with memories of Jack until it was all over.

I shut my eyes.

I love you, I thought.

“Aviva!”

Pounding on the door.

I had to be imagining things. He was at the coach’s house, wasn’t he?

More pounding. “Aviva, goddamn it!”

Maybe I wasn’t imagining things. I coughed.

“Here,” I tried to say, but my throat hurt so much I could barely get the word out.

I couldn’t hear anything over the roar of the flames. Had he left? Thought I was somewhere else?

Oh god, I was going to die. And so was he. The fire had to have spread so far…

Except there he was before me, whole and coughing, towering over me like an avenging angel.

I ignored the heat of the flames, staring up at him as he stared down at me, throat working.

“You’re here,” I tried to say, but my words turned into coughs.

“Holy fuck,” he said. “Did he tie you up?”

“Yes,” I tried to say.

“Did he touch you?”

I shook my head.

“Let’s get you out of here.”

He kneeled down, ignoring the flames around us as he worked on the tight knots.

“Fuck, it’s not working,” he growled as he rose, going to the desk and rifling through it. “Hang on.”

“Don’t have much other choice,” I joked on a rasp.

He kneeled back down, holding scissors. “Don’t move.”

Quickly but carefully, he sliced the blades through the tie around my wrists, and then I was free.

Jack gathered me up in his arms, covering my face with his hoodie sleeve as he walked determinedly toward the door.

He grabbed the knob before I could tell him not to, only to stumble back with a yell.

“Fuck, it melted.”

He placed me down on the floor gently, before throwing his body against the door, again and again. I watched him, tears burning their way down my face.

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