Page 142 of Kill Feed

A few more comments fly my way, but I drown them out along with the vision of Kamala just standing there without reprimanding him. That tells me a thing or two about my suspicions about how Adrian landed himself in this mess in the first place, but I’m hardly able to reach a full conclusion as I watch Adrian slide a finger over the trigger.

Yet the shot never follows through as he then slowly rotates the revolver.

The barrel leaves my chest. It travels back to him and stops against his own temple, all while still fucking looking directly at me.

Adrian squeezes the trigger.

Click.

Chapter 37

Adrian

The revolver feels heavier when I set it back onto the table. Metal meets felt with a muffled thud echoing louder than it should.

Only then do I tear my eyes away from Dante.

For the first time since I picked up the gun, I look somewhere else. At Mason, who lets out a loud bark of laughter, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Holy shit,” he exclaims. “You crazy motherfucker.”

A few uneasy laughs ripple through the room, but most don’t join in.

I meet his gaze. “You’re next.”

Mason’s grin lingers before faltering completely. His brows knit together as he studies my face, almost searching for the joke that isn’t fucking there.

A muscle jumps in his jaw before he scoffs, looking toward the Shepherds. “What are you waiting for? Pick me again.”

He taps a fist against his own chest. “I’ll gladly put a bullet in his fucking head.”

Nobody answers, only exchanging uncertain glances.

“No.” The single word cuts through the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. Amani steps forward. Her hands are shaking, but her voice isn’t as she articulates, “No, we’re not picking him again.”

Mason laughs. “Oh, please, as if you—”

She cuts him off. “One player still hasn’t had a turn.”

Her eyes move toward the young woman standing at the end of the table.

Amani swallows. “She’s clearly a lamb, so she should play; it’s the safest bet.”

“You fucking bitch,” the woman exclaims, “just pick Mason again; he wants it.”

Several Shepherds glance toward the woman. Then back to Mason.

Amani presses on before anyone can interrupt, “Mason has been running the entirety of this game; he clearly knows what he’s doing. He has a lot of influence, power, and skill, which makes him a threat to everyone. Killing Adrian will only give him more…”

She swallows before adding, “Adrian clearly isn’t a threat; he completely fumbled and froze during the last game, losing all his sponsorship money.”

Ah, I see what she’s doing.

Amani has always had a strong head on her shoulders with great problem-solving skills. She’s putting that all into play now when I need that side of her the most.

This is what makes her so reliable.

She doesn’t need a strong argument. The clock is ticking down, and it is the chaos of making a decision that will sway them to side with her.