{KAYLA}
The sound of a dead body hitting the ground is deafening. Especially when it announces the end of your reign.
For the few seconds of silence that surrounds us as Ivan's body falls to the floor, I imagine the way kings felt when they saw their empires fall.
In the silence, I only get a few seconds to mourn the death of my rule over the North Shore of Silver Falls.
Three.
Two.
One.
The crowd wakes up. Screams reach me. The north side of the warehouse cheers loudly enough to burst my eardrums, making my ears ring. I'm aware I don't have long before they breach to our side, starting their purge for the night.
I need to move. I need to get to a safe place far from this warehouse. Because while some members of NSC have personal vendettas against my people, most of them only have one clear face in mind.
Mine.
But I can't move. Nathan White has a hold on me just as strong as before I sent him to prison. His ocean eyes keep me in place, victory shining in them. He doesn't say anything, doesn't call for me, or threaten me.
He walks closer to the edge and squats on the raised floor of the Death Cage. He doesn't need to ask me to come over. My feet move of their own accord, taking me to within his reach, only a small barrier protecting me.
"My beautiful sunflower," he says softly. I don't fall for it. I've learned a long time ago that anything soft that comes out of Nate's mouth is a lure to bring you closer so he can hurt you harder.
His fingers reach through the fence, and all he does is pinch a thick strand of my ink-black hair with his fingers. "Survive the night for me, will you? I have better plans for you than dying at the hands of NSC."
He tugs the strand before letting go and standing up.
I'm not ready for the interaction to be over, too shocked to process anything, but he decides that for me when he turns around and joins Emma and her close circle.
All that's left in the Death Cage is Ivan's dead body.
I run a hand across my face, and it ends up hovering over my mouth. I used that man for everything he could give me.
All for nothing.
He deserved better than that. Better than me.
Someone bumps into my back, startling me out of my self-pity. I swing around, ready to kill the first NSC motherfucker who dares come for me, but to my surprise, it's Nyx.
"Kay!"
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I hiss back at her.
The kid is seventeen, and every time she's begged to become an active member of the Kings, I refused. She's a good kid.
Great at school. Practically a genius. She has a better future in life than to be part of a stupid gang.
"I had to come see the fight. It was too important to miss."
"Yeah? Glad you're out now?"
She shakes her head. "Now isn't the time to scold me. I'm sorry, okay?" There's a panic in her voice that I'm sure everyone feels.
Everyone but me.
Defying death will bite me in the ass one day, but I spent twenty-five years escaping it despite the number of people trying to get to me. It's only natural to start feeling invincible.
I look around us, something feeling strange. NSC isn't here anymore. As far as I know, the warehouse is only full of Kings.
Nyx notices my sudden reaction, and she wraps her hands around my upper arms, shaking me. "They're blocking the exits, filtering whoever comes out. If they've got an issue with them, they're pulling them to God knows where."
"What?" The next beat of my heart feels like a struggle, but nothing shows on my face.
"I just ran to both gates, Kay. They're surrounding us. Some Kings are fighting them at the south entrance. They pulled one of us into a car when he tried to leave through the north entrance."
"Who?"
She shrugs, shaking her head again. Her half black, half bleached, wavy hair slides over her shoulders. "I don't know his name." Emma and her friends are gone. Nate has long disappeared.
"This was planned. They all rushed out when Ivan…" She hesitates, her eyes darting to the cage on our side, not even finishing her sentence.
"Nyx," I scold her. "You weren't supposed to be here tonight. Now you're just one more life I have to worry about."
"I'm sorry," she moans again.
I'm barely eight years older than her, but the girl doesn't have a mom anymore, and I've always had a soft spot for the little brat. I can relate to your mother leaving you behind.
"Just stick with me, okay?"
The first person I call is Elliot. He's smarter than to stay in a full warehouse on a Death Cage night.
"What are you doing and where?" I snap as soon as he picks up.
"Just waiting for your orders, boss. Ethan and I are watching this fucking mess from his car. They're blocking the north and south gates. Do you know any other exit?"
I look around, taking in the state of the anxious crowd around me, waiting like lambs for the slaughter. A teenager runs to me, pushing people out of the way. I recognize him instantly. He's the little brother of one of my soldiers.
"They took him!" he cries out. "They took Postman. I tried to run after the car, and they pushed me right back in here. They're fucking butchering us!"
Mother fuckers.
Of course they'd go for my strongest guys. We didn't nickname the guy Postman for no reason. When you ask something of him, he fucking delivers. Often bodies.
His brother is about to talk again, when someone else bumps into his back in his hurry to get to me.
"Kay—"
I cut him off. "I'll take care of it." I go back to my call with Elliot. "On the side of the warehouse that faces the woods, there's a door Emma uses. I'm pretty sure she thinks we don't know about it. Go check if anyone is there."
This warehouse isn't a simple rectangle of four walls. It's an old, dilapidated building that has many alcoves within different walls, other rooms, old offices. It even used to have a second and third floor, but they're not accessible anymore.
"Go through the woods, Elliot. Be discreet. Every single NSC member knows who you are. And tell Ethan to bring a crowbar to the windows facing the highway."
"The windows?"
"They're boarded up. Tell him I want those fucking boards gone."
I hang up, turning to Postman's brother. "We'll get you guys out of here. Don't worry."
"What about Postman?" he asks, wide eyes begging for an answer I can't give him.
Time to throw life's realities at him. Time to show him there's a reason his brother and his friends call me a ruthless bitch.
"We'll get Postman when NSC decides to give him back."
My phone vibrates, and I look down at Elliot's text.
Elliot: No one is watching that door.
"Alive?" the kid asks. I look up at him, feeling my brow furrow. Who asks such a stupid fucking question? "Alive?" he repeats.
I put a hand on his shoulder and point at a door on the NSC side of the cage. "See that door over there? It leads to back rooms and old offices. Start gathering some people and follow the main hallway. It'll lead you to a back door. You know Elliot Pearson? He's waiting for you there. Just go there with as many people as you can, stay quiet, and as soon as you're outside, run through the woods."