Page 2 of Devoted

"Didn't think you'd find the office," hesays.

"I don't understand. Where iseveryone?"

"Gone. I think it was right here in this office when I told you, you would be my downfall, Sweet Sin." He tilts his head and gazes at me as if we're still friends instead of enemies. "Just so you know, you were worthit."

"No, don't talk to me like that. Pretend that I'm a stranger because I'm going to make sure I forget everything about you. Even if they have to plug me into an electric shock machine to wipe this head clean. I don't want one thread of memory that connects back to you." I'm so far past tears that I'm at the next level bordering onhysteria.

Kane gets up and walks to the front of his desk. He leans against it and crosses his arms. His shirt sleeves are rolled up, exposing the scars and the tattoo that says 'reality is merely anillusion'.

"You believe that, don't you?" I ask. "The quote on your arm about reality. That's it. To you, life is just one big illusion. That's how you allow yourself to get away with being a monster. You're sitting there right now with that smug look that I just want to smear off your face with my fists because in your mind you haven't done anything wrong. In fact you consider yourself infallible. You've even helped a bunch of homeless people live comfortable existences down here in your imaginary world. But reality isn't an illusion. You committed murder and that is real. For you, this illusion is going to end with a very real prison sentence." It aggravates me that he doesn't even flinch at the mention of prison, as if he already knows in that genius brain of his that he'll get away with killingMaddox.

"I think, soon enough, you'll find that this Einstein quote is truer than yourealize."

"You're insane. Where is everyone? Or did you have Oscar and Jason round them up and dump them in the desert like you did tome?"

"I didn't dump you. I followed you every step of theway."

"I spent hours visualizing my death being torn up by a predator, or worse, dying of thirst. You let me feel that." I take a deep, shuddering breath. "You made we witness the murder of a man Ilove."

There is no look of apology or regret in his face. "Some people react to heartbreak through despair and others through monstrous cruelty. I'm genetically wired for the latter, itseems."

"And there you are talking in puzzle pieces again. Genetically wired? Sure, blame it on your parents. That's a coward's way out. Where did you send Georgia and Oscar, the others? What happens to Blake when this whole thing crashesdown?"

"Don't tell me you care about their fate now? After all, you came to me. You came here with the sole purpose of bringing me down. You had to know it would affect more than just me. And they are all fine. I supplied them with everything they need to start newlives."

"How could you send those poor women out on their own when you know they're addicted to your insidious nectar?" He flinches slightly at my adjective for his beloved drug, but it's just that, aflinch.

"The injection I tried to give you earlier but you refused—it's somewhat of an antidote. I created it back when I realized how addictive the nectar was. It helps neutralize whatever is left in the bloodstream. They'll still suffer some withdrawal, but it won't be anything like dropping the drug coldturkey."

I stare at him in disbelief. "So, they all left here without theaddiction?"

He shrugs. "I guess even a monster has hislimits."

"After what happened on the yacht, I'm not sure I believe anything yousay."

"Guess I won't waste my breath answering then. But if you'd like to give the antidote a try—" Kane's weak smile is the last thing I see before the lights go out. The darkness is so rich, so void of light, it'ssuffocating.

My heart races and panic starts to consume me. It feels as if the walls are closing in on me. "Kane," I callfrantically.

"It's all right, my sweet." I startle at the closeness of his voice. He is right next to me. His hand grazes my arm. "They're here to take youhome."

2

Angie

Along stretch of horrifying,pitch dark silence is interrupted as thunderous footsteps and yells fill the underground tunnels. Flashes of light sweep through the darkness. A blinding light shines into the room. I lift my arm to shield my eyes from the harshbrightness.

"Police! On your knees. Hands on your head," an unfamiliar voice shouts. It takes a second for the shock to wear off and bring me to the realization they're talking to me. The room fills with heavily equippedofficers.

I drop to my knees and put my hands on my head. "I'm Detective Angie Tennyson," I repeat several times as an armed team pours into the small office. My thin voice is lost in theclamor.

My eyes adjust some to the light. I scan the room but don't see Kane in the chaos. Did they pull him out of the room? My arm is suddenly wrenched from my head to myback.

"I'm Detective Angie Tennyson of the Mountain View Division. My badgenumber—"

"Stop. That's her," a familiar voice drifts through the clamor. I can't place the face with the voice until Captain Clark peeks around a large SWAT officer. "That's Detective Tennyson. Help herup."

I don't wait for a hand up. I push to my feet and land hard against Clark's bullet proof vest. I'm sobbing uncontrollably by the time his arms go aroundme.

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