Delicious - Page 54

“Good for her that she came at all,” Virgil murmurs from his spot leaning against a more solid part of the barn. “You sure you can do this without vomiting, Saylor?” He looks at me shrewdly, making me just as uncomfortable now as he had back at the cabin.

“Nope.” I grin recklessly at him, and my screaming arms demand that I set the chainsaw down. I do so on the tarp in front of Jed before stepping backward like I’m using him as a shield.

Jed turns, wraps an arm around my shoulders, and kisses my temple with a soft, “Thank you,” against my skin. The pride in his tone, and the warmth, makes all of this worth it. Even the nausea.

I can do this.

I’mgoingto do this.

“You’re really okay with this?” Gary Miller’s eyes are locked on mine. “You’re not a killer. I can see you aren’t likethem.” He looks around at the three men, who don’t look particularly offended by his words. “You’re going to just let them?—”

“She doesn’t get much of a choice.” Virgil’s voice cracks out like a whip, impatience rippling through his words. “But even if she did…” He looks at me, straightening. “If it was your choice, would you let him go?”

“Don’t,” Jed protests, stepping more in front of me and shaking his head. “Stop, okay. You wouldn’t have asked Sloane that last year. Don’t make her?—”

“Sloane had a personal stake in the man I killed for her,” Virgil argues. “So did the guy Wren killed for Hazel. But she doesn’t. She could leave and go to the cops. She could let him go, if we let her. Then he’d get us all arrested and put away?—”

“No, I wouldn’t.” I don’t love the way Virgil talks to me, though I can respect how protective he is of his friends. “Eventhough I know I’m not like your fiancee”—I haven’t met her, but from what I’ve heard, she sounds terrifying based on the fact she can standhim—“I’m not as bad as you think. I hope, anyway.” I suck in a breath, feeling their gazes on me as I look back at the man tied to the chair.

He shouldn’t look so hopeful. He shouldn’t fight his bonds as he stares at me, as if I’m Caesar and about to give him the thumb’s up so he can walk on out of here like a gladiator who’s killed the lions.

Because he should know, the lions always win, and Caesar never played fair.

“Kill him.” I shrug, though it takes everything in me to make it sound so…easy. “It’s not like you haven’t asked for it, Mr. Miller. Your brother deserved it, and from what I hear, you aren’t a very good person either.” That’s true, at least. And it helps remind me he’s not blameless in this, even though I’m back to feeling like I’m going to puke all over the place. “You came after Jed. You came aftermethis morning. I’m not stupid. You would’ve hurt me if I hadn’t had the chainsaw and he hadn’t come out.” I shrug again, wondering if I’m putting on the performance of my life or just looking as wretched as I feel.

“And that was where you went too far,” Wren adds in a purring, dangerous tone. He prowls behind the chair, hands coming down hard on Gary Miller’s shoulders. “You don’tevergo after one of us. Not me, or Jed, and definitely not Saylor.” He winks at me when he says it, in that annoying but helpful big brother kind of way. “We gave you every opportunity in the world, Gary. You could’ve walked away like she said.”

He’s starting to fight in earnest now, trying to rip his arms out of the bonds as Wren holds him and Jed picks up the chainsaw. “N-no!” the man yells, whirling to look for any sympathetic face.

But he finds none, as I knew he wouldn’t. “No.Please.” His eyes land on mine, and my heart jolts when he just won’t look away from me, even as Jed revs the chainsaw.

Every sound of it makes my stomach heave and makes my hands tighten into fists.

I can’t do this.

I don’t want to do this.

The sound of the chainsaw’s motor catching returns more nausea to my stomach, and my breath catches in my throat as it jerks in Jed’s hand. This is everything I’d been afraid of, and my muscles tense, begging me to run away from him and the situation.

When I look at him like this, I’m afraid of him. I see the monster from the preserve who killed Tyson Miller and kidnapped me, seemingly with no cause. I can’t do this, I can’t watch him do this and ever look at him the same.

At least, until my gaze slides upward and I meet his eyes.

Jed isn’t looking at Gary Miller with the chainsaw loud in his hands. He’s staring at me. Waiting. Whatever he sees when I’m able to look at him brings the smallest of smiles to his lips, and in turn, it settles something in me that I hadn’t realized was about to fall apart.

“You don’t need to watch this,” he tells me, though I have no idea how I hear him over the loud engine. “Go outside, Saylor. You aren’t any less for not being able to watch this. No matter what Virgil says.”

My eyes flick to Virgil’s face, where he still leans against the wall. He’s impressed, one brow raised, and his head tilts towards the door, giving me the same permission that Jed had.

I won’t think less of you. That’s what his expression says. Lastly my gaze falls on Wren, who’s giving me the same patient, understanding smile from his dark eyes and curved lips.

I can’t do this.

Yet.

Not completely, at least. My steps take me back to the door, and I stumble over my feet when Jed turns, all smooth and graceful movements. He’s not my boyfriend as he stalks over to Gary Miller holding a chainsaw like he was born with it in his hands.

He’s a predator. He’s a hunter, moving with deadly precision, and when the chainsaw comes up, my hand hits the door a second too late.