Justin shrugged, and Grace jumped in before he could say anything else. “What do you get out of this, Gavin? What does—” she almost lost it “—killing Justin get you?”
“I’ll be full Deuce. The boys’ll bring me in, take care of my family like they woulda his.”
“They’re lying to you,” Justin said calmly.
Gavin raised the gun to Justin’s face. “Shut. Up.”
Grace began to sweat, her muscles aching from sustaining the same position too long. “Gavin, please. Don’t do this to me. And you are the one doing this.”
“I’m gonna make you rich, Grace.”
“Rich?” she asked, confusion making her shake her head quickly.
“D’eight’s going to pay me hard for taking out this muthuh. When I’m rich, I’ll come for you, take care of you in style.”
“You can’t believe I’m going to go with you if you shoot Justin?” No way could she say “kill” again. Once was one time too many. Everyone had limits. That was hers.
“He’ll take you, by force if has to,” Justin said, still calm.
The teen shoved the nose of the handgun into the soft spot under Justin’s chin. “I ain’t tellin’ you again to shut your fuckin’ mouth, Pretty Boy.”
Grabbing the detail, she asked, “Why’d you call him Pretty Boy?”
“It was the name D’eight gave him. I’m Code 3,” he said with pride.
“Why Code 3?” she pressed. Get him to talk about himself.
“Because I’m going to be their point man.” When she didn’t comment, he smiled affectionately. “Means I’ll be head of the enforcers’ unit. You’ll learn.”
“You’re going to ruin my life, Gavin.” She looked up at him, forcing herself to focus on his face and not the gun or Justin. Keep face-to-face contact.
“I’m going to make your life, Grace. You’re going to love me,” he said, cocking his head to the side in an attempt at being coy.
“I’m never going to be able to trust you.” Get to the root of the issue.
“Like you can trust this turncoat?” he scoffed, the first vestiges of insecurity showing through his facade as he glanced between her and Justin.
“I do trust him. Completely.”
Gavin blinked quickly. “How can you? How can you trust someone who didn’t stand by what they said they’d do?”
Clarify emotions. “I feel about him the way you want me to feel about you.”
“Tell me,” Justin said softly.
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. There should have been time, a hundred thousand hours to say this a hundred thousand different ways, but now she was reduced to the most basic truth, offering the only answer she could. “I love you, Justin Maxwell. I’ve loved you for years.” She faced Gavin. “If you shoot him? I will never, ever forgive you. You want my respect? You want me to believe you’re an honorable man?” She finished rolling over and sat up, palms out. “Do the right thing here. We can all walk away from this.”