50. Control

“We’re sorry, the number you have reached is not available. Please try your call again.”
“Come on, Kai, pick up.”
“We’re sorry, the number you have reached is not available--”
“Pick up, pick up, pick up.”
“We’re sorry, the number—“
“Answer your damn phone!”
“We’re sorry—”
“Shit!” Jet tosses his phone onto the couch and runs his hands through his hair as Luca and Kit watch him. How could you do this on your own, Kai? Why couldn’t you just be the stubborn, scared little shit you used to be? Why did you have to choose to listen to me this time?
“Jet—”
Jet rounds on Luca, shaking his boyfriend’s hand off his shoulder. “Tell me to breathe, and I’ll throw your ass out that window.”
“It’s three stories up, so you’ll have to pay for his funeral and the window repairs.” Kit’s humor is reflexive. He isn’t sure he said the words out loud until Jet turns his glare onto him.
Luca steps between Kit and Jet, catching Jet’s fist before it connects with Kit’s jaw. “If you want to throw punches, save them for Chalam’s face.”
“I don’t even know where the bastard is!” Jet growls.
“Then take a minute,” Em puts a calming had on Jet’s shoulder, keeping her voice steady, level. “And let’s think.”
Jet collapses onto the couch, pressing his fingers to his forehead, forcing himself to take a breath. And another. Another. The pressure inside his lungs builds with each heartbeat. “Why is my brother such an impulsive jackass?”
“Probably because he’s related to you.” Kit takes a seat next to his friend. “Look, I know you’re worried. But if you act without thinking Chalam will kill you both.”
“Then what the hell am I supposed to do?” Jet glares up at Luca. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me any of this before?”
“I gave Kai my word I wouldn’t.” Luca’s voice is heavy with regret. “But I also gave you my word I’d never lie to you again.”
“So instead you wait until I can’t talk him out of it.” The words are out of Jet’s mouth before he can stop them. He digs his teeth into his lower lip before he can say anything else.
Luca doesn’t respond, and neither does anyone else. Everyone in the room knows what Jet said is true. Kai told them to wait. He had told them to keep Jet out of this. And they had.
Jet rakes his fingers through his hair, anger giving way to a drowning sense of hopelessness, heavier than any he’s felt before. His phone sits beside him, its screen dark, mocking him with its silence.
Maybe Kai wouldn’t have been so reckless if Jet had just listened to him in the first place. If he had let Kai explain, and tried to understand, instead of listening to his pride and pushing Kai away, Jet’s world wouldn’t be on the verge of explosion.
Damn you, Kai. You were not supposed to do this on your own. It was never supposed to be you. How could you be so damn stupid? How could I be so damn stupid? What the hell is wrong with you, with me, with us?
It’s the same question he’s asked himself since he’d gone down that alley behind Nightshade a month ago. And he gets the same answers. What’s wrong is Kai will always be stubborn and impulsive, Jet will always be protective and tight-lipped, neither of them will communicate until they come to some understanding, which apparently they still haven’t reached.
Only this time, it’s Jet’s fault.
“I’m going to the NIA office.” Talay is on his feet, practically dragging Em out the door with him. “This press conference will have caused enough chaos, so maybe I can get them to listen to me. Em can call the police, and send them to OmniVentures while the three of you go get Kai.”
Kit’s eyebrows are in danger of disappearing into his hairline. “You think Chalam’s security will just let us into the building after all this?”
“Nail won’t take Kai to OmniVentures.” Luca shakes his head. “Too obvious.”
“My uncle will be expecting an arrest.” Rome agrees. “At the very least he’ll go to ground, try and delay it for a while.”
Jet’s head snaps up, locking eyes with Rome. “You know where he is.”
Rome meets his gaze steadily. “I have a pretty good idea.”
◼️◼️◼️◼️
Kai rolls his shoulder carefully one way, then the other. The muscles throb, but they move, which means there’s no lasting damage. He glances out the window again, then the rear view mirror. No one is behind them. Nail doesn’t have the radio on, so Kai has no idea if the press conference is still going on or if it’s been canceled mid broadcast. The sky has turned black with heavy cloud cover, and Kai can’t quite shake the nagging in the back of his head that those clouds are predicting the outcome of both his plans.
“Do you think Jet will fall for this?” Nail’s gun rests in his lap. The safety is on, but knowing that doesn’t keep Kai’s nerves from tensing up.
Kai swallows against the knot in his throat. “He will if Mali tells him, and you made damn sure she saw us. I didn’t think she’d understand my text.”
