Page 90 of The Verdict

“I can prove it to you easily enough.” I lifted my chin, making sure I didn’t look away from Jupiter. “I have the diamond. I’ve had it this whole time.” I smiled sweetly. “Guarantee my safety, and I’ll give it to you.”

“Fucking cunt—”Mercury jumped to his feet with a snarl.

“Enough.”Jupiter held up his hand and stayed him like some kind of criminal whisperer. “Show me the diamond, and I’ll be happy to negotiate your freedom.”

Mercury breathed heavily in the corner of the room. Hewas furious. Livid. He wanted to make me pay for besting him.Twice.He wanted to make me pay for everything.

“Where is it?”

Knowledge was the key to survival. I’d learned that plenty of times over the course of my life. Knowing when to say something was almost as important as knowing when not to.

And right now, the only way I was going to survive. This was by threading the needle with the precious pieces of knowledge that I had.

I inhaled and exhaled slowly before finally saying, “It’s in a gym locker down by the pier. Electric Fitness.”

“Then it looks like we’re going for a ride.” Jupiter straightened and barked out an order, “Bring her.”

Mercury’s brutal grip pulled me from the chair as Jupiter made a call from his phone, presumably to have a car brought out front. Now was my chance—my only chance.

“I don’t care what he promises you, you’re mine. And I’m going to carve up every inch of you,” he snarled, and I felt the prick of his knife pierce through the fabric of my dress and scrape at my side.

“Don’t you want to know the truth about your brother? After what Jupiter did to Juan, I’m surprised you left him in one piece,” I taunted.

The knife pushed harder. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He regarded me with a crazed look in his eyes.

“You know why I ran that day?” I barreled forward, sensing I was running out of time. “Not because the cops were there—I was the fucking cops.Iwas the one Saba sent undercover. I ran because when I got to the bottom of the steps, I saw Jupiter shoot and kill Neptune.” Mercury jerked, the color draining from his face. “The man you’ve been working with this whole time… he killed your brother, Sergio.”

Rage crystallized like ice in his eyes. “You’re lying. The police shot him.”

“Why would they do that?” I breathed out the question. “You know your brother better than anyone. Do you think he would’ve tried to fight the police? He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Ask Jupiter. See if that new face is good at lying.”

Diamond. Vengeance. It was all forgotten. Mercury shoved me to the side and headed for Jupiter.

“What are you doing—” Jupiter wasn’t prepared for the knife that appeared at his throat or the way Mercury backed him up against the wall.

“Tell me the truth,” Mercury demanded. “Did you kill Juan?Did you kill my brother?”

Slowly—carefully—I inched toward the door, my breaths measured and waiting for the right moment to make my escape.

Jupiter’s eyes went wide and then flicked to me, hatred bleeding them into pure black. “You’re going to believe that cunt after she tried?—”

“The truth!”Mercury roared, his chest heaving. He dug the knife deeper, drawing a stream of blood along the blade. “Did you kill my brother?”

Jupiter’s lip curled. His nostrils flared. The veins in his face pumped with adrenaline. I watched his body war with his brain to find some other answer.

“The police?—”

“Were in our pocket,” Mercury finished. “Did you kill him?”

Jupiter trembled and then roared. “Yes! Yes, I killed him because I thought he was the fucking mole—” His rant turned into a garbled choke as Mercury dragged his knife straight through his throat.

The scent of blood and death spilled into the room, and I realized it was my moment.I turned and ran, Mercury’s shoutfollowing me down the hall. I didn’t stop for my coat. I didn’t stop when I lost a heel. I didn’t stop until I made it to the street—the intersection—torn between two choices.

I could run. I could get the gun I’d stashed along with the diamond, wait for Mercury to find me, and then finally put a bullet in my past. But then, I’d have to start over again. New identity. New life.No Rhys.

Or I could return to the hotel room and trust him to protect me.

This time, I didn’t hesitate to choose.

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