“He’s not worth a murder charge, Weston.”
“No?” Weston snarls. “Because I beg to differ! You murdered her. You extinguished a light and discarded her like trash!”
The man grins. “I’ve seen you around, brute,” he chokes out. “We were always destined to end up here, weren’t we?” He releases the hold he had on Weston’s wrist. “Go ahead and do it. There’s no feeling quite like it. But you know all about taking lives, don’t you?” His voice is strained, barely above a whisper. “Tell me, how many brothers have you killed? Doesn’t that make us the same?”
“Don’t listen to him, Weston,” Garrison urges. “Don’t give him the satisfaction.” The calming tone to his voice is one I used to joke about. I’d tell him he was bringing out his counselor tone. But now, we need it.
Badly.
“Weston, you have to let him go. Let us do our job,” Jack urges. “Don’t get yourself arrested. Your family has suffered enough because of him.”
“Weston?” Anastasia’s voice is next.
I turn. “Go. Don’t come in here.” The last thing I want is her anywhere near this monster, but she doesn’t listen.
Instead, she moves in farther, her gaze locked on Weston.
“I lost her, too. Please don’t make me lose you over this.”
Ryan’s grin when he sees Anastasia has me taking a step back for my own security. Otherwise, I might jump in and join Weston.
“Please, Weston.”
The fight Cowboy is going through is evident in every single line of his expression. Every muscle in his body is poised for an attack. Mentally, I prepare for an exit strategy. Because there is no way I am letting them take Cowboy—even if he does kill this monster.
But then, he releases him and steps back.
Ryan gasps for air as he slides to the ground. He grips his throat and makes a strangled sound that can barely be considered a laugh. “Cowards. Every single one of you. Willing to die for a useless woman. It’s only a matter of time before she shares the same fate as her friend. Maybe even worse.”
Now it’s my turn to lose it.
Red invades my vision, blocking out any and all of the logic I just tried to use to diffuse the situation mere seconds ago. I whirl on him, dropping down as my hand replaces Cowboy’s on his throat. I raise my fist and slam it into Ryan’s face. Once. Twice.
Blood covers my fist, but I rear back for a third, only to be ripped off him by Zane and Jack. I lunge forward when Ryan turns his attention to me and smiles, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
“I’ll finish what I started all those years ago,” he says, then turns to Anastasia. “You’re next, lovely girl.”
I lunge forward again, knowing what has to be done.
What I’ve always done when someone is a threat.
Eliminate.
Destroy.
But Weston wraps an arm around my chest, dragging me out of the room and out into the hall.
“He has to be dealt with,” I insist.
“This isn’t some top-secret military operation,” Jack snaps. “You can’t just make him disappear.”
“Why not?” I demand. “You can all look the other way. I’ll make sure no one ever finds him.”
“Sawyer,” Leopold warns. “You know that we can’t do that. You have to let the justice system do its job.”
“The justice system?” I shake my head. “He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Sawyer. Let it go. We’ve got him now,” Leopold says. “You two get out of here before I have to charge you both with assault.” He points toward the door. “Now.”
