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Again, the gun was removed, this time to point directly at me. How I didn’t faint, I’ll never know, but I didn’t, and I didn’t scream. I simply put my hands on top of my head and moved to stand with the others.
“What do you want, Cook?” Banks snarled.
“Want?” Cook repeated. “Now, let me see, what could I possibly want?” All signs of any humor, forced or otherwise disappeared as he glared at us, venom dripping with every word he spoke. “You took it all, burned my empire to the ground. Did you honestly think I was going to let that go? So, what do I want? I want you to pay. I want my fucking life back.”
Rye suddenly stepped past me, and I watched Cook’s eyes flare before he seemed to remember he was the only one who still had a weapon. He removed the gun from Kit’s temple to point it at Rye.
“Stop or I’ll shoot,” Cook said.
“Let her go,” Rye said. “She’s an innocent. She’s never done anything to you. It was me. I’m the one responsible. I’ll pay the price.”
Cook’s chuckle sounded strangled, but the gun never wavered. “You can’t afford my price. You destroyed my businesses, my houses, even my fucking yacht. It would take millions to replace it all, and since you’ve made damn sure no one will do business with me again, that’s never going to happen. Now, get the fuck back.”
“No,” Rye said, moving forward again. “Yes, you can shoot me, but you’d better not miss, and you’d better be able to take us all out. I don’t give a fuck about what you lost. Every deal you made was tainted. Everything you had was bought with blood money. You lied, cheated, and fucked over every person you came into contact with. I’m offering you what you took from my parents. Your life. I’m offering you a chance to walk away; I suggest you take it.”
I wanted to grab Rye’s arm, pull him back, and yet I understood his actions. Though all of us, including me, would offer ourselves in exchange for the one person who was truly innocent of any wrongdoing, Rye was asserting his birthright. As the oldest, he was demanding his brothers allow him to sacrifice himself.
Cook, evidently knowing nothing of honor, of pride, courage or love, couldn’t seem to accept the fact his adversary wasn’t bluffing. He continued to tell Rye to stop, to get back, but was ignored until Rye was less than fifteen feet from him.
“Fine. Your life for hers,” Cook said with a sneer. I watched as he released Kit, saw her stumble as he pushed her away. “Go on, then. Join your fucking family.”
She looked at Cook, at us, and then at her oldest brother.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Rye said softly. “Everything is going to be all right.”
“See you in hell,” Cook said, and time stood still.
I heard the gun go off, heard Rye scream, and yet it wasn’t he who fell. I watched a flower of red bloom on Kit’s chest, growing larger as she stilled her flight. She’d not run toward us, but toward her eldest brother. I stared in horror as she looked down, her hand lifting to wipe at the blood staining her white dress. Her knees buckled, and her eyes lifted to us as she crumpled to the ground.
“Kit!” I screamed, running toward her. I knelt beside her, gathering her to me, looking up to see her brothers, and my blood turned to ice.
As one, they moved toward Cook, ignoring his cry that it wasn’t his fault, that she’d run into the bullet’s path. Not a single one of them seemed the least bit concerned when Cook lifted the gun again, pulled the trigger over and over, the shots reverberating around the yard, bullets flying God only knew where as the Barrett Brothers took justice into their own hands.
Once they had Cook unarmed, the gun thrown as far as Rye could toss it, they yanked his arms behind him. Grabbing a coil of rope by the garden gate, they hogtied him, leaving him face down in the dirt as they came over to where I cradled Kit.
As one, they knelt around her, each reaching out to touch her. Jay to tuck a strand of golden hair behind her ear. Banks to take her hand, and Rye to place a kiss on her forehead. It was the most poignant thing I’d ever seen. Three huge men brought to their knees by the love of their little sister. A woman they’d adored since her birth. One they’d teased and spoiled. One they loved beyond measure. A young, innocent woman who loved them just as much. One who had proven she was a Barrett… sacrificing her life for her brother’s.
Her eyelids fluttered open, the blue, so brilliant it was impossible to believe life was fading from her. When her lips moved, Rye reached out to stroke her cheek.
“Shh, don’t try to talk,” he said. “You aren’t alone. We’re here. We’ll always be here.”
“Just rest,” Banks said softly, lifting her hand to press a kiss on her palm.
“Love…”
The word was said so softly that I was unsure it had been uttered, when Jay said, “We love you, too, sweetheart.”
Her lips curled and then she gave a small wince, her eyes closing for a moment. When they opened again, Jay said, “You’re going to be fine…”
I watched her gaze move from brother to brother, giving them each a moment and then she looked up at me. “Love them…all… forever.”
I couldn’t stop the tears from overflowing but knew she understood she wasn’t going to be fine. Bending down, I brushed another curl back as I made my vow.
“I will… I promise.”
“Each one,” she gasped.
“Each one.”
