Page 96 of The Verdict

“I couldn’t risk that you’d contacted him,” he said and moved back again.

“Stop,” I warned, but he moved again, uncaring. “I know who you are, Dr. Ivans—Ray Ivans.”

Finally, a break in his composure. A harsh crack like thunder shook his expression.

“I know who you are, and I know your new face.” I inched closed, my finger tightening on the trigger. It would be so easy to shoot him—end this—but then Rhys and the guys would never get the answers they needed.

“I severely underestimated you, Merritt. Truly.” His voice remained calm while he confessed to his crimes—while a gun was pointed at his chest.And that was the most unnerving part of it all. “But it’s over now. The gang is done. The diamond can be returned. And we can go our separate ways.”

“Not a chance. You have other crimes to answer for, Ivans,” I ground out. “You’re going to pay?—”

“Pay?” He clucked. “This is far bigger than you. If you come after me, it’s at your own risk. I took care of Mercury for you, Merritt. How about you let me get back in my car and we’ll call it even?”

Mercury…I didn’t think. My head snapped over to the front of the gym. It never crossed my mind that Mercury was the target, but sure enough, his was the lifeless body on the ground.

“No—” When I looked back, Saturn was already behind the wheel.

I fired at the window, but it was bulletproof.

“Merritt!”Rhys’s roar echoed over the squeal of the tires as Saturn sped from the spot.

I ran into the street, firing round after round at the back of the retreating vehicle until the chamber clicked empty. Still, my finger pulled, willing one more round to appear.

“Enough,”Rhys growled, yanking the weapon from my clenched fingers and tossing it to the ground as he pulled me to him.

All the anger, the disbelief, the fury I’d felt evaporated against the heat of his chest, leaving only the soul-deep grief behind, and I couldn’t stop the sob that tore from my chest.

“It’s okay. We’re all okay.” He held me so tight, I swore he was the only thing holding me together.

“It was Saturn,” I said, rambling wildly with tears streaming down my face.

“What?” He pushed the hair back from my face.

“It was Saturn, Rhys,” I panted. “He was the Mossos—the man they had on the inside. He fed Jupiter information…” I trailed off, my jaw going slack. “No.” The truth hit me. “He was the one running the operation the whole time.”

“Saturn?”

“Ivans.” I lifted my eyes to him. “Saturn is Ivans. Ivans is Saturn. And he was here. He was the one who killed Saba and shot Mercury. He didn’t hire the Cosmos Gang… he founded them.”

Everything fell into place like magnets snapping to a pole.

“Come on.” Rhys tucked me to his side. “We’re not catching him tonight. Let me take you home.”

Home.

Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time that word held meaning for me—if ever.

Until him.

“Okay.”

There was some comfort in knowing that as Rhys carried me from the SUV through the garage, down the hall, and into his cabin, the ghosts from my past—the ones who wanted me dead—wouldn’t be coming for me anymore.

But there was more comfort in him. In his arms. His embrace. The soft words he spoke against my hair and the even softer kisses he pressed to my head. My cheeks. My lips.

There was more comfort in knowing I was capable of trust. Of love. That I’d given myself a new beginning because of it.

He set my feet to the floor, holding my side to his front as one hand undid the hooks on the dress, the material instantly gaping and then sliding to the ground.

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