Page 74 of Bleeding Hearts
Knowing Alice is already upset, I don’t let myself think as I grab the gun, press it to my head, and pull the trigger within the same breath. If I let myself second-guess my actions, I might hesitate, and I will not force her to watch me be killed. That fucks someone up. I won’t let it happen to her.
The wrangler moves on as she holds me, watching the rest of our teammates. When a shot comes from my left, I startle and fall into Alice, watching the scene in horror.
The boy at my side slumps back in his chair with a bullet hole in the center of his forehead. I can’t seem to look away, even as Teresa and Poppy weep softly.
“Lals,” Alice whispers, “it isn’t your fault.”
It isn’t, it’s theirs, but looking at that boy’s unseeing eyes, I can’t help but think we are a part of this. He followed the crowd. If none of us had signed up, this wouldn’t be happening.
We failed him as much as everyone else. It shouldn’t take people dying for us to react and want to do something.
Glancing down at my shirt, I rearrange the buttons, glaring at the wrangler as he heads to the front of the room once more.
“One more round,” Teresa says, leaning into the table. “There’s only one more. They’ll let us go, right?”
“They don’t lie. They seem to stick to the rules religiously,” I murmur as I pull my eyes off him. “If we survive the next round, then they will let us go. The game only works if we trust them.”
“What if we all just ran at them?” Poppy whispers. “I don’t want anyone else to die.” She glances at Teresa, her meaning clear.
“You saw how that went before. People were shot before they got close,” Alice mutters. “Maybe a distraction? Then we can go at them en masse.”
“It’s too risky,” I caution. “People will die.”
“People are going to die anyway.” She looks at me, and I hate the knowledge in her eyes. “Lally, people are dying. We have to do something. We can’t sit by.” Her tears spill over, and she wipes them away. “Okay, so we’ll make a distraction. If everyone works together, we can get out?—”
“And then what?” I snap. “They know us. They know where we live. They said we would be punished. Look around, baby. Don’t you think they will do what they said?” I grip her hand. “I can’t lose you.”
“And I can’t sit by and let them kill people,” she retorts, “and neither can you. I know it.”
Closing my eyes, I take a breath and blow it out. “Okay, then I’ll make the distraction. Spread the word.”
Teresa turns and taps the next table. Poppy does the same, and I press my forehead against Alice’s. “It’s okay.”
“We’ll be okay,” she repeats.
I go to stand, a distraction coming to mind, when a hand hits my shoulder and shoves me back into the chair. I glance up with wide eyes as the wranglers look at me.
We’ve run out of time, and as a wrangler stops at our table, it’s clear we have to play. There is no other way.
We slump in defeat as he stands by Alice again. “Five,” he starts, and I really fucking hate them right now. I hate them so fucking much.
“Fuck you,” she spits as she picks up the gun. “Why don’t you play? Or are you scared? You think you’re powerful behind thosemasks, but you’re nothing. You’re a serial killer in hiding.” Alice presses the gun to her head, and my heart freezes. She pulls the trigger, and when nothing happens, she aims the gun at him.
“Alice,” I snap. “Don’t.”
“I want him to know what it feels like,” she argues. “I want him to know the fear of having your choices taken out of your hands. I want them to be as scared as each and every person who dies tonight because although you’re masked, nothing stays secret forever.”
“Put the gun back or face punishment,” the voice drawls.
She puts it back in the box, and he hesitates, tilting his head as if he’s listening to something, and I worry they will focus on her, so I stand and draw his gaze as I grab the gun and smile. “My turn, no?” He steps around Alice, and I breathe a sigh of relief. “I wonder . . . if I shot it at you, what would happen? You could kill me, but what if you died as well?” I aim it at him like she did, but this time, I step closer. “I doubt anyone would miss you the way they would miss me. Should we find out?”
“Five,” he begins, and I smirk.
“I know whoever is behind this is watching and talking to you. Well, I have something to say.”
“Four,” he counts.
“When I win, and I will, I’m going to use all that money to come for you. I’m going to make it my life’s mission, and you will feel each and every death.”
