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"So, girly, start talking." Carter is only interested in Tiffany. She seems happy to have his attention, pulling to get to him, despite the cuffs and the two men holding her. Watching them struggle to pull her back makes me feel a little better about my failings.
"I'm no girly. You're a shit dad. If you'd cared even a little-"
"I paid for the house, and an allowance each month," Carter defends himself. "When I realised it was all going on the drugs, I paid for all your social activities."
"We didn't know that was you. Mum never mentioned it." Porter steps between the pair. "I'm sure Annie just needs help getting back on her feet."
"Money?" Carter laughs. "Maybe if she came grovelling, or just tried asking nicely. But this isn’t about money. Tiffany tried to expose my sins to my wife, and she pointed the blame at you, Porter. She wanted us to turn on each other."
"She didn't come close," Knox assures everyone.
It wasn’t because Knox is such a good guy, as his smile is trying to indicate. It's because her plot was so crazy complicated, we never worked it out. I may get some credit there. Instead of remembering the clue that would have pointed Knox to Carter like a raging bull, I took him on a wild goose chase. But it all worked out in the end, for everyone but Tiffany, anyway.
Now comes the wait as everyone but me has an opinion on what should happen to her.
I can't take them arguing any more. They have no idea what it's like to have no money at all, to have no idea where the next meal is coming from. My mum just dragged me around from hostel to home in search of a bed each night. Getting to England had been her dream as far back as I can remember. At least with Gavriil I had a place to call home and a way to feed myself. Life wasn't too bad. Tiffany had a home and a job, and her greed cost her everything. Now no one knows what to do with her.
"I had idea for her. No one wants her around, but no one wants her dead." I don't know who is listening to me. "Why not give her to the Russians? She would make a good bride for Gavriil's brother as sorry for the killing. Then she safe and fed, but far from trouble causing here."
"Not a bad idea," Knox agrees, turning me to where Carter and Porter argue about her. "Why don't you-"
Edward lifts his hand and fires the gun he's holding. Blood explodes forward, covering everyone in a spray of red, and then Tiffany drops to the ground.
I have never been abandoned so fast in my life. As we all jump at the sound of the gunshot, instinct has everyone but Edward ducking. Carter barely flinches, Knox dives forward to protect Porter.
As it should be.
I make the most dramatic reaction, falling to the ground like the sound turned my bones to jelly.
"What the hell was that?" Porter screams.
"Yes indeed," Carter agrees.
"It was the only answer, just none of you wanted to say it." Edward shrugs. Of everyone here, his hand is the last one I expect to be offered to me. "Not that your idea wasn't good."
As my legs decide remaining like jelly is a good idea, he has to pull me to my feet.
"Well, if killing girl was what you wanted, I not have struggled with her coming alive." I nearly died bringing her down alive, but I'm glad I didn't do it. Porter will never forgive Edward for his action, and rightly so. I've never had a sibling, but I guess it sucks as much as losing a parent. And Knox knows all about sibling loss.
Edward has just ruined everything, but I still can't refuse his grip on my arm.
Chapter forty-five
Porter
Idon'tremembergettingback to the house, but the moment the hot water hits my skin I seem to wake from this nightmare.
"Did he really just do that?"
Although it wasn'tjustanything. Knox’s father shot my sister, and it could have been ten minutes ago, it could have been sixty, I haven't been able to respond. I shared a womb with her. We have never been apart. I've spent my whole life knowing she was there, and no matter what happened with Mum, I would always have her.
"Yes treasure," Knox soothes. He stands behind me, both of us naked in my dad's huge shower. "I'm so sorry." He peppers kisses across my back.
"I feel..." But that is just the thing. I don’t feel. I don’t feel anything. I was arguing with Carter about what to do with her. Neither of us wanted her dead, but something drastic needed to be done.
When I say neither of us wanted her dead, I mean I didn't. I doubt Carter has a strong enough bond with her to care, but I made it damn clear her death would make me very vocal about my parentage.
"He did it so I wouldn't hate my dad, didn't he?"