Nail snorts. “You couldn’t have typed ‘H-E-L-P’, then hit ‘send’ before I told you to leave your phone?”
“She had to be outside Nightshade in order for this to work.” Kai retorts. “Texting her beforehand to meet me outside Nightshade works better than texting for help and hoping she’ll be in the right spot at the right time.”
“Clever kid.” Nail’s voice is so neutral Kai isn’t sure if it’s a compliment or not.
“Thanks, I guess.” Kai winces, rolling his shoulder again. “Did you have to grab me that hard?”
“There’s pain killers in the glove box.” There is a definite quirk to Nail’s lips. “Or bruise cream, if you prefer.”
Kai glares at him. “I’m good.”
“Relax, I twisted your right arm, not your left. Ice and a couple painkillers, you’ll be fine.” Nail is actually smiling. “Look convincing, you said. Though why you couldn’t just tell your brother and sister what we’re up to in the first place—”
“Mali would have tried to talk me out of it,” Kai reminds him. “And Jet wouldn’t have let me confront Chalam alone.”
Nail gives him a confused look. “But you want Jet to come after you anyway. So he can be there when you take the shark down.”
“Chalam doesn’t know you’re against him and neither does Jet.” Kai points out. “This was Jet’s investigation from the start, he should be there at the end.”
“Swooping in to save his baby brother.” Nail scoffs, but there’s no derision behind his words. Actually, he sounds a little jealous. “Why send the texts then?”
“Rome, Talay and Luca would be suspicious if I didn’t tell them to hold Jet and Mali back.” Kai smirks at him. “Look convincing, you said.”
Nail rolls his eyes, but says nothing. He keeps one hand on the wheel, while the fingers of the other scrape at one of his pant legs. Glancing down, Kai’s smirk widens when he sees the brown smear across the fabric.
Nail gives him a sideways glance. “You owe me a new suit.”
“It’s not my fault you dumped Bel’s chocolates all over the floor.” Kai points out.
“Chocolate stains.” Nail retorts.
“So wash it.” Kai shrugs. “Chocolate stains come out if scrubbed hard enough.”
Nail gives him a withering look. “You don’t wash Armani.”
“And how the hell was I supposed to know that?” Kai rolls his eyes. Nail’s emphasis on the label name makes his lips quirk. “Newsflash, jackass: student budgets don’t stretch to designer labels. Next time you kidnap someone, wear something that doesn’t stain.”
That comment surprises a chuckle out of Nail. “I wasn’t aware kidnapping would become a regular occurance.”
Rather than retort, Kai sticks his tongue out at him. It’s juvenile, but relieves a little of the tension. Both are aware of the consequences if Kai’s backup plan goes wrong.
“Open the glove box.” Traffic has slowed down enough that Nail can turn to face Kai. “You’ll need what’s in there.”
Kai gives Nail an odd look, but does as he’s told. “Zip ties?”
“Has to look real.” Nail nods.
Traffic still hasn’t moved more than half a rotation of the car’s tires. The Range Rover is so new, the brakes don’t even squeak. It even has that cloying fresh leather smell. Kai wouldn’t be surprise if this was a gift from Chalam—a reward for Nail’s unquestioning loyalty. He knows better than to ask.
Nail drums his fingers on the steering wheel. Kai taps the zip ties against the palm of one hand. The sounds cut though the silence in the car. Both their jaws set in irritation, both at the silence and the traffic.
“Breathe.” Nail takes his eyes off the frozen traffic long enough to cast an irate look in Kai’s direction. “If you lose control, your whole plan goes up in smoke.”
“You have a lot more to lose than I do.” Kai says it to the zip ties, rather than look at Nail’s face.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Nail’s hands tighten around the steering wheel. “Meaning what?”
“Exactly what I said.” Kai looks at him. “Head of OmniVentures’ security, the person Chalam trusts the most, ready to stab his superior in the back—”
“You don’t have to make it sound that dramatic.” Nail rolls his eyes.
“But why do it?” Kai presses. “You stomped me into the ground a month ago, no questions asked, because Chalam ordered you to. Now you’re helping me kill him. Why?”
Another eye roll. “We really having this conversation now?”
“We’re stuck in traffic.” Kai retorts. “What the hell else are we supposed to do?”
“And you hate silence.” Nail mutters. As if to emphasize Kai’s point, the Range Rover crawls forward, then stops again. Kai continues to snap the zip ties against his palm. Nail sighs. “Fine. You want to interrogate me, go ahead.”
