Page 58 of Forsaking All Others

“Why?”

Sighing, I straighten up and lay the clothes on the table next to her.

“It’s not what you think, Holly, I didn’t order someone to kill him.”

“Then make me understand.”

I shake my head. I give her that, I make her a liability to herself. I don’t know who killed Colt, but I know what transpired tonight was just the beginning of a bloodbath. Have a lot of blood on these hands, won’t wear hers. I’d die a hundred deaths before I let that happen.

“I can’t give you that.”

“You have to give it to me,” she argues. “I’ll never be able to forgive you if you don’t.”

“You haven’t forgiven me for a lot of things, Holly, and yet here we are, still going at this thing together.”

“You’re wrong,” she says, inching off the table. On her feet, she takes a step closer to me and lays her hand flat against my chest. “I forgave you for everything. I didn’t want to, but my heart had other plans.” She pauses and looks away, her hand dropping from my chest. “It’s not right. My husband isn’t even cold yet, but it’s true.” She brings her eyes back to me. “I gave you that, Maverick. You give me his death.”

Blowing out a ragged breath, I cross my arms against my chest and stare at her.

Twenty years of loving her.

Twenty years of breaking her.

I owe her something.

“Didn’t go to Colt out of respect like I told you. I needed to move something, and I needed to move it fast. All I wanted was some intel, Fat Cat’s fleet schedule, but then we got to talking.” I pause, carefully picking the pieces of the conversation safe enough to share. “Colt was already feeling some kind of way after overhearing our conversation and I took advantage of his vulnerability. He offered his services and I took him up on that offer.”

“That’s why you were shaking hands.”

I nod.

“That’s also why you told me not to press the issue when you pulled me outside and told me he knew about the money you gave me… you didn’t want anything to screw up your transportation.”

I don’t respond.

“I don’t understand,” she murmurs, and I raise an eyebrow. “He was nowhere to be found when Theo was in the hospital—”

“King found him at Fat Cat’s yard.”

She narrows her eyes.

“And instead of bringing him to the hospital so he could be with his son, you what…you brought him here?”

Again, I don’t respond. She heeds the warning and doesn’t press the issue. The woman can read between the lines.

“Then what happened?” she questions, shifting gears.

“They loaded the truck and he hit the road.” I uncross my arms and shove my hands inside my pockets. I should tell her about the call Colt placed to King, how he was desperate to get in touch with her and make things right. Instead I say, “The rest the cops told you.”

Selfish.

So fucking selfish.

“Right,” she says, swallowing. “Shot three times at a rest stop. Dead upon arrival…” Her voice trails and she cocks her head to the side. “The cops didn’t tell me who did it.”

“They’re not going to either,” I return. The only one avenging this shit is me. I bring my eyes back to hers. “That’s my job. I find who did it and I make them pay.”

“Just like that,” she scoffs.

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