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“I know, right?” Quin mutters, then shakes his head. “Wait. You shot Riley?”
I scrub my hands over my face. “Yes.”
“You knew?” Kane asks, his voice quiet, dead.
“Yeah,” Riley softly admits.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Kane snaps.
Riot shakes his head. “It’s not my secret to tell.”
“It’s not a fucking surprise party. It’s a lie that could have killed us all.” Kane’s eyes go wide, the green of his irises disappearing as he turns his anger toward me. “If they hadn’t shown up this morning, would you have told me who you were? Was everything a lie?”
Lory shifts slightly, like he’s worried about Kane’s temper.
I put my hand on his forearm. “It’s fine, Lory.”
“Yeah. Totally fine, Lory,” Kane mocks, his rage a fragile glass with one too many cracks. “We were just keeping you entertained while you waited for the rest of your family to get busted so you could swoop in and change the city you love so much. Spare me your fucking woes, Jasper.”
“I gave you no woes,” I say, too calm to stop the cutting blade. “Your life has been too fucking safe inside your golden cage to comprehend how the darker parts of this world really work. You think your job gives you a deeper understanding, but it only leaves you jaded to what is truly there. I’ve never claimed to be anything other than a monster in the dark, Kane. Sure, I’ve lied, but you knew I was lying.”
“That’s not the point,” he shouts. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
I scoff. “Why would I volunteer my name to the federal agent with my case files on his desk? I didn’t know what you would do, and I wasn’t exactly telling everyone who I was.”
“How do you know I have your case?” he argues, his ire encompassing the entire living room, making it feel too small. “And better yet, if you knew, why the fuck were you still seeing me?”
“Trevor Harrison is dirty,” I quietly admit. “That’s how I know. And I didn’t want to stop seeing you, because I’m selfish and fell for you, even though I knew I should turn and run in the other direction.”
He snorts derisively. “Fell for me? You can drop the bullshit now.”
“It’s not bullshit, you fucking dick,” Lory growls. “That’s why there were bodies in your driveway. They came after you useless fucks because she can’t hide her feelings.”
“Thanks, Lory,” I mumble under my breath. “Super helpful.”
“What do you mean, there were bodies?” Ezra asks, cutting through the tension. “Where did they go?”
Lory throws his hands in the air, exasperated with the whole fucking day. “Our guys came in behind us and cleaned everything up. They arrived right after we came inside, and they just left.”
I sigh and frown at the Copeland brothers. “I’ll have someone come out to get measurements and estimates prepared so I can fix the damage to your house.”
“That’s the least you can do,” Kane snarks, his tone vile.
“The least she could have fucking done was let you die,” Lory snarls. “She’s done the fucking most. Told you too goddamn much and risked our lives to explain shit to you that you had no business knowing. Respect her, or you’ll get the same treatment as the rabbits. A bullet to the fucking head.”
“Do you kill everyone who hurts her feelings?” Kane snaps back, then he turns to me. “Put your lap dog on a tighter leash. He’s doing a lot of talking for you.”
Lory lunges for Kane, and Riley and Ezra step between them, slamming into Lory’s shoulders to push him back. Quin puts his hand out to stop Kane… And I stand in the middle of the chaos, my head throbbing as my heart constricts.
Nothing about today is okay. None of this should have happened.
But it did.
There are casualties in every war.
I hoped my heart wouldn’t be a victim, but I should have known better.
I gaze at Kane, my eyes burning, though no tears pool on my lashes. This is what I needed to let him go. He can’t handle our lives colliding. That’s the line for him, where his morals are steadfast and refuse to bend.
