His hands grip my shoulders painfully. A cold sweat breaks out across my forehead as Jasper pulls me against him. I want to shy away as I feel his hot breath on my neck, but I'm afraid it will just piss him off.

"Well, I'm here," I tell him, feigning indifference.

I just hope Oliver and Freya are coming up with a plan, because my only plan right now is to keep Jasper talking and distracted.

"Yes, running bravely into the face of danger to save your boyfriend. And here I thought you were smarter than him."

"I'm not afraid of you, Jasper. Your creepy super villain speeches don't work on me," I smile sweetly up at him.

Shock, anger, and amusement all flicker behind his eyes before settling on malice. I maintain eye contact despite wanting to look anywhere but at him and try to mirror his expression. He's trying to get me to back down, but I won't give him the satisfaction.

"Super villain, huh?"

"I'd say you remind me of The Joker, but even he had better material," I nod.

Jasper's open palm connects with my cheek before I can even see it coming. I rub my own hand against it, trying to alleviate the sting, and spare a glance too Oliver.

He hadn't moved an inch, which I was grateful for. I half expected him to tackle Jasper from behind, but we both knew that would only end with him full of bullet holes. He maintained his calm exterior, but I recognized that look in his eyes.

That blind, chaotic rage was close to consuming him if it hadn't already.

"You really should have learned to keep your bitch on a tighter leash," Jasper leers, peering over his shoulder at Oliver.

Oliver snarls at him in response, but Jasper quickly turns his attention back to me. I keep the grin on my face, not wanting to show him how shaken I am from his blow.

"Is that really the best you can come up with? Christ, your lines are worse than the punchlines on bubblegum wrappers."

"Stop. Taunting. Him," Oliver lets out a growl.

I raise my eyebrow at him and shake my head almost imperceptibly, hoping Jasper doesn't notice the interaction. His anger at me seems to dissolve quickly back into amusement at Oliver's distress.

"As much as I've thoroughly enjoyed all of this, I think we all know it's time for the fun and games to come to an end. The three of you surely must know by now that I can't let you walk out of here."

He opens his palms to me and shrugs- as if he was helpless to stop himself from killing us. As if any other outcome just wasn't possible.

A wave of dizziness consumes me when I realize we're officially out of time. I shoot Oliver a panicked look and I'm surprised to see the ghost of a grin on his lips. His jaw is set and his eyes are narrowed in determination.

Time seems to slow to an almost complete stop as Oliver rips the gun pointed at his head out of the guard's hand and smacks him against the head with it. The man falls to the floor, dead or unconscious I can't tell.

Oliver and Freya instantly train their guns on the remaining two men. They both raise their hands in surrender, their expressions guarded. Without much time to think or process what's happening, I lift my own weapon, quickly following suit, and fix it between Jasper's eyes.

His face betrays no emotion, although I know his rage is eating him alive. He knows there's no way out of this.

"Camden?" Oliver asks calmly.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry you have to see this," he tells me as he fires on the remaining guard.

I jump at the sound, but keep my raised arm steady.

"Go on then," Jasper says as coolly as if he were talking about the weather.

"Do you really think we'd let you off easy? After everything you've done?" I ask him.

I'm disgusted by him, by the way everything amuses him. Even his own life is just a toy to him.

"You don't strike me as one for petty revenge. Oliver, maybe, but you can't even pull the trigger on that thing let alone torture me. You're too... innocent for this life."

His comment makes my blood boil and I find myself back in that house, standing over his hitman as I stab him repeatedly. I lean forward so that my mouth is against his ear.

"I don't think Smith would agree," I whisper. "Although, I don't think he's capable of saying much of anything anymore."

"Well done," he responds in mock surprise. "I'm proud of you, really. I just got chills."

"You're a goddamn psychopath. If anyone deserves to suffer, it's you. But it won't be by my hand."

I step away as Oliver steps towards him.

"Cam, go find Lydia and wait outside. We'll come find you when we're done."

"What? Are you fucking crazy? I'm not-"

"Camden, for once in your fucking life just listen to me. You've seen enough violence today to last a lifetime."

I give him one last desperate plea, but he's already focused his attention on Jasper, who's still fixated on me.

I brush my hand against Oliver's free one as I turn to leave the way Freya and I came in, locking my pinky with his as I do.

"Goodbye, Camden. It's been such a pleasure knowing you."

"Eat shit, Jasper."

Whatever Oliver plans on doing, I hope it's anything but quick and painless.