“Someone has something over him,” I answered honestly. “The way he tells it, he found out some information he should have never known and because of the knowledge he has, he’ll die either way. He’s afraid that if it gets into the wrong hands it won’t end well for any of us.”
“Well, great.” Trace put her hands on her hips. “So what do we do?”
Shit. I hated bringing her into my world, into my darkness. “We do what he asks. We kill him.”
“Tomorrow,” Tex agreed. “After our afternoon classes?”
Trace sighed. “You guys talk about death like it’s a doctor’s appointment or something.”
“Death always is,” I mumbled. “An appointment, I mean. We all have our time. Sometimes it’s not up to us to schedule it, sometimes we miss it, and other times…”
“Someone carries it out for you,” Chase finished.
Our gazes met.
Shit, as if I didn’t have enough stress in my life, he was looking almost… happy. There would be only one reason he was happy. Trace.
I looked between the two of them. Trace leaned her head on Chase’s shoulder and I had to look away. If I continued to stay focused on them then I wouldn’t be helping my family. I’d be useless.
“I need to go look over the accounts again for the De Langes. I still feel like I’m missing something.” I scratched my head and bit down on my lip. “I’ll see you guys back at the house tonight.”
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.
I quickly dialed Uncle Tony’s number as I drove to the nearest hospital.
He answered on the first ring.
“Yes, Nixon?”
“Minor problem. Some random girl just gave me—”
“Gave you what, Nixon? I don’t have time to hear about your extracurricular activities.”
Remembering the way he’d acted earlier, I lied. “She said she had information to give me… but she was shot before she could say anything. I have her with me right now. I’m on my way to the hospital—”
“No, Nixon. We’ll take care of it.”
“She could die,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “I’m not letting one of our own take care of her. She needs a hospital, not some cousin who used to be a surgeon back when he was still able to see straight without a bottle of liquor.”
“I said”—Uncle Tony cleared his throat—“we’ll take care of it. We can’t have any loose ends. We have no idea who she is, and we cannot alert any of the cops. Gunshot wounds are basically like waving a red flag in their eyes. They’ll investigate and they’ll stop at nothing to get to us.”
“I know that,” I yelled. “Don’t you think I know that? But what if—”
“Nixon.” His irritation shone through the way he said my name, as if it was a curse word rather than an identifier. “For once in your life, just listen to someone who’s older and has more experience than you.”
“Fine,” I snapped. “I’m on my way.”
I hung up the phone and turned toward the bank. Most of the family would be there working, meaning that by now Tony would have told them what was going on and how they needed to prepare.
“Don’t,” a raspy voice said behind me. “Don’t take me to him.”
I ignored her plea. Hating myself the entire time.
“He’ll kill me.”
“You’re dead either way,” I said as softly as I could.
“I can help you.”
“You almost died just trying to help me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but if that’s the type of help you’re offering, I think I’ll pass.”
“Fine.” Her voice was getting weaker. “Just tell him I’m sorry I failed.”
“Who? Tell who?” I pulled up to a stoplight and turned around.
She smiled sadly. “Tell Phoenix I failed.”
“Phoenix? How the hell do you know Phoenix?”
“I thought you didn’t want my help.” She grimaced and reached behind her. “Thank God. I think the bullet just grazed me.”
Biting on my lip for a second, I thought of what I needed to do. Damn if the web wasn’t getting more tangled. With a curse, I pulled off to the side of the road and turned around. I pulled out my gun and pointed it at her head. “If you’re dead either way it shouldn’t matter, right? Now, you have exactly five seconds to plead your case, or I shoot you here. And I promise you, what I have planned is kinder than where I’m taking you to.”
“I know who killed Tracey’s parents.”
I pulled back my gun and stared at her. “Fine. Who killed them then?”
“Your father.”
I pointed the gun back at her head again, this time with the intention of shooting her, except she shook her head and looked almost… sorry for me. Which was weird because she was the one who was going to die.
“Not the father you’ve always known, Nixon. Your real father.”
Well, shit.
I pulled the gun back and shot her in the foot. I needed more blood in order to prove my case.
She screamed in pain and fell back against the seat. “What the hell was that for?”
“If you’re lying”—I shrugged—“you know I’ll be good on my promise to end your life. If you’re telling the truth, I officially have to lie for you and put you into hiding. Now, take off your clothes.”
“What?” She began to shake. Great; now she was going into shock.
“Don’t make me repeat myself. Take off your damn clothes.” I put my gun away and held out my hands so she could hand over her clothing.
Fumbling with her shirt, she pulled it off over her head and followed suit with the rest of her clothes, until she was lying there in nothing but her bra and underwear.
“ID?” I held out my hand.
Closing her eyes she thrust her purse forward. “You really are a bastard, aren’t you?”
“Aw, people been talking about me, sweetheart?”
She shivered and then cringed. “People say you’re the devil.”
“I’m much worse.” I fumbled through her purse and pulled out her ID and nearly passed out when I read the last name. “Emiliana De Lange?”
“Pleased to meet you…”