Page 149 of The Secrets That Kill

“It’s the only way I can get to Henderson. I’m going to sell the story that she’s broken, and I have no use for her anymore.”

“Seriously, I should fucking kill you, Mercer.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jax.” It’s his quiet, angry voice, but there’s a note of something else in there I can’t place, and right now don’t want to. “You have nothing to say here.”

“The fuck I don’t. She’s my sister.”

“You abandoned her.”

“And you fuck her, among other sick and twisted things, in public. You’re an asshole. I didn’t?—”

Mercer storms over to Jaxson. “Don’t say another fucking word. You went into Black Ops. You chose that life knowing your family would be told you were killed in action. But that wasn’t enough for you, was it? You wanted more, so I gave it to you. I got you back into the network. And now you have the nerve to criticize me for what I’m doing?” He gives Jaxson a shove. “You don’t get to tell me how to live my goddamn life or do my goddamn job, you fucking punk.”

I close my eyes, trying not to let the scorching lump in my throat morph into tears. My heart feels like someone tore it out of my chest, shredded it, and stuffed it back in without bothering to stitch me back together.

Because, judging from all I’ve just heard, that would be impossible.

The word betrayal doesn’t even begin to cover it.

“You’ll get her?—”

“Killed? Are you gonna blame me for Cara’s death next, Orion? Why don’t you throw Ruby on top of that pile, too?” Mercer says with a snarl.

My world veers sideways, blood rushing between my ears.

Cara’s dead. And it doesn’t take a genius to work out who’s behind it.

And Mercer…Mercer wants to use me. He… He and my brother are still friends. He let me think Jaxson was dead. And Jaxson…

My stomach turns, a violent tremor quaking my insides. He knew Elise was hurt. He watched her go through so much pain, and?—

Knees buckling, I grab the shelving I cower behind. It rattles, jolting the guys from their terse argument.

In a hot second, I’m locked tight in hard, tattooed hands, and the world spins off its axis.

“Let go of her, asshole,” Mercer says, reaching for me as Jaxson releases his grip.

But before he moves away from me, I slap him. Hard. Then I stumble back into the shelves, holding out the gun.

“If either one of you touches me, I’ll shoot.” I stretch my hand in front of me.

“Merce, she actually knows how to use that.”

“No shit,” he snaps.

Mercer looks at me, my fingers clenched so tight around the handle that my fingertips turn white. My eyes blur, and I blink hard. I will not cry. I am not some pathetic little damsel who needs them…needs anyone. Fuck them both.

“How the hell could you be so fucking deceitful? Both ofyou!” I turn to Mercer. “I’ve always known you can be a cruel bastard, but this is so far beyond what I ever thought you were capable of. Giving me up to the fucking enemy? That should have been your immediate revenge for what happened ten years ago if you really wanted to destroy me.”

I grab a fistful of my hair, a sharp, disbelieving laugh biting the air. “My God, it kills me to think I actually developed feelings for such a goddamn raging asshole.”

I swing my gaze at my brother. He’s not nineteen anymore. He’s a man. And his muscles have muscles. If I passed him on the street, I probably wouldn’t recognize that he was my brother, but being around him for a minute or two? I’d know. He’s still Jaxson.

“And you. You selfish piece of shit bastard who left us all alone when you should have—” I swallow past the gaggle of tears knotted in my throat. “Elise is your sister, too, and you just left us,” I croak.

“I-I tried to give you money,” Jaxson—Orion—whatever he calls himself now, stammers. His face floods with red, his eyes unable to meet mine.

“Oh, right, the anonymous benefactor who offered to help with her treatments. You broke us and never bothered to stick around to pick up the pieces. So fuck you for giving up on us and for needing to get away from your family. You’re both disgusting.” My voice rings out in the expansive space. I raise the gun, flip off the safety, and point it at Mercer.

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