Phoebe's POV
The gunshot that had rang out throughout the house, made me break out in a sweat.
"You're bluffing," I said, and Alex raised his eyebrow.
"Really?" He said, "Phoebs, in about ten minutes, all of your friends will be dead, give or take another few minutes they will find Michael and we'll execute him here." He said, swinging his arm around to show me the massive marble entry hall. He wrapped his arms around me, and I froze as he placed his chin on my shoulder.
"The blood will look really artistic against the white marble, don't you think?" He whispered into my ear, and I tried to shake him off me, but his grip tightened.
Then, from in front of us, a door opened and I saw one of Alex's men walk in. He had dark hair and eyes, and his shoulder had a large bandage over it.
"What the hell happened to you, Carter?" Alex said, moving his position to be holding my arms.
"There's a problem." He said, rubbing his shoulder, "Annie, she got away."
I heard Alex inhale deeply against me.
"So, I let you have this favour, and you fuck it up? Where is she now?" Alex said, and Carter's eyes momentarily flicked towards the floor, before back up Alex.
"I don't know... but I'm going to find her. I'm also here to ask a favour." He said quietly and Alex snorted.
"You honestly think I'm going to give you one?" He said and Carter's eyes softened.
"I'll not ask anything of you again." He said and Alex paused.
"What is it?" Alex asked, and a Carter took a deep breath.
"I want Annie, I want her to be kept alive." He said, and I furrowed my brows.
Why did he want Annie alive? I felt Alex reach into his pocket, and he grabbed my wrists, and before I could even struggle, I cringed as I heard the zip of a zip tie being fastened around them. He shoved me back against the wall, and pointed a finger at me.
"Stay," he ordered and I bit my lip, not daring to move from the spot.
"And why's this, Carter? You told me you just wanted to have a bit of fun with her and that would be it?" He said and Carter looked to me for a split second and then back to Alex.
"Come on, man. I follow everything you say, without question."
"Yeah, that's because that's what you're supposed to do. You don't follow my rules I kill you, isn't that what you agreed to three years ago?" Alex shouted, and Carter shook his head, taking a step towards him.
"It's not as if you've given me much choice? Alex, this is all I know now, and believe it or not, for a split second, I felt my old self again. I felt what I felt for my girlfriend, I felt what I felt for my friends....." Carter was interrupted when Alex jumped in.
"So you love her, is that it?" Alex sneered and Carter glared at him.
"Of course not, I just... she reminds me of Lucy, that's all." He said, and suddenly everything clicked.
"Wait a second, three years?" I spoke up, and both of them turned and stared at me.
"This happened to you?" I asked Carter, and Alex raised a finger to him.
"You value your life, you keep quiet." He said, and Carter lowered his head. Alex turned back round to me, a sick smile spreading across his face.
"Phoebe, maybe it didn't cross your mind, but a lot of people that work for us, we have gathered up from previous games. Carter, was one we picked up three years ago. He's brilliant, fast, lethal, everything we look for to make sure we win The Chase each year."
