Page 13 of Beautifully Ruined
I’ve let her down. I’ve…
I close my eyes before turning to Ivan. “Since you killed the only person able to help, it’s going to take me at least thirty minutes to undo this.”
He doesn’t say a word, just releases the safety. “You did this without him.”
“It’s easier to do something than dismantle?—”
“Tick fucking Tock.”
I nod and sit, turning to the computer.
He lowers the gun as start working.
Twenty minutes should be enough time, more than enough, for Enzo to get here.
If he’s coming.
Ivan’s voice comes from behind me. “I changed my mind.”
Startled, I turn.
Vi stands, unmoving, her eyes big and green and vulnerable and on me like I’m either her savior or her destroyer. I know which one I want to be, but I fear which one I might become.
There are so many things I want to say, words soaked in emotion, in love, in self-hate, in apology that are just for her, but I can’t. I fucking can’t.
Do that, and he just might shoot her for fun.
Besides, she’s here because his men understand leverage. I’m betting if it wasn’t her, it’d be Jack.
And Jack…yeah, I’d save him, too. Try to.
But my brother isn’t here, and while not even Jack deserves being in a life-or-death situation, he’s not as innocent as Violet.
I look at the monster with the gun. “About what?”
He doesn’t move. “You now have ten minutes.”
“This is going to take?—”
“Ten minutes, or…” He aims the gun at her and mimics the gesture of shooting her.
Fuck. The expression on his face is like stone.
“Clock is ticking.”
I don’t trust myself to speak, so I just nod and get back to work.
He’s lying, but can I call his bluff?
No. I need to make every second count.
It’s not easy making it look like I’m dismantling an alert that isn’t going to happen. As the minutes, the seconds, tick by, my deadline looms closer and closer.
I really begin to regret this move.
If no one comes I’m fucked, and Vi is dead.
“Almost got it…” I mutter, loud enough for Ivan to ear as time gets closer to zero.
