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“Why are you doing this, Maddie?” I asked.
“I already told you,money.”
“Maddie, you promised, youpromisedyou would leave. Emrick spared your life and youpromised.I defended you, you’re only alive because of me!”
“I still don’t understand how you can be so naïve, Cara.” Maddie shook her head. “Promises and loyalty mean nothing here.”
“And friendship?”
She stared hard at me. “Everyone for themselves.”
“Are you going to kill me, Maddie?”
“Not you, not unless you make me. Only him.”
“And you could do that? After how long we’ve known each other? You could kill me?” I hissed at her.
“Don’t try me. You think you’re protected just because you’re fucking the boss? You chose the wrong side.”
My eyes darted between the gun in Maddie’s hand as she cocked it, and Emrick, who didn’t take his eyes off Maddie. I had to stop her, so I changed my tone again, trying to keep the attitude to a minimum, although what I wanted to do was beat the crap out of her. “Maddie, please don’t do this. It’s not too late to leave now.”
“Tate takes over the business, and I get to have whatever I want.”
“Why is he making you do his dirty work like a coward?”
Tate snarled at me but said nothing.
Maddie laughed. “Call it an initiation.” When her finger found the trigger, something switched inside me. My eyes darkened, and for a second, Maddie’s gaze was torn from Emrick and fell on me.
The gun was so heavy in my hands, I wasn’t prepared for how heavy it was. He was on top of Angie, and I couldn’t take her screams. They echoed in my mind and would torture me forever. The sick pig could do what he pleased with me, but I let him because I thought that meant he’d leave Angie alone. When he went for her, I couldn’t take it, and I would not let him destroy her as he had me.
“Stop!” He turned at my cry, rolling over onto his back and pulling Angie with him. She stared at the gun in my shaking hands, tears streaming down her cheeks to match my own. “Leave her alone.”
“Get out of here, Cara. I’ll be in to see you later.”
My stomach churned and legs weakened, but I tightened my grip on the gun. The monster’s eyes widened when I cocked the gun. I’d never shot anything before, but I’d seen movies.
It seemed fairly simple, point and shoot, and the bad guy would be dead.
I could see his head and aimed with my eyes narrowed, lining it up as best I could.
My fingers pulled the trigger.
If there was one thing I learned…
“Never close your eyes when you pull the trigger,”I whispered to myself.
Eyeing Maddie, I raised my voice, “I’d tell you not to do it because killing someone changes who you are.” I kept my voice even through no feat of willpower because I no longer felt threatened by her. She was the weak one. “But the truth is, I simply don’t think you have it in you.”
The shot rang out a fraction of a second before Maddie collapsed to the floor. My aim was true this time. After years of secret practice, I promised I’d never miss again. I had no plans to ever raise a gun to another human, but when I was facing the practice target on the range, the power of the weapon surged through my fingers, and I saw his face.
Every time.
Never close your eyes when you pull the trigger.
There was enough control in me not to aim for her face, but a shot to the throat took her out just as fast—a merciful kill. I dropped the pillow, cocking the gun again and turning it on Tate. I understood the rules of this city and knew it was everyone for themselves. But to pull a gun on someone, simply to prove you were worthy of dirty money, screw that.
Especially to pull a gun on Emrick.
