Page 81 of Delta
I can see hope on his face, and I hate that I’m going to have to destroy it. “It doesn’t exist anymore. Before they killed Felicity, Heath got the name of the messenger company out of her. Harlow said she watched as he burned the documents.”
His hope vanishes, and his cheeks flush with anger. “So even if we were to wait, it wouldn’t matter.”
“No. She says there’s no way to stop him. But there has to be.”
“There is,” he replies. “And we’ll find it.”
Chapter 23
Dylan
“Delivery for you.” Tucker steps up onto my back porch, a wide smile on his face, and tosses me the keys to my truck.
“Thanks for doing that.” Since I didn’t want to leave Emma here alone, he went and picked up the flowers I ordered from the local garden center. Flowers that I hope will help bring some light back into her eyes, now that we know that keeping her safe until November 1st no longer guarantees she won’t be in danger.
“Not a problem, brother.” He takes a seat on the chair next to mine and stares out at the pool. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. I’m managing.”
“You can talk to me, Dylan.”
“What do you want me to say?” I demand. “That I’m spiraling because I can’t see a way out of this without bloodshed? That I’m battling with the part of me that wants to hunt him down and eliminate the threat rather than work through the logistics of trying to put him behind bars? Because that’s where I’m at, Tucker. Convincing myself that, although the world would be a better place without the Karvers and Slaters in it, it’s not my job to track them down and put them in the ground. All it would take is a squeeze of a trigger, and this could be over.”
More than a dozen times, I’ve opened the safe in my closet and stared at my rifle. I could do it—I’ve taken lives before. Then, it had been war. Is this really any different? Different location, same fight.
At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
“Justice isn’t ours to deal out,” he says. “And when you start blurring those lines is when you really begin to lose yourself. You become a murderer just like they are.”
“He’s going to kill her, Tucker. Harlow told her as much. As soon as he has his hands on the wreckage left behind after he eliminates the Karvers, he’s going to do the same to her.” My throat constricts. “She told Emma that Heath likes to play with his food. And that Emma is an innocent flower Heath will get to crush just for the fun of it.” I turn to my twin. “Tell me that’s a man who deserves to live.”
“That’s not for us to decide. That’s God’s wheelhouse, Dylan.” Tucker’s expression is serious, and I can see that he’s worried I won’t listen. That I’ll go off and handle things.
“I’ve pulled a trigger before. What’s three more?” Heath. Gio. And Mattheus.
One, two, three.
Drip, drip, drip.
I shake my head, trying to clear the lines that continue to blur.
“This is murder, Dylan. Not self-defense. If they come here and you have to use lethal force to stop them, that’s self-defense. You go after them, that’s premeditated murder.”
“They’re coming anyway.”
“But they’re not here yet.”
I close my eyes, my heart rate steadily increasing the more frustrated I get. I hate feeling helpless. This inability to take action is killing me. Because, even though I know Tucker is right, I desperately want to eliminate the threat my way.
“Dylan, we’ll get him.”
“According to Harlow, there’s no stopping him. He’s a predator who is coming for her one way or another. Me too, apparently.”
“Then maybe you need to change up the game.”
“I tried; you said no.”
He snorts. “I’m not saying take your rifle and put them in the ground; I’m saying get her out of the way. Take her somewhere he can’t find her. Until November?—”
