Page 252 of Saving Her

“No, fuck that.” Benji holds Torian’s stare. “I betrayed you. I went behind your back and—”

Before the sentence is finished, Cole pulls a gun from his waistband and places the barrel to my brother’s forehead.

I don’t move, not an inch, as Layla screams, the piercing shriek slicing through my throbbing skull.

“Keep talking,” Torian sneers.

“I was a rat for your father.”

“No.” Layla falls to her knees, her manic sobs increasing. “It wasme.Idid this.Imade this mess.”

Torian’s aim doesn’t waiver from Benji’s head as I take in my potential opponents—Hunter with his chest puffed out, his fingers twitching at his sides, and Decker whose face is emotionless, not a hint of anger.

“I need everyone to calm down.” I step closer to Benji only to have Hunter’s attention snap to me.

“Back off.” He points a finger at me in warning. “Stay out of this.”

“I can’t.” I shake my head. “He’s my brother—”

“He’s going to be your dead brother if he doesn’t start talking a lot faster.” Torian jabs the gun barrel into Benji. “Spill it all, you son of a bitch.”

“It wasme.” Layla tugs on his trousers. “Icaused this. I begged him to do it. Dad made me believe—”

“Don’t worry. I already assumed Luther convinced you I was worthless,” Torian snarls. “You had no faith in me.”

“It was a long time ago.” She slowly drags herself to her feet, tentatively reaching for the gun, only to be shoved away.

“Get inside. I’ll deal with you later.”

“Cole,please listen.”

“So help me God, Layla, if you don’t walk back into that restaurant and pretend this never happened, I will make you regret bringing a daughter into this world.”

She gasps, her tear-streaked face losing color. “What does that—”

“Now.”

“Do what he says.” Benji jerks his chin at her. “Go.”

“No.” She shakes her head, frenzied. “This wasmyfault.Mydecision. I did this, Cole. Not him.”

“Either get inside or watch your husband die.”

Fuck.

I reach for my gun, prepared to aim at Torian, when Hunter makes the same move. I turn my attention to him instead, both of us staring down the barrel of the other.

“Fucking hell.” Decker jumps down the stairs. “Why don’t we all take a breath and get the story straight before we start turning on each other?”

Torian ignores him. “On your knees,” he demands of Benji.

“I said, get the story straight first.” Decker pulls out his gun, placing it to the back of Torian’s head.

Holy fucking shit. It’s a Mexican standoff.

No winners. All losers.

Layla stumbles backward, shaking, sobbing, her hand raising to cover her mouth.

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