Page 107 of The Phantom's Vice

“Took your ass long enough.”

“I’m happy to see you too, old friend,” I murmur, snapping an arm against the wall to steady myself when I stupidly try to put my weight on my right side. “Maverick…?”

Kain looks at the slumped figure at his side, and his only answer is a slight shake of his head. “I’m sorry, Ghost.”

I take a breath, a strange swirl of emotions rattling my chest wall. Ever since I was a child, I always viewed Maverick as this indomitable force—more idea than man. And yeah, he was a sadistic piece of shit, but he certainly wasn’t the worst of them.

Crouching with Brett carefully stabilized in my arms, I palm the cracked black mask lying inches from Maverick’s head. A mask he wore for so many years—a mask that became part of him. In the end, he cast it aside. In the end, he decided to give himself for something more—something selfless. And for that, I think I almost respect him.

“You will not be forgotten, brother,” I whisper, placing the mask delicately over his chest—right where his beating heart would be.

Silence greets me as I stand back up, broken a moment later by the sound of footfalls drawing nearer through the tunnels. Kain and I tense at the same moment, our hands slipping to our weapons in case we need to make a last stand.

Through the shadows, I start to make out a figure. His frame is lanky, and the closer he gets, I can make out strands of wild black hair hanging over a piercing pair of sky-blue eyes.

“Orion,” I whisper, nearly collapsing in relief ashis telltale smirk becomes clear. “I was about to kill you.”

“I’d like to have seen you try, old man,” Orion jeers, stopping a few feet from Kain. He rakes a hand through his hair, a satisfied grin splitting his lips. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“For?”

“Saving the day.” Orion rolls his eyes. “Brett didn’t tell you how I totally ran down and?—?”

“We’ll have all the time in the world to discuss this when we get home.” I interrupt, blinking away a fresh wave of dizziness. “We need to get the fuck out of here.”

“No fucking fun,” Orion grumbles, stooping and lending an arm to help Kain stand. Reluctantly, Kain accepts, throwing a burly arm over Orion's shoulder. I worry Kain’s weight will crush the boy, but Orion remains surprisingly steady as he helps Kain hobble down the tunnel.

We make it through the tunnels and out into the red velvet-lined hallway without any issues, but when we’re halfway down the first service stairwell, another wave of vertigo nearly sends me reeling to my death. I grip the railing like it’s my lifeline, the other arm clutching Brett to me so hard I’m sure I’m hurting her. But I can’t loosen my grip. If I let goeven a little bit, I know there will be nothing standing between me and oblivion.

We’re halfway down the first golden corridor when I realize I’m limping. I cast a glance behind me, noticing several puddles of blood staining the luxurious golden floors. It’s a thick dark red—and I’m no fucking doctor, but I know losing that much blood this quickly cannotbe good.

“Ghost?” Brett’s voice is laced with concern, but I can’t look at her. I have to keep moving forward. If I stop, I die.And I don’t want to fucking die yet.

Brett slaps her hand against my chest in an attempt to gain my attention. “Ghost, put me down.”

“Mhwy push yew dowhn?” I frown at my strange-sounding speech, willing my tongue to do anything other than lie heavy at the bottom of my mouth. “Iem fineee.”

My steps slow as the room spins in and out of focus, and I catch Brett gazing at the puddle of blood forming beneath my right leg.

“Ghost? Ghost, what’s wrong?” she cries, wriggling against my hold with an animalistic desperation. I try to fight her, but I’m far too weak, and she slips from my arms at the same time my knees slam to the ground with a mightycrack.

I reach for Brett as the room slips to the side, uselessly swiping the air as the rest of my body collapses in a heap. Labored gasps rattle through my voice mod, and I’m suddenly overcome with claustrophobia, needing nothing more at this moment than to get the horrible metal off my skin.

“Ghost!”Orion and Kain shout in unison, sounding much too far away to make sense. I’m a thousand feet underground, a new shovel of dirt covering my grave with each passing second.

I’m vaguely aware of Orion saying something about going to check Maverick’s body for something to help me. I want to tell him it’s useless—that there never was hope for me, and nothing has changed. But I’m too weak to tell him this, and in the next minute, his footsteps disappear in the direction we just came from.

“Ghost! Talk to me!” Brett demands, taking my masked face between her hands, only to rip it off a moment later. “Ghost, where are you hurting?” She asks, cursing as soon as the question sounds.Realizing I wouldn’t knowwhere.

“I’m gonna have to tear your clothes to find it, okay?” She asks, probably more to keep herself calm than actually inform me of what she’s doing.

“Stay awake, okay?” Her voice trembles as shebegins ripping my pants apart from the base. When she gets to my thigh, the blood flows faster, and a gasp pours from her throat as she takes in the seriousness of the injury. Blood shoots from the wound with every beat of my heart, soaking my clothes and covering Brett’s hands as she desperately tries to stanch the bleeding.

Realizing it’s doing nothing, she sits back with a scream, tears pouring down her cheeks as the last spark of hope leaves her lovely blue eyes.

“Brett,”I whisper, using the last of my strength to call her to me. “Brett, come here. Don’t be afraid.”

She scootches up toward my head, pulling me into her lap.

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