A Chip and a Chair (Seven of Spades, #5)(98)

Her and Carmen’s voices vanished from Dominic and Levi’s earpieces.

“What’s happening?” Levi said. “Carmen? Answer me!”

There was no response. With renewed vigor, Levi started kicking the grate again.

The noise and vibration were like nails being driven through Dominic’s skull, making it impossible for him to concentrate on driving any longer. He pulled to the side of the road, got out with Rebel right on his heels, and opened the back door.

Levi half-fell out of the car, shoving Dominic away when Dominic tried to help. He lurched upright and staggered a few steps back the way they’d come.

“There’s no point,” Dominic said. “We’re miles away.”

Levi spun around, lost his balance, and reeled against the trunk. “You just left her there!”

“It was her choice.”

“She’ll die!”

Dominic sighed. “Someone had to. Better her than you.”

With an inarticulate shout, Levi lunged at Dominic and threw a wild punch. Dominic barely had to move to dodge it before grabbing Levi from behind and wrapping him up in a tight rear bear hug.

Levi knew how to get out of a hold like this, even pitted against someone Dominic’s size. But all he did was sag in Dominic’s arms, his breath catching on a sob. Rebel watched them from a few feet away with her ears pinned back and her tail held stiffly.

Dominic didn’t say he was sorry. He’d promised not to lie to Levi anymore.

“Levi?” Natasha’s voice crackled over their earpieces again.

Levi went rigid. “Natasha! You can still get out-”

“I can’t.”

Listening closely, Dominic heard the wet, sucking breaths underlying her words and pressed his lips together. He recognized the sound of someone whose lungs were filling with blood.

If Levi heard it too, he gave no sign. “Yes, you can. Don’t tell me that after all of the crazy shit you’ve pulled, you can’t escape a fucking one-story building.”

Her laugh turned into a thick, burbling cough. “I’ve barricaded myself in a room, so I’m safe for now. But I’m out of ammo, I’m too injured to move, and more members of Utopia are showing up every minute.”

“You-”

“And what if I did survive somehow? What then, Levi? Would you let me go?”

Levi fell silent. Dominic still had him in the bear hug, afraid to loosen his grip for a second.

“Of course not,” said Natasha. “But I won’t go to prison. And you-you’d spend the rest of your life hunting me until it drove you insane.”

“I wouldn’t,” Levi said, but all three of them knew it was a lie.

“It doesn’t matter. In a few minutes, I’m going to bleed out.”

As Levi stifled a sob, Dominic rested his forehead on Levi’s hair and gave him a gentle squeeze.

“Just listen, okay? If Utopia gets in here after I die, they can take the device off my body and re-arm the bombs. But the room I’m in? It’s full of explosives.”

“What?” Dominic and Levi said at the same time.

“I saw it when I was searching for the triggerman. Utopia’s been stockpiling explosives here, tons of them. Whatever their plans are, Las Vegas is only the beginning.” She paused to take a couple of ragged breaths, then chuckled. “They shouldn’t have stored the detonation equipment in the same room.”

“Holy shit,” Dominic breathed.

“No,” Levi said. “Natasha, don’t.”

“When this place goes up, it’ll destroy the explosives, the device, and every member of Utopia in and around the building. I can end them, here and now.”

“Don’t you fucking dare.” Levi’s voice was shaking as hard as his muscles; Dominic could do nothing but hold on, supporting Levi’s body with his own. “Don’t you dare pretend you’re doing this for any reason other than your need for a dramatic grand finale. This is your swan song, isn’t it? The perfect ending to the legend of the Seven of Spades.”

“Two birds,” said Natasha. “One Stone.” There was a hint of wistfulness to her words when she said, “Maybe someday you can explain things to my son. I don’t want him to hate me.”

“Then don’t do this!”

“It’s already done. I know it’s not worth much to you, Levi, but I meant what I said before.” Natasha’s voice was much weaker now, the pauses between wet inhalations longer and more pronounced. “I’m not sorry for the things I’ve done. But I am sorry for what those things did to you.” One more drawn-out, agonized rattle. “Goodbye.”

“Wait!” Levi jerked forward, as if Natasha were right in front of him rather than miles away. “Wait, please-Natasha-”

BOOM.

Even from this distance, the explosion lit up the night sky, a massive fireball splashing red and orange and yellow against the black. Thick clouds of smoke bloomed in every direction.

Levi collapsed, crying freely, and Dominic went with him. Kneeling on the side of the deserted road, Levi clung to Dominic and wept into his shoulder, his entire body racked with the force of his sobs. Rebel huddled against them and nuzzled Levi’s face.

As Dominic comforted Levi, holding him close, he watched the fiery sky that marked the place where Utopia burned-and the Seven of Spades burned with them.