I walked out of the room as fast as I could.
“Nixon,” Trace called from behind me. So close.
“What’s up?” I turned around and tried to smile, tried to look happy and indifferent when really my heart was slamming so hard against my chest that I was afraid she could hear it.
“Thank you…” She swallowed.
“For what?”
“For stopping at nothing to protect me.” She laughed awkwardly and looked behind her. “But mainly, for loving me.” Her eyes welled with tears. “So damn much.”
I closed my eyes for a brief minute before opening them. Only this time I saw Chase come up behind her and wrap his arm around her shoulders.
“I have to go.” I nodded to Chase and winked at Tracey before I walked briskly out of the room. Forcing myself not to cut off Chase’s hand as my mind replayed images of it touching her soft shoulder.
Chapter Twenty-four
Phoenix
Damn, I hated the silence, almost as much as I hated my own reflection. It was the eyes that did it. I knew mine looked like hers used to, like they should be full of life, but instead of light—utter darkness.
I was going to die. But at least they’d be safe; at least I wouldn’t go to Hell wishing I would have done something to redeem what happened. If I died, the secrets died with me, meaning they would never know the truth. But in the end, if I told them it would be like putting giant targets on all their backs.
Better it be me than them.
The pact we’d made so long ago suddenly seemed like the best option. I’d take a bullet in the head at the hands of my three brothers over getting beat within an inch of my life by him any day.
I just hoped they’d be good on their promise. I was banking on it; otherwise there was going to be a hell of a lot of blood and it wasn’t going to be just mine.
A cold chill wracked my body. I couldn’t huddle to gain warmth, I couldn’t move to the corner of the room to protect myself from the draft, and in that moment I realized that’s what my life was. I’d been tied to a chair of my father’s own choosing, but I’d been the one to lift my hands up in surrender. And with my surrender I gave everything, hoping to protect those I loved—and to protect myself.
I laughed—really there wasn’t anything else I could do. I was freaking freezing my ass off in that stupid room because Nixon had, most likely on purpose, left the air-conditioning on full, and all my brain did was replay memories and choices over and over again, making my stomach recoil with disgust.
I imagined Hell was a lot like what I was currently experiencing. I thought of Mil, my stepsister. When things went to shit, I knew she’d be okay. I’d sent her everything she needed to know—I’d trusted her above all else and in return she’d promised she’d stay in hiding. Damn, I was lucky the girl had balls of steel—because she was the only one in the entire freaking universe that knew the truth about me, about Nixon, about Trace’s parents—and I hoped to God in the end—once the bullet was lodged in my head—she’d find a way to save our families before it was too late.
Chapter Twenty-five
Nixon
I made it as far as my Range Rover before I felt my control snap. I punched the driver’s seat five times as hard as I could with my fist… it didn’t help. I needed a baseball bat, or something; everything was so messed up and I didn’t know how much longer I could handle being around her—around them—before I blew my own cover.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” a voice said from behind me.
I turned to see a woman about my age with chestnut hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing an Eagle Elite uniform but I’d never seen her before in my life. “Can I help you?” I asked, trying my best not to sound scary.
“Depends.” She put on a pair of black sunglasses and walked over to me. She was tall for a chick, probably around five-ten.
“On?” I leaned against the SUV.
“On you, I guess.” She reached into her red leather purse and pulled out a small flash drive. “Take it.”
“Why?” I paused before taking the drive into my hand and shoving it into my pocket. “What does it have on it that I need? The answers to my final at the end of the semester?”
“Well, you’re right about part of that.” She sighed. “You’ll find some answers, but they won’t be what you expect.”
“Oh yeah, and why’s that?”
The girl sucked in a breath and then fell against me. I caught her around the waist, and my hands came into contact with blood. Lots of blood.
Mind going into overdrive, I quickly lifted her into my arms and put her in the backseat of the SUV. She’d been hit in the back, but I couldn’t tell exactly where and I wasn’t taking any chances.