Page 61 of Ruthless

My stomach flipped at the way his voice trailed off. “What about him?”

“He sent Tyson to his death at the hands of Trevor Webb, and he knew exactly what he was doing. There was no money in it for Tyson. Tyson was an idiot.”

I nodded, letting out a sigh though my heart stuttered over the mention of Trevor. He said the name so easily. “Well, what are we going to do if the police come knocking?”

Lucas laughed. “No police are going to come knocking over Tyson, Rach. I have safeholds put in place. Like I said, I let my fucking family go to move away from that life… And now they’re back.”

“They’re back?” I swallowed hard. “And who are they?”

“The Vitali family…” his voice trailed off again, like it annoyed him to say it. “Trevor Webb is my half-brother.”

I blinked my eyes, trying to figure out if Lucas was themurderoushalf-brother or if I was missing some fucking pieces to the story—and why wouldn’t Axle recognize him? “I’m confused,” I admitted.

He nodded. “I know, and I know you got close to Trevor. I watched the exchange, Rachel. I need you to know that he’s fucking dangerous.”

“So… You share the same dad?”

His jaw tensed. “Yeah, we share the same dad. My mom was another mistress of his. I wasn’t brought into the family until after Trevor was gone. They turned me crooked on the force, and so I left. I took a different job, and that’s when you and I met. I’ve been straight since… And I’ve been looking for him.”

I shifted in my seat. “Why?”

“Because our father is in hiding,” Lucas said. “And if I don’t fucking bring him Trevor, he’s going to take his money back…and hand you over to Victor.”

Nausea rolled through my body. “How long have you known that Axle was your brother?”

“A while. A long while, actually. I got it out of a mutual friend that he was still alive, and I haven’t stopped hunting him since.” He met my gaze. “He’s the reason that I’m not too far away. I didn’t have the intentions of ever doing anything other than just…knowinghim. I wanted to know him—he’s all the family I have left. Well, the only family I have left I don’t hate, I guess… But…”

“But what?”

“I saw real fucking quick that he’s a bad guy—and I figured he’d whack me the moment I told him who I was. But now, I might gethimwhacked over the money I just had to borrow to free you.”

“Why didn’t you just tell him?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “You got to know him, didn’t you?”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, avoiding his eyes. “Yeah, something like that. I just don’t understand why you used his real name? He spiraled over that.”

Lucas nodded. “I figured he would, but I also knew that it would ensure your safety. I didn’t know if they’d kill you. I needed to make you worth something… He has no idea who I am, though. I know he doesn’t. He doesn’t see it.”

Nodding, I scrutinized the details of Lucas, the resemblance more startling than ever before.Holy shit…

“He’s fond of you,” Lucas said blankly, meeting my gaze. “And we’re going to have to use that to get him to see Gifford Vitali.”

“He’s not fond of me,” I lied. “And I don’t want him to die for me.”

“I don’t want him to die. Our father is weak, and I think there’s more to it than getting revenge. If he wanted revenge, it would be on me. That’s why he’s given me the ultimatum to bring him Trevor or take the money back—and then hand you to Victor.”

My heart sank. “Why would he want revenge on you?”

“I killed my half-brother to protect Trevor. I, uh, I found out that my half-brother knew that Trevor had made it out with the help of an FBI agent, and he had set his sights on finding him. He knew he was in California… I had gotten out, too, by then. Trevor was the reason that I had the balls to get out. Everyone fucking knew he didn’t die in the car crash.”

“So, you killed your brother to protect Trevor—who you never met?”

“Yeah, met him once though…when I was a kid. He’s a solid eight years older than me. He knows I exist, I think. But that’s it.”

“Holy shit,” I groaned, running my hands over my face. “I thought I was going to have the chance to go back to my old life and outrun him.”

Lucas froze and then placed a hand on my shoulder. “Why do you have to outrun him, Rachel?”

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