Page 34 of Game of Revenge

“He was still alive,” Shayna bursts out, so desperate to live that she’s willing to end my life. “I have a kid who depends on me. Please, don’t kill me.”

“Just because I happen to be a baby incubator at the moment doesn’t mean I have to have a soft spot for mothers if they’re shitty people,” Blakely growls. “Keep talking.”

“I was telling Michael how sorry I was about calling Ricky, and he went to crouch next to his brother after shaking me like a rag doll,” Shayna says, tripping over her words. “I thought he was really upset, you know?”

“Oh fuck,” Kiernan breathes, and I can see it in his eyes that his love for me is beginning to die. She hasn’t even said the words, but it’s all starting to click for him.

I washappyafter Brian died. Fuck, I did everything wrong. I should have pretended to be sad. I just wanted to be free of the shackles, you know?

The confused and accusing stares are too much to bear, causing me to attempt to save myself one last time.

“She’s trying to keep you from killing her,” I remind her. “Shayna will say anything. You can’t believe her!”

“We haven’t heard everything yet,” Chuck grunts. “Maybe you should shut the fuck up so we can.”

Swallowing hard, I watch as Blakley turns to look at Frankie. They have a silent conversation, and my heart begins to pound, the blood roaring in my ears. Oh God.

“Tell me the truth, Shayna, or I’ll enjoy your screams as you die,” Blakley snarls. “I’m not too worried about your son, because he’ll be better without you if you’re a piece of shit.”

“I’m not lying, I swear,” she whispers. Shayna is having a hard time breathing as she hyperventilates, and I wish with every fiber of my being that her heart will give out or some shit before she can blow up my world.

Maybe I really am a bad person.

“Out with it, girl,” Meyers growls. “We aren’t done killing and cleaning up. Blakely needs her beauty rest.”

“Oh…okay,” Shayna says, gulping. These assholes are more worried about Blakely’s sleep than anything else, and I can’t help but think about how surreal this all feels. “Michael kept yelling at me to shut up, and I swear that Brian whispered to him, asked for help.”

“He was alive?” Kiernan asks, his eyes watering. “How is that possible?”

“Brian was weak, but he was holding on, I swear it,” Shayna says.

“What happened next?” Kiernan whispers.

This would be easier if he wasn’t glaring into my soul. My knees collapse on me, so now I’m crouching on the ground in an attempt to get away from his gray gaze. I’ve never felt a shred of sadness about what I did until now.

Because I can feel the ice beneath my feet cracking, and I’m afraid I won’t be coming up for air when I fall through. It’s clear no one will catch me, there’s accusation in everyone’s eyes around me. They fully believe the slut telling my secrets.

It’s simply not fair. Why won’t anyone understand my side of the story?

“Michael, oh God,” Shayna whimpers as Frankie pulls out her gun. “He heard his brother begging for help, but it was so quiet, and I was crying. I watched him hold Brian’s nose and mouth closed, watching as he struggled. Until… he stopped breathing. I swear, when I found Brian that night, when I wentto throw out the garbage, he was alive. I was coming in to find you all.”

“Why were you going to do that?” Tray asks, his voice ravaged by emotion. “Did you suddenly find yourself feeling sorry that your actions brought together a mob? You’re just as guilty, Shayna. You need to think shit through.”

“He’s right,” Blakely grunts. “Stay, if you move after I release you, I’ll start blowing holes into your body. You're fully in control of whether or not you continue to live.”

Shayna nods wildly as she’s released, her breaths coming so quickly, she sways. No one comes near her to help, avoiding her like the plague.

“You’ve been a very bad boy, Michael,” Blakely snarls.

“It all makes sense, yet I think I’m going to be sick,” Kiernan whispers, rubbing his chest as if it pains him.

“Do you want to do the honors, Kier?” Blakely asks as she takes the offered gun from Frankie.

“I can’t,” he rasps. “I loved both of them, I just… I’m shattered that Michael was so jealous. Why would you do this? Answer me!”

I flinch, climbing to my feet, as Kiernan screams at me, and finally tears begin to prick at my eyes. I don’t deserve these tears.

“You don’t understand what it’s like to be the black sheep to the golden twin,” I whisper, gasping as emotion threatens to take me under. “I always had to share a smaller slice of everything with Brian. You, my mom, everything. I thought it would be better if he was gone, but he still takes everything!”