Page 22 of The Sinners Gambit

“I’m all the stereotypes of a rich asshole, but I’ve always prided myself on being fair. The younger me was just so angry that I never wanted to hear reason or rationale. I thought he was the one who killed my parents.” My hands ball into fists, blanching at the knuckles, as I walk away from her to pace. “My uncle said to slow down and make sure. But I didn’t listen, and it turned out not to be him.”

My back is to her, but I sense her slowly walking closer. “I should’ve waited and been more thorough. Ever since then I make sure I know every detail before moving forward.”

Naomi puts a hand over one of mine and pries it open, before putting it between both of hers. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.”

“I should’ve,” I bark.

She looks like she's blinking back tears.

“Naomi, don’t cry.”

“I-uh . . . I need a moment. Can you please take me back upstairs?” She takes her hand back.

“Sure, but what’s wrong? How can I help?” I move toward her, but she flinches back.

“Please? I just need to be alone.”

“Okay,” I relent. We say nothing all the way to her room. Once there, she quietly goes in and shuts the door on me. But I can hear her slide down it, and her beautiful ass thump on the floor.

I’m so tired of being blind as to what’s going on in her head. It’s the one place I can’t just go and figure out. And now that she’s here, it’s killing me. I want to help. I want to be there for her.

I place my palm on the door before laying my forehead against it to make a silent plea.

Just let me in, Naomi. Just please let me in. I promise I won’t hurt you.

“Please, let me go . . . ” he begs as he crawls backwards on the ground before a tree trunk blocks his path.

“Not after what you did. You killed them,” I seethe, as I lunge toward him with a knife.

“I don’t deserve this!” yells a familiar voice. The man quickly morphs into Naomi. My blood chills.

“What the fuck?” I whisper, startled.

Naomi’s bleeding from her forehead. “Please, Killer. Let me go!”

“No, Nai!” My heart constricts.Did I hurt her?

“I hate you!”

I startle awake with sweat beading on my forehead. Looking around, I realize I fell asleep at Naomi’s door.

“Fuck,” I whisper so as to not wake her. Taking out my phone, I look at the camera app, confirming she’s sound asleep. It’s nearly 11 PM. She spent a long time on the other side of the door, before getting up to pace for a long time. I wanted to do something . . . anything to help her. Naomi then went between lying down and trying to read, before settling in around 9 PM to sleep. And I just sat here for hours just in case she needed me.

I get up and decide to go to the training room, knowing nothing short of a run will help me chase away the feelings from that nightmare.

Chapter 12

Naomi

Islidedownthedarkoak door until I’m sitting on my ass. I put my face in my hands and pull my knees up.

What the fuck is happening to me?

How am I now feeling sympathy for the asshole who kidnapped me? Am I understanding why he kills?I fucking can’t!I scream out in my head as the tears start spilling. He’s the one who killed my mother. I just know it. But then why wasn’t there a trophy from that night? I touch the white gold necklace. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I whisper. “I want to avenge you, but I feel so lost!”

My mother was brutally murdered after a long shift one night when her car broke down. She was chased and tortured for hours. I usually went to sleep before she came home, knowing that if there was an emergency I could go next door.

I open my eyes sleepily and start to stretch, wondering what time it is. Mom usually wakes me up for school. Maybe she slept in? It's rare, but it does happen. It was probably a rough shift, I guess I should give her a break. But Mrs. Potts said I’d get detention the next time I’m late.

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