“Start with why you stomped me into the ground.”
Nail shoots him a condescending glance. “Because you stole something, obviously.”
“Right.” Kai can’t argue with that. “What about Mali?”
“I swerved so I wouldn’t hit her.” Nail’s voice is tight. “Same with the elevator. I would never have let it drop, even if it meant Chalam—what did you call it?—stomped me into the ground. You had to know why it was so difficult to make of the accusations against Chalam stick, and why your brother was at an impasse. Only way to do that was to access the shark’s personal archives.”
“So you made sure I got your security fob?” Kai’s brow furrows. “That’s why you didn’t try to fight me off on the stairs?”
Nail chuckles. “Even made sure it wasn’t secured to my belt.”
“And the Kahlúa in my coffee?” Kai presses. “And Jet and the box cutter?”
“Luca gave me the box cutter idea.” Nail’s smile is grim. “Both of you needed to be incapacitated, and both of you got to the hospital in time.”
“Because you made sure Rome could see the break room feed on the CCTV.” Kai finishes for him. “And you called me and said Jet was outside my dorm.”
Nail glances sideways at him. “You’re not going to ask me about my sister?”
“I know Pepper interned with OmniVentures’ accounting department.” Kai tilts his head. “But I didn’t think you had anything to do with—”
“I got her fired.” Nail turns his gaze back to the road. “People like you and Pepper don't belong at OmniVentures.”
“You got her terminated to keep her safe.” Kai translates. “Is that what you did with me?”
Nail’s nod is little more than a jerk of the head. The traffic finally moves enough that the Range Rover is able to pull off the main road, the speed of the car increasing. The dashboard screen lights up with Chalam’s name.
Nail answers the call. “I have him. Ten minutes.”
There is no answer, just the click of the line being disconnected. Kai swallows hard. Chalam knows he’s coming. No turning back now. His eyes drop to the center console, where Nail’s phone rests—the same phone Kai had given him at the gun range two days ago.
“Why destroy your phone?” Kai’s voice is quiet. “All the evidence against Chalam was on mine.”
“Which is why you needed it.” Nail points out. “Couldn’t destroy Chalam’s, that would raise suspicion, and it wasn't even on the desk. Mine was the only option.”
Kai nods, taking a couple of minutes to process all of this. Most of him is glad that his instincts were right in contacting Nail in the first place. But the rest of him, a tiny sliver in the back of his brain, nags that Nail is still working an angle, that any minute he could turn on Kai just to watch everything crash and burn.
Kai gnaws his lip, then asks the final question. “Nail…why did you work against Chalam in the first place?”
Nail hesitates, turning the car into yet another suburban street. The houses here are no longer condos or middle class housing. Gated communities line both sides of the street, daring trespassers to enter the premises. Nail’s hands shift against the steering wheel again, enough to make the leather creak.
“I don’t like sharks.” Nail’s expression darkens, his tone almost defeated. “You do what you have to in order to survive, but even then, there’s lines you don’t cross. I’m tired of Chalam’s games, and his angles. That shark needs to be drowned, and if you’re going to be the one to do it, I might as well help you succeed.”
The rawness beneath Nail’s words makes Kai’s insides ache. He’d never thought he would feel sympathetic toward someone like Nail. But then, he’d never realized how much they were alike.
“You sure these ‘friends’ of yours can get me out of the country?” Nail breaks the silence, a genuine smile playing across his mouth. “Or was that an empty bribe?”
“You keep your word, and I’ll keep mine.” Kai assures him. Jet won’t like it any more than Luca and Pepper did, but Kai is determined to reward Nail for his help. He’s risking enough to deserve it. “Where do you want to go?”
“New Zealand.” Nail’s answer is prompt, his face softening for the first time since Kai’s known him. “They like expats, and Lord of the Rings was filmed there.”
“Lord of the Rings?” Kai’s lips quirk. He’d never thought of Nail as someone who read epic fantasy, much less watched the films. “You’re a geek.”
Nail actually smiles back. The emotion almost reaches his eyes before he tamps it back down. “Don’t push it. We’re not friends.”
He seems to be trying to convince himself almost as much as Kai.
“Got it.” Kai nods, not just a vocal acknowledgement of Nail’s words, but a silent one of what Nail isn’t saying—“friends” is not a word Nail chooses to define what’s between them. Not yet. “New Zealand. I’ll remember that.”
