Page 137 of Inception

“Go…NOW!”

I had to do something. I couldn’t let this happen. But what? What couldIdo? All I had was my partial training and some Protective necklace that was supposed to keep me—

That’s it!The Amulet.

Without a second thought, I yanked the necklace from around my neck and closed my trembling hand around it. This was it. My one shot. I screamed out his name like a lovesick prayer, “Trace! Look up!”

As soon as our eyes connected, I drew my arm back and threw the necklace across the room at him. His hand punched up through the air and caught it.

Dominic, who had been crouched over him in his wolf-form, yelped out in pain and then shot backwards through the air; almost as though he’d been shocked by an electrical fence.

Or touched a magical barrier.

Dominic retreated into the corner, away from Trace and the Amulet, and then shifted back to his human self.

Yes! It worked!

Trace jumped to his feet, the necklace fitted securely in the palm of his hand. He was smiling to himself. A beautiful, victorious smile that ignited a fire inside my heart.

“Alright, Romeo, good job. Now hand it over to me,” said Dominic, wiping the dust off his shirt.

Good job? I shook my head, certain I heard that wrong.

“Actually,” said Trace, dimples blazing. “I think I’m going to hang on to it for a while.”

Dominic quickly stepped to him but Trace moved back, seemingly one step ahead of him, in more ways than one.

“We had a deal,” roared Dominic.

Trace laughed in response.

Adeal? “What the hell is going on?” I shouted, even though it was painfully obvious. Trace was in on it.

“You don’t want to play this game with me, boy,” said Dominic as he pulled Taylor over to him like a human shield. “I’ll rip both their heads off before you make it to the door.” Flames of fury raged in Dominic’s eyes as he watched Trace dangle the Amulet, taunting him with his victory.

“Knock yourself out,” said Trace, backing away. “I got what I came here for and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. I’m protected and we both know it.” He turned his back on him—onme—and barreled off towards the exit.

What the hell was he doing? How could he do this to me? How could he just leave me here?

“Trace!” I heard myself cry out his name, a desperate last ditch effort to wake him up—to make him come to his senses and turn around. But it was all in vain.

He didn’t even so much as offer a glance in my direction as he tossed my heart to the meat grinder and left the church with my Amulet in hand.

43. UNNATURAL BORN KILLER

Bitter tears of betrayal stung my eyes as the ugly truth nestled itself inside my soul. Trace had set me up. Everything we’d been through, everything he said to me…it was all a lie. It meant nothing to him.Imeant nothing to him. He used me to get what he wanted and when he got it, he threw me to the wolf.

Through blurred vision, I looked up at Dominic. He was still holding Taylor by her neck, seemingly shocked by the sudden turn of events. God only knew what he would do to Taylor and me once the shock wore off. He would blame us for this, for all of it. Heck, we were the only ones aroundtoblame.

Dominic’s head twisted at the sound of my choked sob.

I shook my head at him as though attesting to my innocence—to the fact that I had nothing to do with this. As though silently begging him to have mercy on me.

His expression changed suddenly; faltered. For the faintest of seconds I thought I saw somethinghumanin his eyes. Something sympathetic. Maybe he wasn’t all monster after all. Maybe there was still some feeling—some humanity—buried somewhere deep inside of him and he would let us go.

“How very pitiful of you.”

“This isn’t my fault,” I quickly defended.

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