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My best bet is to wait for him to come closer. Unfortunately, bringing him closer means having him closer to Opal. Frustrated, I close my eyes, trying to conjure a different scenario where Opal isn’t in harm’s way.
Several more minutes pass with the trees groaning in protest at the wind. I open my eyes, needing the extra sense with the noise interference in the woods. As I turn my head to the side from an upright tree, I see Levi shuffle through the forest. His shoulders sagged with defeat.
Perfect. I want him vulnerable. For once, he will know what it feels like to be the prey.
“Olina!” he bellows weakly.
It’s not loud, but Opal releases a soft sob. No doubt nervous about how close he’s gotten.
The twisted dick must have sonic hearing. His head swivels toward Opal’s hiding spot, his feet following his line of sight.
It’s now or never.
With my gun raised, I round the tree, my target dead within my sights. “Take another step, and I’ll blow your head clear from your shoulders.”
Levi’s head swivels to mine. His fingers grip around the handle of his Glock. We’re in a Wild West standoff, but I’m the one with his gun already drawn.
“Gauge, no,” Opal implores from behind me.
“Get back behind the tree, Opal,” I grit through my teeth, my eyes not leaving Levi.
Soft hands press against my back, followed by the head of an angel laying her cheek between my shoulder blades. “Please. He’s not worth it.”
Oh, but he is.I will gladly riddle him with lead and face my maker without a guilty conscience on judgment day.
“Gauge,” she pleads again.
My nostrils flare. It’s not like I can flip a switch once the taste of vengeance is on my tongue. My finger is already trigger happy, ready to pull it back.
“This isn’t you, Gauge.”
“The fuck it isn’t.” I’ve ended more men than most on the crew. And out of all the men I’ve killed, the one I’m aiming my gun at deserves it the most.
“Gauge,” she whispers. “You’re not the man to break promises to me.”
No, I’ll never be that man again. I fucked up once with Opal. I’m not about to break another promise to her. However, my finger is over the trigger, fighting to pull back. It would take nothing to end Levi’s miserable existence.
Levi radiates with anger. His eyes are glued on Opal, but he doesn’t dare lift his gun, not when I have him in a kill shot.
Opal clings to my back, reminding me I have a responsibility to take care of her. “I understand the need for revenge. Believe me, I do. But I was the one he hurt—not you—and I don’t want his blood on your hands. If you kill him, the police will take you away from me.”
But the fucker is right here for me to end, to serve justice for crimes committed against her. I’d rather slice myself open and spray my insides with rubbing alcohol than turn down this opportunity.
“Don’t do something that could make me lose you again. I need you.”
At a crossroads, I have to make a decision that will set the course for my future.
End Levi out of spite and risk losing everything, or walk away with Opal, leaving Levi alive.
Faced with only these options, there’s only one path I can live with.
Without looking away from Levi, I tell Opal, “Hit the button on your charm bracelet, Opal. Tell the guys we need back up.”
“Already here, brother. We’ll handle it from here. Take Opal and go home,” Atlas says in a calm voice.
My eyes move toward the voice of my best friend standing fifteen feet away. I blink, taking in our surroundings, noticing the crew has surrounded our showdown. The trackers must have worked if my brothers have come to our aid.
Levi’s head swivels faster than his body, making him trip on his feet. He falls back, his gun skittering from his hand. He scrambles on hands and knees to get it, but Punk’s boot is already standing on top of it.
