Page 46 of Black Hearts

Of course they’d do something that cruel and twisted. I should’ve known.

“I understand. But I swear, they didn’t send me here as part of some game. I’m real, and I’m here to help.”

“How?” she asked, eyes flashing with suspicion again.

“It’s not just me. I’m here with someone else, and he’s killed all the guards outside already. He’ll be inside any minute to help us. And I also knocked out the one in the security room who watches the cameras and checks your tracking collars. I swear, it’s true. You have a real shot at leaving this place now.”

“Who’s here with you?”

I didn’t answer her right away. “Did you know a girl here named Evangeline? Or Lina for short?” I asked.

She stared at me for a long time. Then she finally nodded, her eyes glazing with a faraway expression. “Yes. She was here a long time ago. About the same time as when they brought me here,” she murmured. “She didn’t stay in line, so they….”

“They took her away. I know,” I said softly. “I’m here with her brother. He’s been targeting the Circle for years and killing them one by one. Now I’m helping him. We want to finish the whole lot of them tonight.”

Her brows shot up. “You mean… the Heartbreaker?” she whispered, color returning to her cheeks.

I nodded. “Yes. He’s here. I swear.”

“I’ve heard of him. We aren’t allowed to watch or read the news, but I’ve heard them talking about him,” Emily said. “They’re scared of him.”

“Good. They should be.”

She opened her mouth to say something else, then clapped her hand over it for a second and focused her attention on the drinks again. She was prepping another tray. “No,” she finally said. “It’s just a game.”

“It’s not.”

“I gave up on getting out of here a long time ago,” she muttered in a dejected tone. “I just… I just can’t believe you.”

“Do you believe her now?”

We both whirled around to see Alex standing in the doorway. He wasn’t alone. He’d dragged the inside patrol guard in with him, and blood was pouring from what appeared to be a gaping wound in his abdomen, seeping over his hands as he tried to stem the flow. He had something stuffed in his mouth so he couldn’t call for help.

He spluttered and gurgled through the gag as Alex ripped a long, narrow knife out from his back. It had gone all the way through him. Then he crumpled to the floor, dark eyes wide with shock.

Emily’s face went white again. “Oh my god,” she said. “You… did… you’re the….”

She didn’t seem capable of coherent speech for a moment. I put my hand near her, hovering delicately over her shoulder. I wasn’t sure how she would react to being touched. “This is Evangeline’s brother,” I said gently. “His name is Alex. We really are here to help you.”

Emily took a deep breath and swallowed hard, trying to pull herself together. She’d been through a lot of shit in the decade and a half she’d been trapped here, so seeing a guard gutted in front of her wasn’t going to be the thing that broke her. At least I hoped it wouldn’t be.

With shaky steps, she headed toward the dead guard. Leaning down, she checked his pulse, as if she couldn’t quite believe he was really gone unless she confirmed it herself. Her trust in others had been eroded a long time ago, even toward those who claimed to be helping her, and I couldn’t fault her for that.

When she was sure Alex had really killed the guard, and it wasn’t part of some sick game to trick her into having hope, she stood up straight and kicked the corpse hard, right in the face. I knew he wouldn’t feel a thing, but it obviously still meant a lot to Emily to do something like that to one of the men who’d hurt her and kept her trapped here for so many years.

“How can I help?” she asked, finally looking back at me. Her eyes were still fearful, but there was a glimmer of determination in them now.

“We need you to tell the kids and other maids what’s going on. Tell them we’re trying to help, and that they have to get out of the house. We need everyone out as quick as possible.”

“Why can’t we just wait in our rooms until you’ve killed them all? It must be freezing outside,” she asked in a small, panicky voice.

Since she was twelve or thirteen, her entire world had existed within these walls. After so many years of that, the thought of finally going outside probably frightened her, even if it meant freedom from captivity.

“There’s fifty people in that ballroom, and only one feasible way to kill that many in an enclosed space,” Alex said. “Anything else is too risky. So you need to be outside when it happens.”

Comprehension dawned on Emily’s face. “Oh. I see.” She was silent for a moment, then shook her head. “No, it won’t work.”

“Why?”

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