Page 185 of Burning Daylight
“She told me,” he spits.
“Told you what?”
He smirks. “Everything. She’s my cousin. