The Last Hero (Villains & Monsters #2)

Chapter 54

Present Day

Somehow, Jamie made it back to the deserted camp. It was only then did he collapse to the ground in exhaustion. His body hurt everywhere, and the burn in his shoulder was starting to spread throughout the rest of his arm. He sobbed and cursed. His heart ached for the four lives gone, and the one who was on their way back to that hellhole.

He focused on pulling air into his lungs slowly in an attempt to calm the panic, devastation and rage in his body. He needed to get it together. If there was any chance to save Layla, he'd take it. She deserved a chance.

When he arrived at the boxcar, he slid it open and gasped in shock. It was empty. Completely empty. Every material, every bit of progress and the serum he had spent so long crafting was no longer there.

He got over his shock, then sighed deeply. That's the only reason why Desmond was taken deeper into the woods, wasn't it? To lure them away from here so the rest of the leaders could take what Jamie was building. Their plan was successful. They got what they wanted.

Of course. Of fucking course.

He walked further into the boxcar, dragging his hand on the deserted table, then across the wall where he hung up Oliver Steven's old formulas—the formulas he hated more than anything but relied on desperately. He couldn't help but wonder if Oliver also hated his formulas after they got over seventy people killed. Did he truly feel guilty like Aniya said he did?

After Oliver's decisions got multiple people killed, he ran and hid from consequence, just like Jamie had done his whole life after he did something evil. He was responsible for more than his team's deaths. He was also responsible for Justin's death, Ian's death, and Sean's death. He'd been murdering for so long, and even if he pretended that he didn't, he thought about all of them every day.

Quiet footsteps approached the entrance to the boxcar, and he didn't need to turn around to see who it was. He felt the chill. He knew it was a matter of time.

"Didn't think you'd come back here." Daija's voice was soft, but also hesitant.

Jamie kept his eyes on the bare wall. "Why wouldn't I?"

"All of us thought that you'd try to leave the city at some point tonight."

"No point," he murmured. "You would've turned the entire world upside down in order to find me."

She didn't deny it. Even if she did, Jamie would've never believed her.

"So," she started, "how many?"

He knew what she meant. How many lives was your plan worth?

Jamie finally turned around and faced her. Tears pooled in his eyes, and his heart ached when the memories from the last few hours arose. CJ's head in the box, Victor bleeding, Desmond screaming, Layla sobbing in front of Adrienne and Amaya having her mind shattered by Sierra.

Daija was dressed in her dark suit with the blue and violet lining, and her hair was styled into a puff with a few flyaway curls. He expected her to taunt him, laugh at him the way Austin and Tony had, but she wasn't even smiling. She looked sad, like she was sharing his pain.

"None," he whispered with a slow shake of his head, "none of it was fucking worth it."

She shut her eyes and sighed. "I gave you time. Lots of it."

"I know."

"Plenty of warnings."

He gritted his teeth and did his best to keep the tears from spilling. "I know."