The Choice (The Gamble Series Book 2)

by Kathryn Jacques

  “I don’t know… it’s… I don’t know.”

  “Did they escape or did Elijah…” my voice trails off because just the idea of him being here, in this building so close to everyone I love, I don’t even want to think about it as terror slithers its icy fingers up my spine.

  “I don’t know. I just heard they were gone and ran to find you. I thought that, well, come on, everyone’s down in the basement,” he says and then hurries out the door to rush for the nearest stairwell.

  “Nadia, stay here with Tisis, lock the door behind me and don’t go anywhere!” I command. “And don’t let anyone you don’t know come in. Jax, Rey or I will find you once we’re finished.”

  She’s about to argue, her mouth open on a protest, but I pull the door shut and charge after Rey. Feet pounding on the linoleum and concrete, together we spiral down the stairs and into the basement where the Risers house prisoners or anyone else needing to be locked up. It should have only been the two League members down there.

  The set-up is similar to the League’s prison; old closets and storage rooms converted into crude cells with metal bars in place of doors. Old water and rust stains coat the grey cinder block walls, and dents, cracks and holes cover the concrete floor. The soles of my boots pound on the hard floor, reverberating through the vast space. We race past an ancient furnace no one has touched in the last century, and a collection of broken, rusted water heaters.

  At the far end of the basement where an sold HVAC unit stands, holes rusted through the metal, we discover Charlie, Nole, Jax, Ryder and a handful of other people standing outside an empty cell with its metal grate pried open by force.

  As the cell comes into view, I recoil with a yelp, colliding into Rey who pulls me against him.

  He curses, trying to shield me from the ghastly sight inside the cell moments too late.

  The two League prisoners are gone, but they haven’t left the cell empty. From a thick pipe running the length of the ceiling that must have once taken water through the building, hangs the body of a man. I recognize him from the crowd earlier, one of the Risers. A knife plunges through his chest, dried blood running down his clothes and pooling on the floor in a sickening, crimson puddle beneath his swaying feet. A braided rope cuts into his neck, the skin purple and grey and swollen. His eyes and tongue bulge from his face as he dangles and rotates on the end of the noose, arms drooped listlessly at his sides.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Hearing my yelp, the group turns towards where I cower in Rey’s arms.

  “Get her outta here!” barks Ryder, jabbing a thick finger at me.

  Hands pull me away, I have no idea if they belong to Rey or someone else. All I can see is the man, swinging and bleeding. The stench of death chokes and gags me as I’m lead away, back up the stairs. Footsteps follow, the dull hum of voices buzzing in my ears.

  As we reach the first floor, I’m guided to the Resident Advisor’s office. The sound of weeping reaches my ears and glancing around a fresh gathering of people, I see Evy sobbing on another girl’s shoulder. Charlie, Nole, Ryder and Jax file into the room behind me, everyone cramping together into the tight space, faces somber and pinched.

  Shaking my head, trying to dispel the grotesque image, I fight to regain my composure. “What… what happened? How did they escape?”

  “It would appear our prisoners were actually a ploy to figure out where you were hidin’,” growls Ryder, shoulders tense and brow furrowed.

  “Like I said when you first dragged them back here,” a man replies. I recognize him as the one who first objected earlier when Ryder and I brought the League members back.

  Ryder’s head swivels around to catch the man in his venomous gaze.

  “Don’t start, Nathan,” Nole warns. “Now isn’t the time for a battle.”

  “Oh really? Cause one’s here. Callum is dead, in case you missed the display downstairs. And it’s his fault,” the man snaps, stabbing a finger at Ryder. “It’s all their faults. We were perfectly fine until they shows up begging for help for that Sub and now look!”

  Ryder strides forward, a snicker on the edge of his lips and I recoil, remembering what he did to the League man and wondering how he’ll react now.

  “Silence, or leave, Nathan,” orders Nole, stepping between the two men and thrusting a hand at the door.

