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Lila dies, or I kill Kitty’s little friend, and Lila gets to take a trip to the infirmary to see if she can be saved"

My mouth dropped open Benjy? But why-- It hitShe knew Celia was the leader of the Blackcoats She knew Knox had been playing both sides, and she knewith Celia if he hadn’t been there, too

And Augusta kneould have nothing to do with hiain if he let Benjy die

For a split second, Knox’s eyes oing to say

"No!" I started to stand, but Augusta pointed her gun at me, and I stopped cold "Please, Knox--"

"Me," said Lila weakly "Knox, let her kill me He-- doesn’t deserve--"

"I’m sorry," he whispered to Lila, and he kissed her forehead before addressing Augusta "I need Benjy’s help carrying Lila down to the infirmary Then do it"

"I’usta "However, since you’ve e"

All the air left s Benjy stood still as a statue, and I silently willed hi at usta "Perhaps now you will understand just hoerless you truly are"

Suddenly the world around usta aiish, as if tiive me a moment to decide what to do

My mind was un from my holster and raised it

I didn’t need to kno to aim properly in order to line up the barrel with her body and pull the trigger

And I did

Over and over and over again, until only a faint click remained

In the back of my mind, I heard shouts and the thunder of footsteps I felt hands on me and tried to shake them off, but when Benjy wrapped his arms around un

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Knox and Greyson carry Lila toward the door, and I heard uards rushed in The sound of Knox’s voice filled the rooed to deterly out of nowhere and carried Lila away

But the only thing I understood was Augusta’s bulletriddled body lying in a pool of blood that slowly expanded, staining the white carpet crio of me as Knox led us down to the infiruards that reusta’s body, but there was still no sign of Celia I couldn’t find it in s anchoring me to reality were the feel of Benjy’s arms around me and the sound of Knox’s footsteps beside , and the next she was dead, all because of me I knew I’d had no real choice If I hadn’t, Benjy and Lila would both be dead, but that didn’t stop the guilt froh me

When we reached the infirmary, Benjy set me down in a chair and pulled up another so he could sit beside one I didn’t see where he went, but there was only one place to go: Lila’s bedside

Benjy didn’t say a word, and I was grateful for the silence He rubbed slow circles ondead on the carpet

Instead I tried to remember what Benjy’s face had looked like when she’d beenhim

It didn’t help

"I’m sorry," I whispered He stroked my hair rhythroup home and none of this had ever happened It was just him and me, and the Harts were in a co to be sorry for," he said "You did what you had to do Just--in the future, don’t risk your life doing it, all right?"

I tried to smile, but my chin treone with Tabs I only went to the club because I wanted to stay with you"

My voice cracked, and Benjy nuzzled the top of my head "I know," he murmured "You did the best you could hat you had"

I didn’t deserve hi my face in his chest, I let his shirt soak up the tears leaking fro with Knox, too"

Benjy snorted "I told hiain, I’d--"

He stopped, and I knehat he was going to say He’d kill hih

"Listen, Kitty," he said, pulling back enough to look ht with everything that’s been done to you, but I know you didn’t ask for any of it Lila’s engaged to Knox, and you can’t-- you can’t still be her and not be So--I get that But you don’t have to be her any will be okay We can go sohtened around his I’d been preparing to die ever since I’d injected that drug into Daxton’s veins, and the possibility of surviving this--I’d given up hope

But in thatthat had happened that day, I let myself believe Benjy Celia and Knox and Greyson would allow me to walk away from this, and no one would ever know that Kitty Doe hadn’t died after all Benjy and I would find a place by the beach, and ould be happy And neither of us would ever have to see another Hart again

"That would be nice," I whispered, and Benjy smiled and wrapped his arht uards rolled a stretcher down the hallway, and I frowned Who else was hurt?

As they ca across it, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away The points of her shoes forh it hid her features, I knew exactly as underneath the thick plastic

Augusta, dead and full of bullets I’d put in her

Greyson followed the stretcher, looking as pale as I felt

His hands were stained with blood

"Greyson?" I said Instead of answering, he winced and looked away

So inside me snapped I couldn’t breathe, and what little I’d eaten in the past day threatened to come up I pushed myself away from Benjy and stuer, too Not on top of everything else

"Kitty!" called Benjy, his shoes squeaking against the tiled floor as he darted after h the nearest door and slaround,else was black I took a deep breath It wasn’t my fault Greyson had to know that Everyone had to know that Augusta had forced o back, I would have done the exact sausta had made her choice, and so had I As much as the consequences hurt, at least I could live with theht if I’d let Augusta lay a finger on Benjy Greyson was grieving for his family, and he needed time Even if he never caain, I could only be thankful I wasn’t grieving for mine