Page 145 of Dance of Ruin

I back toward the door, caught somewhere between grief and rage.

I fumble behind me for the knob, open it and step through, still facing him, still holding the gun.

Nico watches me with something raw in his eyes, not sure if I just walked away fromhimor everything all this bullshit never gave us the chance to be.

I don’t know which it is, either. Maybe both.

I close the door, leave the gun on the ground, and walk away.

I’m done.

31

NICO

It’s beenthree days since she walked out of my apartment.

Three days since she pointed a gun at me, full of fury and heartbreak.

It kills me.

She’s been staying at Milena’s place. Which is smart, because that girl lives in a fuckingfortress.

It makes it nearly impossible for me to go over there and drag her back—kicking and screaming if necessary—and tie her to my fucking bed, and apologize over and over until she understands that I didn’t mean to fuck up this badly.

That I’m sorry.

That I need her more than I’ve ever needed anyone, and that it scares the fuck out of me.

But Milena living in a steel castle isn’t the reason I haven’t gone to get Naomi. There’s always a way to reach someone. It’s not like the Mercury Theater has armed guards.

It’s me.

I fucking earned this.

The dark sensations slam into me all over again.

I used her own assault against her.

I mean…holyfuck.

I threatened her with it. Ibuilt everythingupon it—everything we are.

Were.

“P-p-please…”

The steady drip-drip-drip of blood hitting the dirty floor blended with the half-conscious whimpers for mercy that isnevercoming pulls me from my thoughts.

Re-igniting the fury.

Forcing the self-loathing I’m wallowing in back to its cave as I morph back into a dark apostle of wrath and vengeance.

Speaking ofvengeance…

I turn to let my eyes narrow on the two men hanging by the chains around their wrists, dangling from the rusty rafters of an old slaughterhouse. We’re deep in Brooklyn, safely away from prying eyes and curious ears.

Out here, I am death, destroyer of worlds.

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