Page 2 of Sing For Us

“And if you die, you won’t get revenge for your father. Now, tell me, what is more important? Death or revenge?” Sara’s question leaves nothing to the imagination. Her demeanor tells everyone she is not to be fucked with.

Lana slowly starts releasing her knife, and my throat is finally bare again. Yet, she is holding on to a good chunk of my hair. Everybody is waiting on what she is going to say, but I butt in and carefully choose my next words.

“Everybody, leave.” My order is coming out clipped. Even though I’m in agony, my confidence doesn’t waver. Neither does Lana’s. Everybody lowers their weapon, except for Sara. If you look into the eyes of loyalty, you will find Sara there. Adam puts his hand on her shoulder, an attempt to calm her down.

“Sara,” Adam interjects softly. She doesn’t shake her head or look at Adam—her focus is solely on Lana. They’re communicating in a way none of us understands—a silent conversation between two smart women.

“Let me fucking go, Adam,” Sara tells him in a tone that makes him shudder.

“Sara”–I look at her–“please, go. Lana won’t let anything happen to you. Right, Lana?” I ask her, even though I am still looking at my team. She tugs on my hair even harder, but I can feel her slowly loosening her grip. Even though my hatred is at an all-time peak for this woman, I still recognize some mannerisms.

“That’s true.” She turns her attention towards her henchmen. “Team, you will escort Noa’s team outside, and none of you will cause harm.”

“Agreed,” they all confirm in unison. They move towards my team and escort them out. Sara is the last one to leave. Before she walks through the door, she looks at Lana and leaves her a chilling message.

“My footsteps will haunt you in your nightmares if you hurt him. And you will feel my knife all over your body, even though I’m not there.”

Lana tenses from Sara’s terrifying threat.

Good.

Once everybody is out, Lana releases me and pushes me onto the ground. When I get up, which takes all of my strength, I see the former love of my life just standing there.

No fighting position.

No defensive posture.

She is just there. Broken, but not defeated. Which makes her even more dangerous.

There is this lingering tension between us that I can’t shake off. I want to curse her the fuck out, tell her she is wrong about everything, make her see reason.

I don’t do any of that.

I can’t make her see reason if I don’t believe it myself.

I need to kill her.

My feet move before I can muster up any logical thought. I’m walking towards Lana in slow strides, and she moves backward. She hits the table behind her without taking her eyes off me. Her hands are holding on to the table like it’s going to make her more grounded.

Ready for the confrontation she didn’t see coming.

Because of my physical state, I don’t waste any time. My hands are on her neck, and I start squeezing. I want to see the light leave her eyes and her pulse dim beneath my fingertips. She stares straight into my soul, letting me kill her.

Or she knows that I don’t have the strength to do it.

“You can’t do it, Noa. You still love me.” Her statement is fucking bullshit. I do not love her, not anymore.

“Stop talking,” I tell her in an almost whisper. “You fucking betrayed me.” Her little gasps are stroking my ear, and making my heart break even further. But I don’t let go of her fucking throat.

She’s still trying to manipulate me through her eyes that are filled with longing. But I’m smarter than that. Lana doesn’t want me, or love me.

“You killed my father because your father ordered you to do so–” I guess she still has some strength left in her. The moment she utters those words, I stop for just a second.

“My father didn’t order me to kill your father, Lana,” I tell her with conviction, which is apparently not enough for this bitch.

“Everything you say right now will be futile,” she tells me. I start squeezing her throat again.

“Why?” I need to know the answer.