The Berserker

Chapter 30

In the end, Nathaniel had changed the plan - he wanted to meet Dominic alone.

The way he had stared at me, waiting for an objection, some sort of protest, would have been comical if not for the gravity of the matter. I had simply shrugged, handing him his gun. I said I'd do it his way, so if this is what he wanted, fine.

That didn't mean I was letting Dominic get away with this. Never. Not a chance in hell. It would just have to be privately. Of course, the chance that this was where Nathaniel betrayed me crept up, but I locked it away. As long as we worked together, I would not doubt him - not after all that we went through to get this far.

You're the one being stupid now, I thought for the hundredth time, staring at the bathroom door. Debating over and over that question in my head, safety flicking on and off.

"I'm ready." Nathaniel stepped out, the black suit fitting him well, hair mussed to one side. I swallowed. My throat refused to work, so I dipped my head in acknowledgement, gun sliding in my waistband.

The drive offered little distraction, my mind unable to focus. A flip had been switched. That craving for destruction gone. This had never happened before. It was... scary that it wasn't present amidst the burning need to get rid of Dominic. Somehow the two had been separated, and I couldn't figure out why.

"It'll work out," Nathaniel stated, silencing the drumbeat of my fingers with his hand. "We're both walking away from this."

"Of course." My reply held more confidence than I felt. Too many things could go wrong, and here I was, not in the right frame of mind.

La Chance d'une Etoile towered over its neighbours in beauty and splendour. A famous restaurant, hotel and landmark all in one. It was famous for one reason and one reason only: privacy guaranteed.

And Nathaniel was walking in there alone.

"You'll call if you need help?" My eyes did not stray from the fortress.

"Is that concern, I hear?" Nat seemed amused, pulling into an underground parking lot across from the fortress. He parked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as we regarded each other carefully.

"Will you?" I repeated.

"Just stay here. When I come back, we'll be free."

He hesitated, leaning in as if to whisper something, what I didn't know, but I found myself waiting for it. It didn't come. Nathaniel flashed a smile, exiting the vehicle without another word. When he disappeared from sight, I switched over to the driver's seat, reclining.

Negotiations should be short - we clearly had the upper hand in exposing all of their operatives, yet the unease in my gut didn't lessen. In fact, it grew with each passing minute. Multiple scenarios played out, each ending decidedly worse than the previous one I concocted.

I would have to break my promise to Nathaniel; Dominic had to die. Peyton would agree undoubtedly, even pitch in to help finalize the end of the puppeteer who had tormented us for so long. Then, we could all live in peace, happily.

The thought of Blake smiling brought a smile to my face.

White light illuminated the interior of the car. Snatching the phone, heart rate climbing from a mix of anticipation and excitement, a new text from an unknown number stared at me.

'You're a hard fish to catch, Miss Rollins. What type of bait do you like?'

I knew immediately that this was Dominic's doing. Nathaniel was in trouble. Blade in hand, I reached for the door when another text came in.