Page 34 of Pushed Through The Dark
Koa's expression softened as he stepped to the fridge. "No, I couldn't." He opened the fridge and started pulling out ingredients as if this conversation was about the weather. He wasn't phased at all about putting a bullet in that guy's head. "He doesn't get to play God with you." Koa pointed at me with a carrot, then set it on the counter.
Crossing my arms, I fiddled with my lower lip. I was nervous, unsure if he had any conscience at all because he didn't sound rattled.
"Doesn't it bother you at all that you just killed a man?"
"Should it? Because from where I was standing, you needed me to step in. Or do you think he was one of the good guys?"
"I don't know, but good or bad, you still took his life."
"Would you rather I just let him kill you?"
"That's not what I mean. I just don't see how can be so cavalier about it."
"It seemed like a pretty simple answer to the problem. Either he killed you, or I killed him. You aren't his, he didn't have the right to even touch you, let alone threaten your life." He shrugged his shoulder, taking his gun out from his waist and setting it on the counter.
"You're right—youown me." Tilting my head, I glared at him.
"I don't mean it like that, I just mean that he had no right to take you from me, just because you told him to fuck off."
"You're still not giving me an answer." Wrapping my arms tighter around my ribs, I angled my head more. "Does it bother you that you killed him?"
"He was a bad man, he's lucky to have lived this long anyway."
"I'm not saying he didn't deserve it—"
Koa pulled out a wooden cutting board and a large chopping knife. "Then stop acting like I did something wrong, and thank me for saving your fucking life."
Veering my stare, I took a step towards him. "You think that makes you better than him? That you're different? Like you're some fucking saint? Can't you see you're the same person? You bought me! You took me! You stole my life too! My life isn't even mine anymore!"
"I saved you," he said, his voice sharp as the knife he was holding. "You just don't realize it yet."
Huffing under my breath, I dropped my arms to my sides and started to walk away. He was delusional, living in some world where he was the king and decided everyone's fate. I was nothing more than property.
There was no point in even trying to see if there was a shred of humanity left inside him. His answer was enough.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked as he chopped up vegetables.
"My room," I said, looking back at him over my shoulder. "Unless you want to put a bullet in my head too?"
Shaking his head no, he pointed at the stool with the knife. "Sit."
"I don't want to sit."
"I'm not asking, I'm telling. Sit."
Turning around slowly, I walked to the counter and climbed onto one of the stools. He continued with cutting vegetables, his hand moving quickly with the knife. He wasn't phased by anything. Not buying a person, and not killing a man.
"You cook?" he asked as he lifted the cutting board, and dumped the vegetables inside a big pot.
My head moved side to side lightly. "No."
"Come here." He pushed the cutting board into the sink and took out another one.
"I'd rather—"
Cutting me off, he laid down the knife and rested both hands on the counter. "You might as well learn something new while you're here." His eyes shot up to mine and he lifted one brow. "You were with Virgo for how long?"
"I don't really know, weeks, months. . ." Pausing, I moved my fingertips across the smooth countertop. "Too long."
