Page 98 of Dark Horse

He lowers the gun, and a desperate look crosses his face before he looks back toward the door. “What the fuck do you want from me? If you’re gonna kill me then be men and come in here and do it yourselves, you fuckin’ pussies.”

“We want information. We want to know who you’re working with,” I demand.

“I told you—” he starts, and there’s a sudden clicking sound and the sound of the air being sucked out.

“That’s the oxygen leaving the room. Part of the fire suppression system.” Levi’s lost his patience already, skipping ahead to Plan B. “You’ve got until it runs out to tell us. Ask me if I care if you live or die after what you did.”

“You’re gonna kill a sheriff?” Even he knows he deserves death for this kind of betrayal.

“You’re wasting your breath and our time.” I shake my head and cross my arms over my chest while I wait. “We know about the governor. We know the stakes. You need to convince us that your life is worth saving right now, and the sand is running out on you.”

“Fucking hell.” He shakes his head, turning around for a moment like he’ll find a solution somewhere in the vault to get him out. “Fine. Fuck… The governor put me up to it. He’ll kill me just for telling you. But he has his sights on my daughter and her mother. I can’t let anything happen to them. He found me earlier this year, and he put me up to all this. Told me he’d kill me for the way things went down years ago if I didn’t find a way to make it right. I told him to fucking go ahead and do it. That I didn’t want any more of that fucking life. I was retired and living in peace.”

“You mean hiding out in a hole like the scared piece of shit you are,” Levi interjects, and I shoot him a look. We need as much information as we can get before this clock runs out.

“Call it what you like. Live this life as long as I have, watch all your brothers die, and then tell me what you want to do with the time you’ve got left.” He looks to Levi through the glass and then shifts his attention back to me. “I didn’t want to kill any of you. You’re family to me, but you’re not innocent. My daughter? Her mom? They’ve never hurt a fucking soul. They don’t know anything about this life or what we’ve done. They don’t deserve it.”

“Lots of fucking people that would have been in that room were innocent. Dozens and dozens of them who were just there to see a wedding.”

“But they’re not all my kin. I couldn’t live with myself if he hurt my girl or her mom.”

“So you were supposed to kill us all to save their lives. What else? We need something useful. A reason not to let you die in there. What does he want from us? What did he want all those years ago?” I press him on the essentials.

“It’s a long fucking story. Too long to explain with the time you’re giving me right now,” he counters.

“Then buy yourself some. Give me a reason not to kill you right now,” Levi demands.

Jay scrubs a hand over his face and looks to the ceiling. “I don’t think he has everything he needs yet. I could try to get more details from him. Give you information.”

“How do you know he doesn’t have everything?” I raise a brow.

“It’s been his plan for years. It was his plan before your dad died. He was going to bring us all in on it. Claimed he’d be so wealthy and so powerful that we could all have whatever we wanted. That we could leave this life behind us for good. That’s what your dad and I wanted—out. Your dad knew more than I did.” Jay starts to cough, making it obvious the air is getting thinner behind the doors.

“Why not tell us?”

“He’s a very fucking dangerous man. He’s related to powerful fucking people. Unstoppable people. If anything went wrong…”

“Like it did.” Levi points out the apparent.

“Then our lives were all at risk. Look at your parents. Look at us now, killing each other.” There’s another long coughing fit. “Just give me a chance to explain. We can figure something out. I just have to make sure my daughter’s safe. She’s your cousin. She’s family.” He pleads with us. “Or if you’re going to kill me, at least let me tell you how to find her. You can’t let him kill her for myfucking wrongs.”

“How come no one ever knew about her?” Levi asks impatiently.

“Her mom and I didn’t last. She didn’t tell me about the kid until she was older. When I tracked her down, after everything went to hell, I found out I was a dad. Blew my fucking world up.”

Levi and I look to each other, me silently asking him if he thinks it’s possible and him nodding but then holding his hands out in frustration.

He’s right. We can’t trust that he won’t try to kill us. He did it once. He could do it again. He’s said he’ll do as much for his daughter. He realizes the conversation we’re having, the decision we’re making for him, and his shoulders slump.

“Her name is Skylar Wilson. She’s from a farming town in Illinois, but she’s attending college. The name is on a card in my wallet, along with her address. Her mom’s name is Tracey Wilson. I don’t know if he’s watching them or if he’s taken them. He told me if I contacted either of them, he’d kill them. So I can’t know for sure. Please tell me you’ll look for them. Make sure they’re okay. Once he finds out I’m gone, and I can’t help with you two, he’ll have no reason not to kill them.”

“I don’t make any fucking promises,” Levi mutters.

“I’ll do my best. If she’s a Stockton, then she deserves our help.” I give Levi a sideways glance.

“Just know. I loved your dad, and I love you boys and your sister. It was an impossible fucking decision to make. I just tried to spare the innocent one.” He shakes his head, and my blood runs cold as he falls to his knees, grabbing for his throat as another coughing fit overtakes him.

“Aspen’s daughter is innocent. Ramsey’s friends are innocent. Hazel’s family is fucking innocent!” Levi roars, slamming his fist against the glass, saying the things I’m trying hard to be too calm to say out loud.

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