Page 17 of Forever

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Rob asked.

Tanner just shook his head.

“Fine, maybe he won’t recognize you,” I said. “But what should we do? Should we just stand here?”

“To the side.” Tanner pushed Rob away from the door.

Rob wasn’t expecting to be pushed and almost fell over. “What the fuck, man?”

“I’ll distract Magnus with my charm. And then you two rush him? Good? Good.”

I ducked to the side right as the door opened.

Magnus King, the guy from Nigel’s video feed, answered the door. “Who the hell are you?”

Yeah, this was a terrible plan.

“I’m Chef Rhodes,” Tanner said. “Ask anyone from the kitchen.”

Why the hell did he tell him his name?! Now he was definitely going to recognize him.

“Chef Rhodes? There is no…”

I didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence. I rushed in and slammed my shoulder into his stomach.

The guy was built like a brick wall, but Rob jumped onto my back to add to my momentum and all three of us toppled to the floor.

“Matt!” Brooklyn screamed.

I turned my head to see her. She stood up, but immediately tripped and fell to her knees. She had a towel wrapped around her and her wrists and ankles were still bound. But she was alive. She was still breathing. The relief I felt was quickly erased when King slammed his fist into the side of my jaw.

Blood flew out of my mouth.

King grabbed me in a headlock, wrapping his arm around my throat.

Fuck.I clawed at his arm.

Rob scrambled to his feet and looked around for something to help. “Do something!” he yelled at Tanner.

“But Matt told me not to kill anyone!”

I gasped for air as King tightened his arm around my throat. I silently pleaded with my eyes to Tanner.Help me.

“I don’t know what you want me to do!” Tanner yelled. “Is murder okay now?”

Rob pulled a lamp from the socket and slammed it down on King’s shoulder. The glass shattered into a million pieces.

“What the fuck?” King groaned and released me from his grip.

I sat up and then slammed my elbow into his face.

“Son of a bitch,” he said and grabbed his jaw.

I stood up and was about to kick him when I saw a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye.

“Enough,” said a deep voice.

We all froze. There was an older man standing in the corner of the room with a gun pointed in our direction.

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