Page 29 of Darkest Game
“Now, we’re off,” Jack says, grabbing Irina’s arm, forcing her to her feet. There’s no expression on her face. No fear. No anger. Just blank. She must be stealing herself for the night. It only makes me more fucking angry and guilty.
I watch Jack and Irina leave the ballroom together. There’s a lodge next door to this where I know he’s taking her. All the guests are going to spend the night.
Elaine storms over to me. “You need to stop this.”
“How?”
“Go in that room and kill the girl.”
“Right in front of Jack? He’ll kill me for it.”
“Do I look like I care?”
I stand up, towering over her. “I’m not going to put my own life in fucking danger for you, you crazy bitch. You tried to kill Irina earlier.”
“Like you care about her.” When I don’t reply, she raises her eyebrows. “You… you don’t actually care about her, do you? Because that would be very stupid if you did. She’s not yours and she will never be yours. You’d be doing her a favor by killing her. I know I’d rather be dead than raped by countless men. So what are you going to do about it?”
“I know what you’re doing,” I growl. “You’re trying to get me to stop Jack from fucking her. You don’t care at all about her or me.”
“Does it matter my motives if they align with yours?”
“Your motives are for Irina to be dead.”
She crosses her arms. “So what’s your motive?”
To see Jack dead. The thought comes unbidden and strong. The only way to stop Jack tonight is by killing him. But can I put myself at risk like that… and all over some girl I don’t love?
Maybe it’s because Irina is technically my wife now but I don’t want her to be anybody’s but mine.
There were no weapons allowed at the wedding today. The only people who have guns are the guards on duty and there’s multiple at the entrances to this place. I’m sure Jack is going to have a guard stationed outside the wedding night suite.
I could easily be killed for this.
But I can’t stop this anger and guilt from going away. Anger at Jack for turning me into a fucking fool and guilt because, well, Irina doesn’t deserve this. She wasn’t even supposed to be here. It was supposed to be her sisters.
And now she’s paying the price for my mistake.
I grab the steak knife and place it in my jacket.
Elaine’s eyes light up. “You’re making the right choice. End that poor girl’s life.”
Without a word, I leave the ballroom and head for the lodge. Irina called me a coward and not going to lie, it fucking stung. I’ve never thought of myself as a coward in my entire life but she was right. I was acting like a coward. I was letting Jack dictate my life and make a mockery out of me.
So, it’s time to fucking end this and show my wife that I’m not a coward at all.
Irina
Jack brings me to the lodge next door. It’s a beautiful space decorated in dark woods and even darker furniture. It would bea lovely place for a wedding night… if I wasn’t so scared out of my mind.
I shut my emotions down. It’s better if I just close my eyes and get this over with. Jack is physically larger than me. There’s no way I can beat him in a fight.
I could try to ask for help but I’m sure Jack as paid off everybody in this lodge. A man like him would want to make sure nothing went wrong.
The room itself is a large, rustic, cozy space. Or it would be if I wasn’t about to be raped.
Jack shuts the door behind us. I catch a glimpse of the guard on duty outside the room. Just one but he has a gun on him. No way I could make a run for it. I’d be shot down before I could scream for help.
“You look beautiful in that dress,” he says, his eyes raking me over. I keep my eyes glued to his shoulder. “Answer me.”
