“And in exchange, I’ll let one of you go free.”
“Liesel will go free.”
“You haven’t heard the second half of my deal, so you might want to reconsider your chivalry.”
I frown and hold my breath, waiting for him to drop the part he thinks will make me change my mind. He doesn’t realize that nothing will make me change my mind. Liesel has to go free. I can’t be responsible for her pain again, not when I have the chance to save her.
He takes another long drink, enjoying making me crazy as he draws this out.
“I’ll let one of you go free—”
“Unharmed,” I say.
He shrugs. “The person who goes free will be in one piece.”
“They will be unharmed.”
“You aren’t in a position to negotiate. As I said, I gave Miss Dunn the same deal, and if she agrees to my terms before you do, then you will have no choice but to go along with it.”
I frown.
“As I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, I will let one of you go free after I get the information I need. I’ll kill the other one.”
The blood drains from my face. “Why? Why not torture the other to within an inch of their life and then let them go?”
“I can’t have the two of you exchanging information and fighting me for the treasure. I must be the only person who knows all of the clues.”
I don’t think I’ve blinked, taken a breath, or let my heart beat since he said he’d only let one of us live. I’ve been in predicaments like this before, life and death situations. Every time I’ve defeated the enemy. I’ve not only won but succeeded in killing the monster who dared to stand against me. I could do the same again.
But I’ve never been drugged like this and never had to keep Liesel safe at the same time.
If I choose Liesel to be the one to live, I won’t be able to fight back until I know she’s safe. By then, I could be dead. And I’m not sure I’m strong enough to fight the drugs. I don’t know where Enzo and his team are, but my only hope is that they are close.
I’m made several vows in my life—to Phoenix, to my kids, to Liesel. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep all of them. I’ll have to choose which vows to keep and which to break.
The man in the suit grins as he watches my agony. He’s a sick, sadistic man who probably enjoys this as much as he will getting the information he needs to go after the treasure. The man finishes his drink casually, then stands and sets the glass back on the bar.
“Watch him, but don’t injure him. Give him a half dose in a half-hour. I want him lucid when I return,” he says to the two guards.
“Yes, sir,” they both answer.
He looks at me. “I’ll return in an hour to get your decision.” He starts to walk to the door, and my heart speeds. What if Liesel gives him an answer before me? Can I really let her decide both our fates?
“Wait!” I shout as he opens the door.
He turns and looks at me with raised brows.
“You don’t need to wait an hour. I have an answer for you now.”
He smiles, satisfied.
“I’m sure you do, but I have a lunch meeting I need to attend, and I’ll enjoy watching you squirm. You can give me your answer in an hour.”
“What about Liesel?”
“I’ll collect her answer in two hours if you don’t give me an answer in one.”
Then he leaves without giving me a chance to say more. He leaves me with my choice—an impossible one, but one I won’t regret making. Not this time.