Page 29 of Veil of Secrets

My chain swings between us, catching the first orange hint of sunrise off the steel padlock. It hits his chest with a dull knock. I don’t care. I swing again. He jerks his head back to avoid it, laughing.

“This all you got now?” he says. “Pretty chain and fists?”

My muscles scream under his grip. My heart’s racing. But my eyes are wide open this time.

No flinching.

No freezing.

I don’t beg.

I won’t beg.

And then—he stops breathing.

Not in a poetic way. Not in a slow-drop realization.

I mean, he stops.

His eyes go wide.

His mouth opens.

And a low, choking gasp leaves his throat.

Behind him—Nico.

Blade buried in Tommy’s gut.

Steel deep. No hesitation.

No words.

Just violence.

Tommy starts to scream, but it’s wet. Choked.

Nico steps in closer, one hand gripping Tommy’s shoulder to hold him upright.

"You should’ve stayed dead to her," Nico says, voice flat.

Tommy tries to pull away, but there’s nowhere to go. The blade’s already in. All that’s left is the twist.

Nico gives it.

Tommy screams louder.

It cuts off fast.

Blood splashes onto the boards, hot and thick.

My mouth opens. No sound comes out.

He stumbles once—Tommy—then drops hard. One leg bent wrong under him, hand clutched over his gut. Blood pours between his fingers.

He looks up at me.

"You fucking whore," he wheezes.

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