The neighborhood surrounding them becomes more upscale, the gates in front of the houses higher, the greenery more lush. Each turn Nail makes takes them further away from downtown.
Kai’s brow furrows. Curiosity overwhelms his fear stating the obvious. “This isn’t the way to OmniVentures.”
“Chalam wants you to disappear.” Nail voice is neutral. “Easier to do that out of the public eye.”
The Range Rover’s headlights cut through the growing darkness, revealing gates of a mansion with well manicured lawns and an imposing facade. Nail pulls into the circular driveway. Kai forces down the lump of nerves that’s built up in his throat.
Nail holds out his hand. “Zip ties.”
Kai hands them over, extending his wrists. His heart is pounding so hard he’s sure Nail can feel it when he snaps the plastic tight around Kai’s wrists.
“Out.” Nail gives Kai an irony laden look before he opens the driver's side door, retrieving his gun on his way out. “Make sure you look terrified.”
Kai hesitates, eyeing the gun. “Is that necessary?”
“You want to get through this alive?” Nail snaps. He grabs one of Kai’s elbows, pressing the gun against his side. “Then convince the shark you have nothing to hide. You don’t know me. You don’t trust me.”
“I got it.” The plastic of the zip ties digs into Kai’s wrists, but he rolls his eyes anyway.
“And don’t hesitate.” Nail’s fingers press hard against his elbow, half dragging and half guiding Kai inside. “Or it’s over for both of us.”
Kai halts for half a second, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the building. Double high ceilings and marble floors stark and cold enough to increase the tension humming though Kai’s bloodstream. Nail leads him though a series of corridors, finally stopping in front of an intricately carved wooden door. They exchange one more tension laden look before Nail pushes the door open, shoving Kai into the room hard enough to throw him off balance. He stumbles, crashing hard onto the marble floor.
This room is dimly lit. Ominous shadows dance across the walls as the last rays of the sun filter through the French doors. A flat screen tv hangs on the far wall, displaying the remnants of the press conference: an empty podium, reporters everywhere, the screen behind the platform still playing an endless loop of evidence against Chalam while a reporter recaps the previous event for viewers just tuning in.
The CEO of OmniVentures stands with his back to them. His hands are clasped behind him, eyes locked on the tv. Nail shuts the door with a distinct click. Painfully slowly, Chalam turns around. When he sees Kai on the floor, Chalam’s lip curls. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
“I suppose congratulations are in order.” Chalam’s voice is like silk dragged over broken glass. “The intern has become a successful whistleblower.”
Kai says nothing. He’d thrown out his bound hands to catch himself and now they tingle from the pressure of the zip ties and connecting with the floor. Nail hauls him to his feet, pressing the gun into his side.
Chalam gives his head of security an appraising look. “You found him.”
“I did my job.” Nail confirms, his face a mask of cold detachment. “Always.”
“I could kill you, you know.” Chalam moves toward Kai, slowly, deliberately—a shark on the hunt. Kai forces himself to stay still, to meet those cold, dead eyes. Chalam’s gaze rakes over Kai, assessing his worth. “I could kill you right now. So easily.”
“Then do it.” Kai spits. His body is a coiled spring, clenched so tight he’s not sure if the shaking is from tension or nerves. “Kill me, and live up to your murderous reputation.”
“Murderous, is it?” Chalam’s chuckle is dark, unsettling. “According to whom.”
Kai jerks his head in the direction of the tv. “Everyone who’s seen that broadcast. That’s a national news channel. You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done.”
“Am I?” Chalam casts a mocking glance around the room, arms thrown wide. “Where are the NIA agents, Interpol, the police? I see no one here but you.”
Kai lunges. Nail’s fingers tighten above his elbow in silent warning. Chalam still looks amused, waving a lazy hand in their direction.
“Remove those things.” He gestures to the zip ties. “We don’t need them.”
Nail removes the zip ties. Kai hisses, feeling the blood rush back into his hands. Every instinct in his body screams to run, to fight, but one wrong move means everything unravels and Chalam walks free.
“You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble, boy.” Chalam’s voice is soft, deadly. “It’s been rather…inconvenient. Your termination was supposed to be the end of this. Apparently, I underestimated you.”
Kai doesn’t respond. He refuses to let Chalam see the fear in his eyes.
“No defense at all?” Chalam chuckles. He turns his attention back to Nail. “Kill him.”
