AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Everyone.” I’m nearly at the table; I can read the writing on the top sheet of the papers. “The board. The rest of the top executives. All my colleagues in the industry.”
Brett stares at me, without an answer for the first time since I’ve gotten here. “I’ll… I’ll…” His forehead creases in thought; it would almost be funny how baffled he looks if this wasn’t life or death. “I’ll tell them you wanted out of the business. That it’s personal.”
Ari is moving behind him, sliding sideways on the couch, toward him. My chest seizes.What is she doing?
I’m at the table, and I need to get him over here right now. Away from whatever Ari is planning on doing.
Panic beats at me. All it will take is Brett turning away from me to look at Ari, and she’s caught. I can’t let that happen.
Snatching up the stack of papers, I flip through them quickly. Casting about for a possible complication, I lie, “This one has the wrong information,” as I wave a random page from the pile. “The shares are listed incorrectly. You’ve cut them in half.”
“What?” Brett takes a step away from the couch, his gun drifting down. “Impossible. I checked all the numbers while I was there.”
Of course. The fucker wanted to work at Chatham so he could figure out all the ways he could steal from me.
“I’m telling you, it’s wrong.” I can’t look at Ari. But I’m terrified not to. Swallowing my fear, I force a calm I’m not feeling. “Come over here and look.”
“Fine,” Brett snaps, and takes another step toward me.
Then.
Everything flips in one moment.
Ari leaps off the couch, her hands and legs free, and flingsherself onto Brett’s back.
He staggers, letting out a grunt of surprise.
She’s clinging to him like a monkey, one arm wrapped around his neck.
“What the fuck!” he shouts, and flails his arms back at her.
With a muffled screech, Ari punches at his neck, jabbing at it furiously.
I’m running toward them, heart in my throat, fear clawing inside me.
Brett squeals, “Fuuuuuuck!” and swings behind his back blindly, smashing the gun into Ari’s face. Stunned, she lets go of him, crashing to the floor.
Ari!
“You fucking bitch!” he screams, and now I see the blood pouring down his neck.
Ari stabbed him with something. It takes another quick look and I realize it was the ring Cole gave her, the one with the blade.
Then Brett turns to lunge at her.
But now I’m in punching distance, and I’m not letting him get to her.
Not my brother.My enemy. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Ari.
It’s a one-two punch, first a crushing blow to Brett’s nose, then a handful of pepper spray powder to the face.
He shrieks, clapping a hand to his eyes. “What the fuck!”
I don’t say anything, I just reach back in my pocket and pull out the taser. Brett is swinging the gun around yelling, “You fucker, you fucker, I’ll kill you!”
One quick downward strike to his forearm—thank you, Ian, for that lesson—and the gun is clattering to the floor. Before I can kick it away, Ari scrambles for it, snatching it up and curling her body over it.
Brett lunges at me and I tase him, and it’s nowhere near what he deserves.
