Page 72 of Traitor

Think, Mike. Think.

Lee was alone, so I knew that I could take him. I needed a plan though—some way to end the whole fucking thing tonight without Travis or Katya getting hurt.

Katya closed the front door and I watched as her shoulders shook with sobs. She was going to sacrifice herself to keep Travis safe.

Hadn’t Lauren done the same thing the night she found out I killed Landon?

By staying with my sorry ass, Lauren had given up on a normal life with a man who would’ve shown her every day how important she was to him.Sure, I’d spent every ounce of my free time with her, but was it enough?

Screw it. I didn’t have the time to consider all the reasons why I didn’t deserve Lauren. I had to get Katya. I slipped on my gloves, but Travis came back in the front door with his dog just as I began to inch the window open.

Shit.

Get the fuck out of there, Travis.

Lee immediately turned the gun on him and I cursed again. Now, I had to figure out a way to get them both out alive. Jeremy had mentioned something about Travis being in the military, but I failed to see how that was going to help since he’d walked in unarmed.

Katya went back over to Lee like an obedient animal and let him hold the gun to her head. If I got the window open enough, I could take out Lee from here, but there was a good chance I’d hit Travis too.

Proving that I didn’t know shit about anything, Travis barreled into Lee the minute he turned his attention to Katya. It was the only opportunity I was going to get. I ran for the door as the gun went off twice.

I kicked it in and Travis backed up into the wall. Lee laid on the floor near his feet.

“Is he dead?”

Travis shook his head and answered breathlessly, “He had a gun…put him in a chokehold…”

Unconscious.

Good. This plan actually had a chance of working out. I holstered my gun and picked Lee’s up off of the floor before kneeling down next to his body. I placed it in his hands and brought the barrel up underneath his chin.

“Detective?” Travis questioned.

Combat veteran.

Combat veteran.

I came to my senses long enough to bark out, “Travis, look away.”

I placed my index finger over Lee’s and pulled the trigger; the force of which blew his jaw off. Lee was dead—it was over. The sound of loud breathing drew my attention back to Travis. He was staring at me in openmouthed horror.

Almost over.

I raised the gun up again and pointed it right at him, as my father screamed in my head,Kill him. Don’t leave another fucking witness that could take us all down!

Katya was on the phone with the police department in the other room, the worry evident in her voice. I had to kill him and then her—it’d truly be over then. I’d walk out of here and never have to worry about anyone else looking into the Landon Scott disappearance.

Travis eyed me warily, winded from his fight with Lee. His eyes narrowed in a glare as if to say,Get it over with.

Kill him,my father urged and my index finger moved off the guard and toward the trigger.

“When I grow up, I’m gonna be one of the good guys.”

Suddenly, I was eleven years old again.

“I hope you are, kiddo. I hope to hell that you can do it.”Grey’s words broke through the haze, puncturing my resolve.

I shook my head and lowered the gun. I wasn’t taking someone’s life just to keep my shit under wraps. I was better than that.

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