Page 110 of Ricochet

Callum moves beside me. “Eric!”

Eric must’ve already forgotten what I literally just told him because he points the gun at Callum again.

I’ve never thought of Callum as weak or a coward, but maybe I still wasn’t giving him enough credit. Because staring down the barrel of a gun doesn’t stop him from continuing his forward momentum to stand.

Before he can, my hand is landing on his shoulder to drag him back down as I leap off the couch. I have half a mind to vault over the coffee table and tackle Eric, but he trains the gun back on me before I can.

“You have a fucking death wish?” I snarl. “If you don’t keep that gun aimed at me, you’re going to have to unload that clip to stop me from ripping you the fuck apart. And you betterhopethat’s enough to fucking stop me.”

Whether it’s the confirmation that he was right about me killing his uncle or the news ofwhohis uncle really was, something has Eric a hell of a lot more nervous than when he first showed himself. His eyes are a bit red. Sweat is gathering at his temple. His hand that’s holding the gun is still shaking, which hasmea little nervous too.

“Don’t think I won’t, Stone.”

“Most people don’t have what it takes to kill. You really think you do?”

“We could find out.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think we will. Go get the phone so you can see why.”

He searches my eyes for a lie, but he won’t find one. His chin trembles. His gaze dips down to my chest where he has the gun aimed as he contemplates his options.

I can practically feel Callum vibrating with unease behind me. “Eric, come on. Listen to him.”

Finally, Eric starts stepping backward in the direction of where he dropped my bag. He keeps his eyes and weapon leveled on me, but that’s fine. He can’t keep it up forever.

Crouching, Eric reaches into my bag, feeling around before pulling out my burner phone. He stares down at it for a moment before walking back over. He sets it on the corner of the coffee table furthest away from me and steps back again.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” he says.

“Like break into the apartment of someone you’re accusing of being a murderer?” I mutter as I pick up the phone. “And then hand them a phone?”

Eric’s eyes narrow, and his arm straightens as his finger touches the trigger.

“Chill the fuck out.” I turn a little to the side and hold the phone up so he can see what I’m doing. I open up a text to Lacey. Her name isn’t saved in this phone, of course, and this number is a burner for her too.

Me: Can you send me all the info you have on Jim Adelman?

She texts back immediately.

Her: On it.

I set the phone back on the table. “Take a look at the next text that comes through in about a minute. If you don’t think your uncle deserved to die after seeing what you’re about to see, then I’d say you deserve to die too.”

Returning to my seat beside Callum, I turn to him and kiss him on the temple. He already knows there’s no way in hell I’mgoing to let Eric hurt him, so the reassurance might be a bit more for me.

“I’m sorry,” he says, looking at me with a frown.

“For what?”

“For not telling you Eric came to me about this.”

“Why didn’t you?” It’s Eric who asks the question, the phone in his free hand.

Callum’s frown deepens as his gaze holds mine. “I didn’t want you to kill him.”

Fuck my life.

My composure is barely hanging on by a thread. The only reason I’m making an effort to hide the fact my blood is boiling throughout every vein in my body, that everything in this room is bathed in red, is to give Eric a false sense of security. Because…

---