Page 26 of Frenemies

My eyes narrowed in on the glint of doubt in his expression. “You don’t think I’ll do it?”

“That depends on which Chase I’m talking to—the man my sister fell in love with,” he dug the barrel into my flesh. “Or the asshole I warned to stay away from?”

Those last words punched me in the gut like a hundred-pound barbell. The insinuation was clear—he thought it was my fault.

It was.

My hand tightened around his neck. “Don’t put this shit on me.”

“The only person putting this shit on you,” Derek growled back. “Is you.”

Guilt welled up in my chest, making my grip loosen. I could blame him all I wanted, but the simple fact was, Sam would still be here if she never met me. But he did abandon her, left her out in the cold with no one but me. That was his fault.

“Don’t act all innocent, Derek,” I slammed him back and stepped in. “You played your own part in her death.”

And that’s why he was going to die.

I glanced down at the gun, then up to my hand as I tightened my hold. It wouldn’t take much to snap his neck. The only question was, who was the quicker draw. Guess it was time to find out.

“Don’t do it, Chase.”

Fuck.

I sighed and looked over at Tanner who was standing just inside the cell. Sneaky fucker had probably been there the whole time.

“Fuck off, Tanner.” My jaw ticked as I glared right into Derek’s eyes. “He deserves it.”

“Hey, man,” he held up his hands. “I don’t give a shit if you kill him.”

Good, then he could fuck off and let me finish this.

Tanner’s next words made me reconsider. “But Riley will.”

My brows knit as I stared down at my niece’s old man. All I could see was her small face that day.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll help you find your way home.’

She saved my life that day, saved her old man, too, and didn’t even know it. Riley had already been through so much already. Her old man was a prick, her boyfriend was an even bigger prick, and to top it all off, her alcoholic mother died last year.

That’s wasn’t even counting the fact that she’d been kidnapped because of who Micha was and shot because of me. The one thing all three of us had in common was that no matter what we did to that girl or how much crap she put up with, she still loved us fiercely.

Don’t get me wrong, any one of us would die for her. Hell, Micha almost did. If he hadn’t thrown himself over her. . .

I pushed the memory down and looked at Derek’s red face. He was fighting for air but hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. Why not?

Because hurting you would hurt her.

Could I hurt her? Did I really want to do this to Riley?

With a long, huffed sigh, I let Derek go and stepped back.

He hunched over and coughed some air back into his lungs.

“For the record, the only person I blame for my sister’s death is your brother.” He clipped his pistol back in his holster and headed for the door. “But my daughter. . . that’s different.”

When he stepped out into the hall, I didn't say anything as he slid the door back in place. What could I say? Argue with him? I already did that enough with myself. I didn’t need his voice mingling in my head too.

“Sam chose her path. Riley didn’t. She got shot because you came barging into her life playing daddy when that was my fucking job.”

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