Deadly Perception

Everything was fine. No, not fine. Fine is what you say when you're content with what's happening in your life. I'm not content, I'm so much more. Fine does not do this moment justice. Perfect is a better word.

I had pretty much forgotten all about Jack and the rest of his gang of drug dealing man whores. Nick was placing gentle kisses up and down my hairline as I clutched onto his shirt, afraid to let go for fear that he'd somehow disappear. I felt the vibrations in his chest as he chuckled probably reading my mind. I was like an open book to him. I glanced up at him in order to give him an amused look, but the minute I looked up his lips captured mine in a heated a kiss. A long overdue kiss, might I add. My hand rested on his cheek trying to pull him closer than he already was as his tongue slipped past my lips and into my mouth.

"That's enough!" Jack shouted suddenly. I felt two strong arms, not belonging to Nick, wrap themselves around my waist and jerked me backwards. Nick, having been more caught up then the kiss then I had, was taken completely by surprise and stumbled forward. Of course, it didn't help that Jack was ten times more muscular then he was to begin with. I was yanked into Jack's chest and before Nick could react, he was grabbed by Nate and Dalton. As I struggled to pry myself from Jack's grip, Nick tried to kick either Nate or Dalton in the crotch to get them to loosen their grips.

I guess things weren't really looking up.

As if matter couldn't get worse, Jack spun me around so that my back was against his chest and pulled a gun from his back pocket pressing in hard against the side of my head. Everything seemed to freeze in that moment. I stopped struggling as the cold, hard metal dug painfully into my skull opting for wincing instead. Nick was still looking from Jack to the gun to me and then back again. I knew that the last thing he wanted was for me to be shot. Nate and Dalton looked amused, no surprises there, as if they already knew what Jack had planned. Sean just stood on the outskirts of everything watching silently with a serious expression.

"L-look, man, it doesn't have to be this w-way," Nick stuttered nervously eying the gun with worry.

"No," Jack agreed. "It doesn't. But, of course when you neglect to pay a passed down and much overdue debt then things get iffy."

"But, this is all on me. Let Riley go and leave her out of this," Nick pleaded. "It's me you want."

"But, where's the fun in that?" Jack questioned . He ran the gun down from the side of my head to the underside of my neck right against the main vein. I swallowed hard and whimpered slightly as he pressed it into my neck."Besides, what's a birthday party without a game?" Jack asked playfully. I could hear the sadistic tone in his voice. He had something planned, something bad.

"How about we skip the game?" Nick tried to reason. "Personally, I'm all gamed out."

"No, no, no," Jack shot down his proposal. "I have it all planned out. You see, this gun has ten shots in it, but only one has a bullet." Shit. Shit. Shit. I think I know where this is going, and I didn't like it one bit.

"So," Jack continued. "We're going to play a little game of Russian Roulette."

"No fucking way!" Nick said forcefully. But, Jack continued on as if he hadn't even spoken.

"You'll attempt to shoot me. And, I...-" He ran his hand not holding the gun down to my stomach and pinched the exposed skin. "I'll attempt to shoot Riley." I grimaced at him choice of words even though that was currently the least of my problems.

"And what if I refuse?" Nick demanded angrily.

"Then I'll just pull my fully loaded gun out and blast her brains all over the carpet." Nick's eyebrows crinkled as he tried to comprehend everything that was happening. "So what will it be?" Jack questioned. "Will you actually play and have a chance at killing me and saving Riley or will you chicken out just have me straight out kill her?"

"I'll play," Nick grumbled reluctantly. I could practically hear the grin in Jack's voice as he handed Nick the gun.

"You shoot first," he said as Dalton let go of one of Nick's arms so that he could hold the gun. Nick clenched his fist tightly around the gun, cocked it, and pulled the trigger. As I figured, there was just an empty click. No bullet. No nothing. Nick looked slightly upset, but I knew that he wasn't surprised. Jack snatched the gun and pressed it to my forehead.

"My turn," he said smugly. Half of me knew that Jack wouldn't kill me this early in the game, he wanted to build up the tension. The other half of me wasn't so sure. After a deliberate paused, I heard the gun click. I wasn't dead. My second thought was right, Jack wasn't done till he'd literally milked Nick and I's sanity till there was nothing left. Jack tossed the gun back to Nick, and the game continued.

Nick shot.
Jack shot.
Nick shot.
Jack shot.
Nick shot.
Jack shot.
Nick shot.

Jack had the gun next, and from my counts, there was only one more bullet spot left. He had set it all up, he had planned this whole thing out. He knew perfectly well that he would end up with the bullet, he was just toying with Nick and I's minds. I shivered as the gun was once again pressed up against my forehead. This time, the tears started running silently down my face. This was finally the end. He'd gotten Nick right where he wanted him and now his use for me was up. I looked up at Nick, his eyes mirroring the pain in mine, and said a silent goodbye. This would be the last time I'd ever look into those beautiful eyes again. And then, Jack leaned down and whispered in my ear so quiet that no one but me could hear.

"I'm not done with you yet, princess. I still haven't gotten what I want." With that, Jack pointed the gun away from me.

And shot it.