“I love her. And clearly, you do not,” he states.
“You’re right, I don’t love her. And believe me, she doesn’t love you in the slightest. You have nothing to offer her. She only wants me because she loves power. She loves it so much, she willingly chose me to kill her mother.”
“She didn’t have a choice,” he barks.
“What spell are you under? Her pussy can’t be that good,” Piper chimes in.
His eyes swing to her. “I bet you’re happy that you got to where I was so fast.” He spits at her feet. “You disgust me.”
“Where is she?” I ask, becoming frustrated with this bullshit.
“You ain’t getting to her.”
I step closer to Roberto, and he reaches for something, but I know his tricks.
Piper grabs the gun he was about to pull on me.
“Keir…” I look past Roberto to see Paige standing there. “You love me. See? It’s why you’re here. Only you would know where to find me. I’ll forgive you.”
Roberto gapes at her in shock.
“Told you,” I say to him, but he isn’t hearing me. He strains to get to me, but I whack him hard in the stomach, making him double over.
“How could you?” His words come out in heavy breaths. “You told me you loved me,” he whines out, and it’s not something I recognize from a man who’s worked with me for so long.
“Why is she here?” Paige hisses. “You brought her here!” she screams.
I check back over my shoulder to see Sailor through the car window.
Miracles surely do happen—she has stayed there as requested.
“Why do you care so much?” Piper asks her brother. “What is it about her that makes you care so much?” she asks more in a softer voice. “She clearly doesn’t want you.” Piper turns her gaze on Paige, and Paige says nothing, just stares at me as she cradles her belly.
“It’s mine,” Roberto whispers. “It’s mine,” he reiterates, this time with more bite.
Piper gasps out in surprise, then looks to Paige.
Paige remains silent.
Unmoving.
Alarmed.
“What’s yours?” Joey asks, confused.
“The baby,” I say while staring at Roberto. Looking away from him, I turn to Paige. “We never had sex, did we?” I ask her as direct as I can be.
She flicks her hair over her shoulder. Chin up, completely ignoring me.
“No. You pushed her away that night and she came to me.” Roberto stands and Paige’s eyes narrow to slits as she glares at Roberto. “I’ve played your games long enough. What everyone says is true. But, Paige…” her eyes soften, “… I love you. I will probably be the only man on this earth who ever will. Because you are batshit crazy.”
“I’m not.”
Piper coughs. “What? She is.”
Shaking my head, I turn and walk down the stairs. Paige calls after me, but I don’t care.
Roberto calls my name, then he’s there right in front of me. Over his shoulder, I see Sailor open the car door, ready for me to get in. Her eyes flick to him, then to me.
She’s home for me.
Now, I just have to prove it to her.
“I’m sorry, but I had to do what I thought was right.”
“You lied, deceived, and the worst of the worst… you betrayed me.”
“I know.” Roberto hangs his head.
My hand lifts and touches his face, and his eyes lock on mine.
“I’ll come for payment. You know what it is.”
Betrayal is only handled one way.
Death.
There is no other way.
If you let those closest to you betray you, others will think they can do it too.
They can’t.
So betrayal will get his man.
“I’d do it again because I got him.” I know Roberto’s talking about the baby. The baby I assumed was mine. I look at Sailor who’s listening with wide eyes, trying to work out what’s being said. I tap his shoulder and walk past him.
Joey and Piper are already in the car.
“I’ll be back to collect.” I slide in the car.
Sailor touches my shoulder. “It’s bleeding.”
“I’m sure you can patch me up.” She nods as we drive off and looks out the window at Roberto, and I know she wants answers to questions but I’m too tired to deal with that right now.
I have to end my cousin—one of my best friends in this life.
Killing has become second nature to me, but I never expected this kind of betrayal. And I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t hurt, because it does.
Glancing at Sailor though, I can understand why he did it.
Love makes us do some fucked-up shit.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sailor
Keir hasn’t spoken during the ride to his apartment. When we pull up to his building, he opens the door and looks back at me. “Stay with me.”
I shake my head.
He sighs but doesn’t fight me, instead he says one word, “Please.”
My willpower is breaking, but I can’t. “I have to go back to Wren.”
“I can get Mamma to bring her here.”
I bite my lip while considering it. “I can’t, Keir.”
He nods and gets out.
Piper gives me a soft smile from the front seat. Joey gets out with Keir, then she drives me home.
“How are you?” I ask. I feel like it’s been ages since we spoke and right now, small talk is a must.
“I think the real question is, what the fuck are you going to do?” she jokes, but I know she’s right.
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s obvious we like each other.”
“No, girl. That man doesn’t like you. I’ve known Keir all my life and not once have I seen him like this with any other woman.” She slows down as we come to my street to turn the corner, and as she does, a loud bang pops. I watch as Piper’s hands leave the steering wheel, and her eyes start to close. She manages to hit the brakes, both of us pitching forward, and I am thankful for the seat belts.
“Piper.” I race to unlatch my seat belt and climb into the front. I scan her for damage—her stomach is bleeding heavily. Blood seeps out between the fingers of her hands as she tries to put pressure on the wound. “Piper,” I repeat, terrified and confused, and her worried eyes meet mine.
“Run,” she croaks out.
I shake my head.
That’s not going to happen.
Not in this lifetime.
I unlatch her seat belt, and she clutches my shirt. “Take it, quickly.” I look down at a small knife in her hand. She pushes it at me, and I grab the handle and slide it into my pocket before I try to open the door, but the door won’t budge as it’s stuck against something.
“Fuck,” she wheezes at the sight of a man standing in front of the car, with two other men behind him. His smile is sinister as he peers through the windshield at us. Cars whizz by, not even caring what’s going down right in front of them. It’s late. I hear the sound of sirens approaching, and the man walks closer, ducking down so we can both see him.