Page 67 of Red Masquerade

Slamming shut my eyes, I pretended I was anywhere else. I was home, wrapped up under my blankets. I was a child again, and Lucas and I were playing with the dollies Mother had gotten us that day. We were running around the garden, him a soldier and me a fairy. Letting our imaginations run wild while we waited for dinner. And Father would read us to sleep, before the fire, from our favorite book of adventures. When we weresafe, comfortable, innocent.

“What Iwant,” Lucas spat, “is to solve this problem.”

That gun was pointed once more, right for Adam’s heart. I knew it without looking. Lucas was itching to do it.

“Alright.” Adam stood. “I’ll leave. You won’t see me again.”

Though he said them to my brother, I knew they were for me.I won’t see you again. The thought made my heart shatter into pieces. But I couldn’t let Lucas kill him. I sobbed, rivers staining my cheeks. “Please.”

They ignored my cries.

Lucas laughed again. “You’re right, I won’t. Because here’s the thing.” The upholstery of the bench shifted as he stood, the gun inching ever closer to Adam’s chest. “There’s this little thing going on overseas.”

My blood froze in my veins, every drop turning to poison. I wanted to vomit.

“You know what I did today?” Lucas’ voice was low, venomous. “I just so happened to be walking past the recruitment office. They said they’re in dire need of men.”

Adam glared. At his sides, his hands were in fists. But he didn’t move, didn’t speak.

“You said you’re a man, right?” Lucas grinned, pure malice in his eyes.

No.No.

“Lucas—” I had to get his attention on me, had to give Adam time to run. To getout of here. “You’re mad at me, not him—”

“No, I’ve beenbetrayedby you.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “I couldn’t care less what happens to your little lover. But how dareyou.”

I willed Adam to look at me, to understand—get out of here!

But his eyes avoided mine, staring at the man who held a gun up to his heart.

“How dare you sneak around,” Lucas sneered. “I’ve always given you the benefit of the doubt. But I was right—you werejust waiting,dyingto whore around, to ruin yourself with the first man that gives you attention.”

I shook my head through the tears. “I—”

“What would Mother think, huh?Father? He must be rolling in his grave.”

His cruelty knew no bounds. I shattered, my heart breaking into a thousand pieces, the only thing pumping through my veins the misery Lucas promised me, the tears that flowed out of me.

“I’ll go,” Adam said again.

“Thengo,” Lucas hissed, “before I unload these bullets into you.”

I couldn’t see Adam through my tears, my face ruined as I wept. Just another thing to embarrass Lucas—my makeup running down my face, my skin red and blotchy with my hysteria.

“You leave in two days. I suggest saying goodbye to your family.”

Two days. Until an ocean would separate us.

One moment, Adam was there, and the next, he was gone.

Lucas opened the chamber and let the bullet fall into his palm before pocketing the weapon. He sniffed, grabbing a glass from the table—a finger of whiskey—and downed the shot, throwing his head back, roughly setting it back down on the table spread.

His face twisted with disgust when he looked at me.

“Get up.”

Adam—