Nail raises his gun without hesitation, aiming at Kai’s head. Kai is ready. All he has to do is wait for Nail’s signal. The he’ll grab the gun from Nail’s hands, and—
The door crashes open, almost splintering in its frame. Jet storms into the room, face twisted with rage, gun drawn and eyes blazing. He takes in the scene for half a second, then levels his gun at Chalam.
“Get away from him!” Jet growls.
Chalam doesn’t flinch. “Do you really think you have the power to stop me? I’ve been ahead of you years before your little investigation. “
“You killed my parents to cover up your crimes.” Jet’s eyes narrow. His grip on the gun tightens. “You tried to kill Kai and me for exposing you. You think you can just walk away from that?”
Chalam laughs, a sound like wire scraping over steel. “Of course. All I had to do was tie up all the loose ends.”
In one swift motion, he reaches under his coat, drawing out a gun of his own and aiming it at Jet’s head. Kai flinches, lunging toward Jet.
“Not yet.” Nail wrenches Kai back, his voice so low only the two of them hear it. He presses his gun against Kai’s temple, raising his voice as he locks eyes with Jet. “Drop the gun, Jet. Right now.”
The air in the room is suffocating. Kai can feel the cold barrel of the gun pressed against his temple. He can see the fury and hesitation in Jet’s eyes, and the cold amusement in Chalam’s.
Jet’s finger hovers over the trigger. “Let Kai go, or neither of you leave this room alive.”
“You really think you're in a position to make threats, boy?” Chalam’s lip curls. “Do you realize how powerless you are?”
“Your mind games don’t work on me.” Jet’s voice drips with venom. “I’m not that scared little kid anymore.”
“Aren’t you?” Chalam’s eyes gleam. “Then why hesitate? Are you truly prepared to commit patricide? To pull the trigger on your own father?”
Jet’s knuckles are white around the gun. The look on his face tears Kai’s heart open. He’s tempted to lash out, but Nail’s fingers dig deeper into his shoulder, keeping him in place. Not yet, Kai. Not yet.
“You’re no father.” Jet growls. “Least of all mine.”
“The law states otherwise.” Chalam smirks. “You will always be seen as the son who murdered his father. And killing me won’t make us any less alike, will it?”
Chalam’s smirk widens. With a flick of his wrist, he fires. Kai jerks as the bullet embeds itself in the wall behind Jet’s head. Chalam had shot deliberately wide, but it’s enough to send Jet stumbling. Chalam’s elbow comes down in a vicious arc, cracking across Jet’s jaw.
Before Jet can recover, Chalam’s leg shoots out, sweeping Jet from underneath him. Jet cries out when the floor connects with his newly healed side. Chalam brings a knee down on Jet’s wrist, forcing the gun from his hand. It skitters across the floor out of reach. Jet groans, clutching his bruised arm.
“Stand down, Jet.” Chalam leers at him, then turns his gun on Kai. “Or I’ll put a bullet in your baby brother’s head.”
Kai’s body goes rigid, breath hitching so hard he almost chokes. Jet surges to his feet. Without warning, Nail shifts. His gun wavers against Kai’s temple before Nail sidesteps, leveling his gun at Jet’s head. Kai’s stomach lurches. There’s no easy way out of this. Not anymore.
Not unless someone makes a move.
“You have a choice to make,” Chalam’s voice is deceptively soft. “Which of your heads will get a bullet first?”
Jet dives for Chalam’s gun as Kai throws himself at Nail. Nail slams his foot into Kai’s ribs. Kai hits the floor hard, side throbbing. His body moves by instinct as those switches flip in his brain again, rolling out of Nail’s range when the man’s foot swings a second time. He scrambles to his knees, hands slipping against the slick marble floor.
“Kai!” Jet’s eyes lock with Kai’s. Chalam growls, forcing him backward. He hasn’t let go of the gun.
“I’m good!” Kai sucks in air, pushing himself to his feet.
An iron grip around his neck wrenches him backwards, propelling him bodily against the wall. The impact sends white dots dancing across his vision. Kai gasps, instinctively jerking his knee up and connecting with Nail’s ribs. Air floods into his lungs when Nail staggers, his grip loosening. Kai spins. The cold metal of the gun passes into his hands as Nail stumbles back.
“Good,” Nail growls, positioning himself so his back is to Chalam. “Now don’t hesitate.”
The report of a gunshot makes Kai’s ears ring, snapping his attention back across the room. It's not clear if Jet or Chalam fired. Neither has full control over the gun. Jet strains against Chalam's overpowering strength. His arms shake, bending back inch by painful inch. Chalam’s face is twisted in a triumphant sneer. Every push from his arms forces the barrel of the gun toward Jet’s chest.
