CHAPTER 163

CHAPTER 163
The wind howls through the hollow building, carrying with it the thick stench of fuel and blood.

Dust dances in the air as Sebastian steps carefully over broken bricks and debris, his heart pounding in his ear, his shoes crunching against the concrete floor as he climbs the stairs till he's on the top floor, and he's welcomed with the sight of Lucas.

He's tied to a chair, blood smears across his clothes and face, trembling, terrified, and right behind him is Lucien, pressing a gun tightly against Lucas's temple. And blood, there's blood everywhere, staining the floor in a deep pool, but there's no body in sight, and Lucas doesn't look like he's bleeding.

Sebastian comes to a halt, his hand tightening around his own weapon, his brown eyes hard and stoic. “Let him go, Lucien.”

Lucien's grin is slow and feral, like a snake testing the air. “Well, well, the second knight finally arrives.” His grip on the gun doesn't falter.

“He killed Trent!” Lucas yells.

Sebastian's eyes narrow while Lucien laughs. “Yes, I did. I killed the kid, and now, I am going to kill him too if you don't drop your gun, toss it, Vaughn.”

Lucas shakes his head wildly, eyes wet and pleading. “No. Don’t. Don’t listen to him—please. He’ll kill you, he will kill us both!”

Sebastian's eyes lock on Lucas's. “I’m not leaving you here.”

“Don’t be stupid, Sebastian!” Lucas cries out, his voice cracking. “Please, run. Just run. Leave me. I’m not worth it!”

“Awee, that's touching,” Lucien coos. “Throw the gun,” he repeats, his voice soft and dangerous. “Or I pull the trigger right now, or perhaps, you don't care for him as you said you do? Trust me, I don't mind killing him.”

Sebastian's gaze flickers between Lucas's horrified face to Lucien's finger reaching for the trigger, and as soon as he touches it, Sebastian tosses the gun to the floor. “Don't hurt him, Lucien. Let him go, and we can talk about this.”

Lucien laughs, loud and high, like it's the funniest thing he'd ever heard. “Look at you, so brave and so fucking noble,” he taunts. “You know better than anyone not to drop your weapon before a man that's armed and aims for your life, but you'd give up your life for him. I am almost touched, Vaughn.”

“We can talk about this, Lucien. It doesn't have to end this way.”

Lucien laughs. “Unfortunately, it ends this way for all of us. There is no going back, Vaughn. Lucas is mine, and he will always be mine, and I am going to prove that!”

Lucien tilts his head, amused, but then, without warning, he raises his gun again and pulls the trigger, shooting Sebastian in the knee.

The bang echoes like thunder.

“Ahh!” Sebastian crashes on one knee to the ground, screaming in pain and clutching his leg.

“Sebastian!” Lucas cries, writhing against his ropes, his screams raw and panicked. “Lucien! I am begging you to let him go! Please!”

Lucien chuckles, stepping closer to Sebastian. “I will let him go, Lucas. Don't worry, I'm not planning on killing this one, but…”

Bang. The sound echoes again, the bullet hitting Sebastian on his other knee, and he crashes on both of them.

He drops flat on the floor, blood pouring out, his breaths coming in short, harsh gasps.

“You see that, Lucas?” Lucien turns back to him, smiling like a child showing off a drawing. “This is what love looks like. This is what he and Trent get for thinking they could ever replace me in your life.”

Lucas's face twists in horror. “Stop! Stop, please! I choose you, Lucien. I—I pick you! Just let him go, please!” Lucien's eyes light up like Christmas.

“Say that again.” Lucien grins.

Lucas swallows hard, tears falling down his face like rain. “I pick you. Please, just stop hurting him. You win, Lucien. We can be together, I won't look at anyone but you.”

“Good boy.” Lucien licks his lips and cocks the gun again. “But it's too late, darling. I told you, this is where it ends for all of us.”

Bang.

It's loud and ear-splitting. Lucas lets out a scream, but the shot doesn't hit Sebastian.

Just as Lucien pulls the trigger, Sebastian rolls over, grabbing the discarded gun in front of him, and with a growl of pain and fury, he fires.

Bang. Bang. Two shots. Two guns.

Lucien stumbles back, looking down at the blood spreading across his chest. He gives a soft, breathy laugh, eyes wide and glassy.

“If I can’t have you…” he whispers, blood dripping from his lips, and the gun falls out of his hand, and he drops to his knees, “…then no one else can.” Then he collapses, dead.

Lucas feels his blood run cold as he sees Sebastian's body go limp on the ground.

He lets out a cry as he struggles against the ropes, feeling them get looser the more he tries till he manages to free his hands.

With trembling limbs and panic in his throat, he throws himself on the ground and crawls over to Sebastian.

“Sebastian? Sebastian—no, no, no, no,” Lucas whispers brokenly as he gathers him into his lap.

“Stay with me. Please stay with me. Please. open your eyes, you can't die on me too, please, please, I love you so much, Sebastian!!” He shakes him, but no matter how hard he shakes the man, he doesn't budge, his eyes don't open, and blood rushes out of his legs and chest where he was shot.

“Please. Open your eyes!”

This is all his fault. If he hadn't met Lucien, if he hadn't fallen in love with a monster. If he hadn't met Sebastian and fallen in love with him. If he hadn't led Trent, giving promises that he doesn't fulfill, he wouldn't have lost them.

It's his fault. Everything is his fault. For being weak, being unable to protect the ones he loves. He keeps hurting everyone.

“Please,” Lucas screams, cries till he doesn't recognize his voice, wails as he holds Sebastian's unconscious body to his chest, failing to hear the footsteps till a voice breaks through.

“Holy shit!” Mael and Gabriel clamor at the same time.

They are too late.