  Nathan arches a bushy eyebrow in challenge. “You’ll turn your back on your own people? You’d rather protect a disgusting Sub than any of us?”

  “Make your choice,” snarls Nole with a menacing glower. Nathan glares, opening his mouth to respond, then changes his mind a marches for the hallway, flinging a pile of dusty books to the floor with a crash before making an inappropriate gesture with his right hand and slamming the door behind him.

  Nole sighs. “He’ll have the entire compound in an uproar within an hour.”

  “Right, then we figure out our next steps quickly,” Charlie says.

  I turn to her. “How did the League get in here in the first place?”

  “They must have used those two as bait and planted additional spies to follow them upon capture. There was a metal exterior door to the basement which someone pried open with a crowbar and overtook our guards.”

  “How did they get past our patrols?” someone asks.

  “No idea.” She shakes her head and stares at the floor. “I hope we don’t find more bodies of our men out in the woods come morning.”

  A long silence falls over our group with the exception of Evy’s sobs, though I have no idea why she’s crying. I wish she’d stop, the constant wailing sets me on edge.

  Expecting someone to announce a plan, I look between Nole and Charlie. “Well, why don’t we go after them? They have two injured League members, neither of whom looked like they would be ready for a long trek through the woods in their condition. They can’t have made it that far.”

  Everyone in the group exchanges grim, helpless looks, as if they share a secret.

  “It’s not that simple,” Charlie explains. “They took two of our men as hostages.”

  Puzzle pieces fall into place. I think I already know the answer to my next question, at least half of it anyway, but I need to hear it out loud. “Who did they take?”

  Clearing his throat, Nole runs a hand through his hair. “One of my guards, Damian. And one of Charlie’s.”

  I glance at Charlie and she nods, confirming my fears.

  “They took Randolph.”

  Now I understand Evy’s tears. My head spins and I place a hand against the cool, plaster wall to avoid crashing face-first to the floor. I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach, my insides clenching and rolling. Rey takes my other arm, but I brush him away. This isn’t the time to start a squabble between him and Jax, who stares at me so intently I’m uncomfortable even looking his direction.

  “Hostages,” I repeat warily, trying to assess the situation. “What do they want in exchange?”

  This time everyone looks at the ground, even Rey and Jax, and it’s Charlie and Nole who share a knowing glance.

  “I guess we can’t hid it from you anyway.” Unfurling a piece of paper clenched in her fist, Charlie offers it to me. “They left this along with… along with the tip of a finger we believe belongs to Damian.”

  It’s all I can do not to vomit. Blood coats the edges of the note, no doubt belonging to the dead Riser. I picture it pinned to his chest with the knife, a severed finger attached.

  After a moment’s hesitation, I take the paper between two trembling fingertips, careful to avoid any blood. Sliding the folds open, the League’s demands are revealed.

  I can’t say I’m surprised, but seeing it in writing makes my knees weak and this time I slump against the wall, sliding to the floor until I sit on the cold, hard tile. Even as the words burn themselves into my memory, I’m unable to tear my eyes away from the scribbles on the paper.

  Consider this a warning. If you don’t want the same to happen to the two we have taken, Char
lie must bring the Protector’s daughter to your former compound by sundown tomorrow. No weapons. No guards. No games.

  -Elijah

  “You’re not going,” Jax says, his voice harsh. I’m so shocked he’s actually spoken to me that I can only lift my head and stare dumbfounded. Rushing through the small throng of people, he kneels down and tears Elijah’s note from my hand, crumples it into a ball and tosses it to the floor. Then, with the fingers of his good hand caressing the side of my face, his tone turns softer. “You aren’t going.”

  “What?” Evy cries, still choking on sobs and yanking my attention away from Jax. Tears streak her cheeks. Her beautiful, shining hair hangs tangled and knotted around her shoulders and her eyes are so bloodshot they look like two red tomatoes stuck on her face. “They have my brother! They’re going to kill him if we don’t listen!”

  “And you want to sacrifice Kelsey instead?” Jax demands, standing again, eyes blazing.

