Page 76 of The Devil's Den

“Take it!” He points the gun to my chest, and my inhales come faster than my exhales.

“No!” I yell, but he pushes it into me.

“Take the fucking gun!”

“Pl-please, d-d-don’t do this!” My every word is a strangled mess, splintering out of me.

“If you don’t shoot him…” He pivots the weapon toward Matteo. “Then I’ll kill him and that other bastard. Choose.”

“Coward,” Matteo sneers. “You were always such a damn coward. Kill me yourself. I dare you.”

The room swells with Agnelo’s sinister laughter. “You think you’re better than me, huh? You know…” He sighs like he’s bored. “Once upon a time, your dear old daddy thought he was too and look where it got him.”

Matteo snarls, pulling at the chain, attempting to come at Agnelo, who only chuckles harder.

He turns to me with a depthless stare. “You have on the count of three, then both of their deaths will be on your head.”

My gaze finally lands on Matteo, this beautiful man who’s never had a life thanks to this monster. Within his eyes, I picture us older, a bunch of kids running around like I once dreamed about, but it’s over now, isn’t it? Because I’ll be the one to kill him.

I get it now, the weight of his decision. It wasn’t easy killing Ms. Greco. He did what he thought he had to, just like I do.

I can’t kill Robby. I know that. But killing Matteo…

I choke on my breaths, the tears coming heavy. I can’t lose him.

“One.” Agnelo’s thumb presses on the trigger.

My heartbeats thrash within me, my chest tightening.

“Pl-please,” I manage, looking at the man who stole everything from me. There’s nothing redeeming about him, and yet, I wish he had an ounce of humanity.

“Two.” With the gun pointed to the man I love, his glare drops to mine.

“Leave her alone!” Matteo says roughly.

“I’d have killed you already,” Agnelo tells him. “But having her do it, knowing I can make her… Well, that’s a lot better.” He slams those cruel eyes to mine. “Your time is almost up.”

“It’s okay.” Matteo softly smiles. “I love you. I’d never hold it against you. Do it. I’m ready.”

“I’m so sorry.” The tremor in my voice rolls down my spine, and my heart is practically being wrenched from my chest. “This was never how it was supposed to be for you and me.”

We made promises. We wanted to have a life. A beautiful one. But deep down, we knew it’d never happen. We lived in our fantasy and now we’ve finally woken up.

“Remember us and the life we swore we’d have,” Matteo says, the tears carving a path down his cheeks even as he fights them. “Live it. For me.”

“No! Please! I can’t say goodbye!”

“It’s not goodbye,” Matteo promises. “It’s I’ll see you later.”

But it is goodbye. And it’s forever.

“Pinky swear?” The words come in a pant.

“Always.” His grin is wide, the glow within his gaze flickering, and I’ll be the one to shut it off completely.

“I’ll never forget you,” I cry. “I couldn’t even if I tried.” How could I let go of him? How could I live a second, a minute, an hour without him? “You’re the moon and the stars, the sun when it rises, the warmth when it sets,” I tell him, the waves of agony rocking the very core of me.

“You were always so much better with words.” His smile tethers with brokenness. There’s so much of it on his face, and my heart twists with unimaginable grief.

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