“Take the gun,” my father commands, and I reach for the oneDean left on the table. “Not you, son.” He stops me by tapping the muzzle of his own gun over my hand. “Her.”
“Father!” That’s as much of a warning I can give him, without aggravating him further.
“Step aside and let her take the gun.Now!”
“It’s okay.” Summer’s hand lands on my forearm, silently asking me to move aside. It’s my turn to ignore her.
When I don’t move, she pushes me while standing up, and I follow immediately, ready to step in front of her if my father points the gun at my woman.
“You say she’s one of you. Let’s put that theory to the test. You know damn well how I put all of you through it.” My father points his attention to Dean for a moment, reminding him how he made each and every one of us kill, his sick and twisted version of a sweet sixteen. Then Mason’s eyes shift back to Summer. “Pick up the gun, girl!”
Summer doesn’t hesitate when taking it, handling the weapon with practiced precision, before letting her hand, along with the gun in it, fall to her side.
“My nephew has been causing trouble for my son’s business. I think for mine, too.” Mason’s deadly smirk is on his face, and I know what comes next before he says it. “Kill him!”
“Wow! Wait! Wait!” Jacob pushes his chair back, shooting up, along with everyone else.
“Back to your seats!” Mason roars, making us freeze. “Everyone but her, or she’s dead, and so are you, nephew. You know I don’t favor quick deaths, and I’ll be especially creative if you don’t get back to your seat.”
“Don’t!” My meek attempt is silenced when Mason shushes me with the barrel of the gun over his mouth.
“Any of you move—she dies.” His belligerent tone is more of a promise than his words are. “I’m not going to let you make her part of the family if she’s not ruthless enough. She either kills him, or I kill her.”
“He’s your nephew,” I try to reason, but reasoning with Mason when it comes to murder is never an option.
Summer lifts the gun, lining it up with Jacob’s head, and my mind snaps into panic, scrambling for a way to stop this, to save them both. I’ve wanted to wring my cousin’s neck more times than I can count these past three years, but I don’t want him dead.
If it comes down to him or her, I’ll let him take the bullet. I’d sacrifice the whole fucking world—myself included—if it keeps her safe. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to find a way out that spares them both.
I don’t want his blood on her conscience. And honestly? I don’t think Summer has it in her to kill an innocent.
“Sis...” Carter starts, but his words die there.
Her gaze doesn’t waver. Her hand doesn’t tremble.
“Aren’t you scared, girl? Do you think I’m bluffing?” Mason asks.
She looks back at him, weapon still trained on her target.
“Are you hot, Mason? You’re sweating.”
The non sequitur comes from her in a tone so eerily calm it could’ve been her offering another slice of cake with an unhealthy pinch of defiance sprinkled on top.
My father’s gun goes from resting at the table position, back at her head, and I try to stand in front of her in an instant.
“You move, she dies,” he reminds me, riveting me to my spot, helplessness burning through me. “Are. You. Scared?”
“I’ve been dead once for a whole minute, and faced death like this less than a year and a half ago,” Summer says, then turns to look at my father, the gun still pointed at Jacob. “You’d think death and I are old acquaintances, and I shouldn’t fear it, but the thing is, you can’t get used to it, especially when you have someone to live for. So yes, I’m scared. I’d be a fool not to be. The sole purpose of fear is to keep us alert. Aren’tyouscared of death, Mason?”
“I’m not the one with a gun pointed at my head.” My fathersmiling like this is never a good sign. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen beauty like yours, so I don’t want to kill you, but it’s either you or him. Be a good girl and pull the trigger, or I’ll pull mine.”
That twisted incentive makes Summer look back at Jacob.
“Summer,” Jacob begs.
I break.
I can’t let him die. And I won’t let her carry that burden of this death either.