  With pained features, Evy looks at me, clearly torn between saving her brother or saving me. “I… I want my brother…”

  And suddenly everyone starts yelling at once. Some want me to go, some want me to stay, some want to attack the League again. Evy bawls. My head throbs as they all compete to see who can be louder in the tiny, echoing space.

  “You read the note!” Evy screams, voice shrill with pain and hysteria. “They’ll kill Randolph!”

  “Someone please escort Miss Chung to her room,” Charlie commands, unable to look at Evy’s tear-stained cheeks and eyes so swollen they almost disappear into her face.

  “No!” Evy shrieks, swatting at the girl who tries to draw her away. “I’m not going anywhere until I know how we’re saving my bother! He’s the only family I have left!”

  “Well, we aren’t sending Kelsey to the League for a third time to do it!” shouts Jax.

  “Why the hell not?” another voice argues. “They’re not gonna stop till they get the Sub! Heck, send ‘em both.”

  “Why should we lose more lives for that girl?” another woman demands.

  “Because we aren’t animals,” snaps a third voice. “We’re not sending a young girl to be slaughtered. The League has been terrorizing us long before she showed up and they aren’t going to stop even if they win now.”

  Slouching against the wall, I press my palms over my ears in an attempt to drown out all the shouting. It does little good. I feel a hand on my knee and open my eyes to see Rey stooped before me, his blue eyes round with concern behind their bruises. “Kels, let’s go back to your room.”

  “No,” I say, trying to climb to my feet. Jax grabs one elbow and Rey the other to help until I shove them both away. “I’m not crippled! I can stand on my own!”

  Everyone stops screaming for a moment to regard me with varying looks of concern and hatred and a wealth of mixed expressions in between.

  “Actually, Miss Keslin, that might be a good idea,” Nole says. “Charlie and I need to discuss this matter and how best to act to return everyone home safely. It would be best if those directly involved are perhaps not here for the debates.”

  I have no energy to argue, and Evy seems to be doing enough for the both of us as her jarring cries pierce my skull. I want to be angry at her for not caring what happens to me, but I can’t really blame her. If I had to choose between Rey’s safety or hers, I’d choose Rey's.

  Of course, I’m unable to choose between Rey and Jax so maybe my opinion means little.

  Both still hover beside me, Rey pulling my arm to lead me back to the stairs and Jax pushing a path through the crowded, suffocating room. Lost in my own thoughts, I slowly follow like a pitiful lost animal. My face burns as I feel every eye on me, far too many belonging to people who’d gladly stab me in the back if it meant they never had to see the League again.

  “You should come back to stay with Nadia and me,” Jax says as we get into the hallway, less a suggestion and more a plea.

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Rey grumbles as we trudge up the stairs.

  “Well, of course you don’t, I wouldn’t expect a Sub-“

  “Would you both just shut up!” I shriek, halting on the landing, my anger and frustration reaching full swell. “Just shut up and stop it! This is insane! A man died tonight because of me. Maybe even more. We have enough to worry about without the two of you acting like children fighting over a toy. I don’t belong to either of you. I am not an inanimate object you get to control and if you both don’t stop treating me like such I swear I might decide I hate both of you!”

  My outburst is met with silence, Jax grounding his jaw to bite a sarcastic response, Rey hanging his head the way he always did when we were kids and I lost my temper with him. Neither response is typical for either boy when dealing with anyone other than myself. Somehow, whenever I’m concerned, they change, become more human or more caring or maybe more true to who they are, no longer hiding behind the masks they wear to protect themselves from the rest of the world.

  With a deep inhale, I run my hands over my face, allowing my emotions to simmer. Jax and Rey aren’t the ones I’m angry with right now. “I imagine if I say I’m going to stay in my own suite tonight, alone, you both are going to argue me to death about it?”

  They glance at each other and then nod.

  “And I also imagine that if I stay at Jax’s, Rey will argue and vis-versa.”

  Both nod again. I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.