“Don’t hesitate.” Nail repeats. His eyes flick to the gun in Kai’s hand. “Defeat me and kill the bastard.”
Kai nods, holding Nail’s gaze. Take control, Kai. Take it.
He throws his full weight against the taller man as the gun Chalam and Jet struggle over goes off a second time. His breath is jolted from his body as they roll, limbs tangling together. A sickening thud echoes in Kai’s ears when Nail’s head connects with the floor, and he goes limp.
Nail…Panic courses through Kai. He turns Nail over, trembling fingers hovering between Nail’s nose and mouth. Air—faint but steady—moves over his fingers. He’s still breathing. Nail’s alive.
Kai takes a breath of his own, using that surge of relief to force himself upright, turning his attention to the combatants across the room. The lights flicker, making Jet and Chalam shift in and out of focus.
I control the gun. The gun doesn’t control me.
Kai’s arms are shaking. Each heartbeat sends a wave of dizziness through him. His head feels almost detached. Sweat stings his eyes. The gun is heavier than it should be, even holding it with both hands.
Focus, Kai. Don’t hesitate. Come on, come on, come on.
He squeezes the trigger. Chalam shrieks, desperately clawing at his ruptured knee cap. Kai shoots a second time. Blood spurts from Chalam’s elbow. Taking advantage, Jet seizes Chalam’s gun. He brings it down in a single, brutal arc, clubbing the shark into unconsciousness.
It’s done. For the first time in a very long while, Kai feels lighter. No hesitation, no fear. I was in control.
The shark who ruined his life—who took everything from him—is finally down.
A strange tightness builds up in his thigh, like a muscle cramp. Kai winces, brushing it off. The cramp pushes back, morphing into heat that claws like wildfire up his leg.
Something’s wrong.
The gun slips from Kai’s nerveless fingers, clattering to the floor. He crumples against the wall. The cold surface bites into his back. Jet says something, but Kai has gone deaf.
What…what the hell’s wrong with me?
Burning agony erupts in his thigh. His leg pulsates with every heartbeat. His fingers brush against the torn fabric of his pants, then pull back—slick with blood.
So much blood.
His blood.
He’s been shot.
Too much blood. Kai’s head lolls back, the realization hitting him harder than any strike from Nail’s fists. He can’t hold himself up anymore. Fire consumes him from the inside out.
“Kai!” Jet’s voice is sharp, cutting through the haze. He catches Kai just as his body begins to slide down the wall. “I’ve got you. It’s ok.”
“Jet,” Kai breathes out. Just saying his older brother’s name is a lifeline. “My leg—Jet, my leg…”
“I know. ” Jet’s hands shake as he tears at fabric around the wound. That look on Jet’s face—Kai has never seen it before. Blind panic. That expression terrifies Kai more than the pain. “Shit. Hang on. I’ve got you.”
Kai’s vision tunnels on the entry wound, high up on his thigh. It’s gushing. No exit wound.
Bad. This is so bad. This is so very, very, bad…
Jet presses his hands down hard over the mess. Shockwaves rip through Kai’s body. His teeth clamp together, biting back a groan. His vision flashes white hot before fading around the edges.
“Sorry. I’m sorry.” Jet mutters, his hands coated in Kai’s blood. Too much blood. It won’t stop. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit.”
“Didn’t know you…used words like that.” Kai’s smile comes out as a grimace.
Jet’s smile looks forced. “Are you trying to be funny right now?”
“Is it…working?” Weightlessness creeps in, like Kai’s floating over his own body. This time he can’t stop the groan. “Ow…Jet…crushing me...”
“I have to stop the blood.” Jet’s voice is taut. Dark red liquid pools beneath them, still spreading too fast across the marble floor. “Don’t go to sleep. You can’t fall asleep, Kai.”
“Trying...” Kai blinks. The room’s edges curl inward. Jet’s face is the only thing staying in focus. “Jet…do bullets…always burn?”
“Kai, don’t—” Jet’s voice cracks. “Don’t close your eyes. Don’t you dare, do you hear me? Kai!”
Kai’s brow furrows. Jet’s lips continue to move, but there’s no sound. Darkness pulls him down. The cold floor beneath him fades. He’s numb.
“H-...Hia…” Kai forces the name out. The name Jet always wanted to hear. “Hia…”
And then there’s nothing…nothing at all…