Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 135300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
…is he sobbing now?
This man is a human land mine.
Trembling, he wipes his face.
“This… this isn’t my revenge. I’m not that selfish,” he whispers, shaking his head. “No. It’s collective vengeance. I’m just the instrument. The moral arrow always bends this way, you know. Justice. And sometimes justice can be very, very painful.”
Justice.
It’s creepy how he echoes Viola’s favorite word of the day.
I don’t know how much longer I can keep a straight face, but I have to try.
For Kane.
For the kids.
For my life.
“Lee,” I whisper, keeping my voice low like he’s a stray dog I’m trying to coax from the corner. “Listen to me, okay? Kane told me everything.”
“I bet he did. Did he also tell you how he abandoned us after they picked our bones clean? Did you know he had conference calls with artists in the pilot, dozens of us?” He curls his lip, teeth glinting white in the the flashlight. “Were you impressed how he made his money?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Bullshit! He didn’t give a flying fuck what happened to me or anyone else. He was just in it to eat and run. Now, he’ll taste lead.”
“That’s not fair!” I throw back.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living with Kane, it’s that he doesn’t flaunt his wealth.
He doesn’t fear getting his hands dirty doing things most people with his money would hire folks for.
If I had to guess, he cares more about the kids’ college funds than whatever big nest egg he has sitting with a wealth manager.
“You still think I’m the villain, don’t you?” Lee snorts roughly, leaning forward, gun hanging loosely in his fingers as he takes my chin in his other hand and stares down at me with hollow eyes again. “Just because I’m the one holding the gun?”
“I don’t think you’re a villain, Lee.”
“Fuck yourself, princess. After I’ve dealt with your boyfriend, you’ll see. I’ll turn myself in. Guys like me get a lot of fans in prison. I don’t care about winding up behind bars. I hate violence.”
Oh, I wish he hated it now.
I reach up to touch his wrist, and he releases me.
My chin throbs from his grip, another bruise guaranteed.
“Kane didn’t know about the software replacing people until it was too late,” I venture, rubbing my chin. “He didn’t run away. He left because the other people wouldn’t listen. The way they screwed you over broke him. Honestly. He’s been beating himself up ever since.”
“Liar,” Lee spits. “You expect me to believe that?”
Up comes the gun again.
My palms sweat furiously and my pulse rocks my bones.
If I push too hard, he could kill me before I can blink.
After all, what does he have left to lose?
His life is in shambles.
And if he’s surrendering when it’s done, he’s already expecting a life sentence. Prison. What’s a little more for one more murder?
I can’t win.
But I can’t give up, either.
“Whether you believe me or not, Kane didn’t know what happened until it was too late to stop it. Then he walked out when there was nothing more he could do. He’s almost as mad about it as you are. You should’ve seen him when he told me about it—it killed him to be part of something that disgusting.”
“He was responsible.”
“Not for making the calls. They decided to make the AI a replacement rather than a tool, not him. The software was meant to help designers originally. You know that, or you never would’ve joined.”
“You know nothing!” Lee slams his fist against the wall, scarily close to my head.
That shuts me up.
“You don’t get it. You can’t. You won’t. The world must know that no one is safe from this anti-human monstrosity. Not while it’s in the hands of people like Kane Saint.” His words are mangled, his voice torn. “It’s an abomination. No matter how rich or famous or powerful, there must be consequences. Saint will help me demonstrate that.”
“Demonstrate what? That you have a vendetta?”
His face curdles.
“People will understand why. It’s time the world started standing up for artists rather than fucking billionaire tech lords.”
“Look, I agree with you,” I say desperately, the tears building behind my eyes. Crying won’t help anything, but I’m only human. “I’m sort of an artist too. I design shoes. I’ve been feeling the pressure from AI myself, even when I use it. The way it invades your creativity and slowly takes over, it’s wrong.”
“If you know all that,” he says, staring me down, “then why are you siding with Kane Saint? Are you that goddamned dick-matized?”
At least he isn’t looking at me like he wants to set me on fire now.
I think I’m getting through to him.
The rough brick scrapes my hands as I tuck them behind my back.
Keep looking, dude. I’m not a threat.
“Because I believe him when he says he’s not responsible,” I say. “Kane is on your side, and if you want to make a stand against OptiSynth for ripping you off, I think he’ll help you. They called him once, asking for a favor, and he was so angry… I’ve never seen him like that. He’s a good man. He doesn’t want it to be like this. But Lee, this isn’t the way. You need lawyers, not bullets. Not blood.”