  “Fine. Then we will all go to Jax’s. I’ll sleep with Nadia, Jax takes the other bedroom and Rey the couch in the common area. It’ll be like one big, happy slumber party. Can we all deal with this scenario without fighting about it or punching anyone in the nose this time?"

  “Yes,” Rey says, looking relieved.

  “Whatever,” mutters Jax with a dispassionate shrug.

  “Fine,” I say, but only to gain some sort of last word so they know who's in charge. Then I head to my new suite to retrieve Nadia and the wolf. Regardless of the League and hostage situation, a very long night awaits us all.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I can’t sleep, which, given the course the evening took, isn’t all that unforeseen. Every time I close my eyes I see the imagine of the hanging man. Every noise causes me to jump in fear that it might be Elijah.

  Nadia snores gently, one thumb in her mouth and the blanket tucked up to her chin as she cocoons against my side. She wanted to know what happened and I hate to lie to her since she’ll hear rumors anyway, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her the full truth. I told her someone was killed, and two of our people kidnapped, but not about the note or Elijah’s demands. She’s dealt with more trauma than most adults could handle, it’s time to start saving whatever innocence she has left.

  Tisis lies at her feet, occasionally pricking her ears or lifting her head at some distant noise I’ll never be able to hear. Her animal eyes appear to glow in the darkness.

  My mind swirls with concern for Randolph, and even Damian, whom I’ve never even met, all combined with the fact that the League will never leave me alone until they have accomplished their mission. Or killed me. Or probably both. As long as Sawyer and Elijah walk this earth, I will never be safe and nor will those around me.

  I know I have to follow Elijah’s demands. If I don't, he’ll kill Randolph and Damian and only come back for more. We're still outnumbered and out armed. What if he eventually kills Jax or Rey or Nadia? I can’t bear the thought, but the idea of once again willingly surrendering myself to the League and whatever torture they have planned courses terror through my bones, causing me to shudder. After all the trouble I have caused them, they will kill me once I am no longer useful. And I can be sure it will be a slow, painful death at the psychotic hands of Elijah.

  Dozens of plans form in my head and are quickly discarded because none of them will work. They might solve a temporary problem or save a life or two, but in the end they are nothing more than a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. I’m sure Charlie and
Nole are still awake downstairs with the same dilemma.

  It must be well after midnight when I come to terms with what I have to do. No one will like it, in fact I hate it, but it’s the only way. What choice do I have?

  Slipping from bed, careful not to disturb Nadia, I tiptoe from the room, down the hall and to the front door. I’m nearly out of the apartment when a voice whispers through the darkness.

  “Kelsey? Where are you going?”

  It’s Rey. Jax might sleep like a rock, but Rey never has and no matter how quiet I tried to be, he now sits up on the sofa, the shape of his tall, lanky body outlined in the moonlight through the common room windows.

  “I can’t sleep, I was going for a walk.”

  “Kels, you know I always know when you’re lying right?”

  Technically none of it was a lie, just an omission. I seem to be really good at those lately, though apparently not good enough to fool Rey.

  “Where are you actually going?” he asks.

  I chew my bottom lip. “To find Charlie and Nole so we can get Randolph and Damian back.”

  “Are you doing what I think you’re doing?”

  “Probably.”

  "Can I talk you out of it?"

  "No."

  “Then I’m coming with you,” he says, rising to his feet. “And don’t argue with me. You know I’ll just follow whether you like it or not.”

  I snort. “Sometimes I wonder if you and Jax aren’t the same person in two separate bodies. You both are ridiculously stubborn do an excellent job of driving me insane.”

  “Then that might explain why you love us both.”

  He doesn’t say it with anger or intent to hurt, just the way one states a fact, the way Rey always exposes the obvious truth. It pains me anyway.

  Rey places a firm hand on my shoulder and though I can’t really see his face in the shadows of the room, I can picture his thin lips curved into a slight reassuring smile. “Hey, you’ll always be my best friend, ok? Nothing will ever change that. Nothing.”