When All Else Fails (A Push of a Button Novella)

Chapter Ten

"Mr. H always said that making a pact with the devil to try to accomplish good only ever makes things worse." She pushed him away and curled into a ball on the bed. "I guess he was right."

Dane grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "I can help you. Let me do that, Vivian. Please. I'm not so bad. And Mr. H didn't mean me. He didn't think working with me was bad, surely? I don't want people to believe I'm God like the Supreme Ones do. Skies above, I'm well aware I'm a mere mortal. I just want everyone to have the freedom to believe what they want and go where they want without the government spying over their shoulders."

Viv scoffed. "Rich coming from you. What changed, Dane? Last night, you played on my desperation and my fear, and then, when your goons shot my mentor, you took advantage of my shock and pain. Not now though. Now, I'm angry. Now, I'm realizing what a bad choice I made." She raised a hand toward her neck. "So, please explain to me why I shouldn't just—"

He reached out and took her hand before she could touch the spot behind her ear. The spot where her button should've been but wasn't. To his credit, he didn't smile or laugh, but that was almost worse. "You'll what? Teleport? You can't do that now, remember? I'm your only shot."

Tears of frustration pooled and slid past her lashes. "You took everything away from me."

"No, I didn't. The Supremacy did that." His jaw clenched. "And that's exactly why I'm going to destroy them. They promised me that you wouldn't be hurt. They said you'd be mine to protect and look after if I kept you out of it. And I did. I did until you ran. And even then, I was trying to run damage control. But then my handler told me they'd erase you." His grip on her hand tightened. "And I couldn't stand to let that happen. I couldn't..." Tears shone in his gun-metal blue gaze too now. "Viv, you're the reason I'm not still working with them. I'm doing all of this for you. For us."

"I don't know if I can believe that."

"They don't know you're here, okay? I didn't tell them I caught you. They think you escaped, and there aren't any taps in this cabin. I made sure of it." He pushed the tray toward her. "I want the same thing I've always wanted. You. But I'm just beginning to realize that going along with their plan was never the way to get what I wanted."

She shrugged and picked at the food.

"Tell me something, Vivian." He crouched in front of her. "If we hadn't grown up with you thinking we were siblings, would you give me a chance?"

"I don't know... The whole thing is messed up. Can't you see that? Whatever we both wish or don't wish, we grew up together. I thought you were my baby brother, and you lied to me. You were going to give me back my real memories, delete the false ones, and force me to marry you. You might have changed the plan, but you're still going to force me to marry you."

He stood and strode to the window. "I want you to want it too. We loved each other, Viv. Respected each other."

"And you ruined all of that when you revealed your true nature. You're the villain, Dane. Do you really think I'll forget that?"

"I'm not the villain." He spun to face her, pain and regret etched into his expression. "I didn't know what they were going to do. I never would've allowed it. I didn't allow it when I found out. But I can't fight you and them. Look, I'm going to either change things from the inside or bring them down if they won't change. I'm going to root out the corruption and tyranny. But I need you to help me."

She sighed. "Maybe you're not the villain. But you're not the hero either. You're on the fence, and you could go either way."

"Either way? Then I guess I'm just a normal person because everyone could go either way. I just had the misfortune of having no parents and being stuck, trapped, in a role I never wanted to play." He crossed his arms. "But maybe it was so that I could do exactly this. So that I could save you and destroy them. Maybe I'm more of a hero than you think."