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I stared at the ground as I thought, fingers tight around Theo’s. Gordon was right … there was one time I unclasped the necklace, one moment, in Rada’s bathroom, when Theo and I were in the shower…
“By the way, Rada wants her pistol back,” Gordon said.
“She replaced the necklace?” I looked up at Gordon. “It was a dupe?”
Gordon didn’t bother to answer in the affirmative. “The effect of that replacement was always meant for you, Theodore being collateral damage if needed, but you were meant to have used it much sooner. Granted, it’s a small device, meant only to kill the person wearing it—but in Theodore’s attempt to save you, he threw it near a barrel of bourbon. Or maybe that was deliberate, an attempt to kill a brother and a father in one throw. But, my dear boy Theodore, Trace and I survived, so maybe you should turn your attention to Scarlet, and why she was wearing the original necklace in the first place.”
“I never trusted Rada farther than I could speak to her,” Theo said, then turned to me. He didn’t acknowledge Gordon’s accusation. “But I can’t plan for what I don’t know about. Why were you wearing that necklace?”
Gordon stared at us, a sneer escaping.
“Don’t,” I said to Gordon, but I knew it was useless.
Theo kept his attention on me. “Don’t what?”
“She doesn’t want me to tell you,” Gordon said, smiling. “But I admit, I can’t resist.”
“Whatever he says,” I started, “it means more than what he’s making it out to be—”
“Scarlet was going to give you up to the cops, my son,” Gordon said.
I clutched Theo’s arm. “It’s not that clear cut—”
But Theo’s expression was clouding over, confusion, hurt, abject betrayal. If his eyes were ice before, they were frostbitten when he collected his thoughts enough to regard me with nothing but heavily banked rage.
“Scarlet made a deal with the FBI. Two years ago, with Peter Chenko. Remember him?” Gordon continued.
“Shut up,” I said, then louder, “Justshut up!You have noideawhat you’re talking about.”
“I know what Chenko said to you in that hospital room,” Gordon cut in. “I’m the one who told himwhatto say.”
“Theo.” I spun to what was important. “I didn’t have a choice. Any chance I had to spare you, I chose it. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t make a deal with the goal ofbetrayingyou—” my voice broke.
“Nothing you do is spontaneous,” Gordon said darkly. “No action you take is your choice. The minute you stepped into my son’s life, you’ve been mine. And you are merely a doll on strings I can discard.”
“So you admit it, then?” I asked, turning my rage on him. “You admit to wanting to punish me for interfering with your racketeering, your drug trade, for getting your son—the true heir—to fall in love with me? You wanted me out of the way—”
“Long ago,” Gordon spat. “I wanted you dead long ago, but with my eldest disappearing and you making yourself so well-known in my circles, I couldn’t just off you like you deserved. And so I cultivated, I waited patiently, and despite having that necklace blow up in front ofmeinstead of just you and my son, here we are.” He pointed his gun at me. “The devil’s on my side.”
“That’s your weakness,” I said softly.
Gordon squinted while Trace stilled beside him, looking past me. “Father…”
But Gordon wasn’t budging. “What did you just say?”
“You think you can anticipate other people’s moves flawlessly. But you can’t. My not pressing that necklace earlier, when I had Trace and Theo in the same vicinity, should’ve given you your first clue. I do not act impulsively. Like you, I predict, I analyze, I plan. But unlike you, I’ve been taught a lesson. To keep in mind human variables.”
“Yes?” Gordon closed one eye, aimed. Theo reacted by stepping in front of me, yelling at his father to put down the gun. “What variable am I missing besides adding Theodore to the mix. This bullet is strong enough to go through the two of you, my son. Choose wisely.”
“Father, we need to go,” Trace said. His eyes had gone wide, his gaze pinging among the homes we were in the middle of, the too-quiet nature of this city environment where there should be honks, sirens—at the very least, dogs barking. Babies crying.
“Always have a Plan Z,” I said, loud enough to be heard behind Theo’s large form.
Gordon quieted. I could only assume he was clicking off the safety.
“I’m sorry, Theo,” I murmured. He cocked an ear to me, but had no time to do anything else, because I yelled, “Now!”
“Father!” Trace boomed.
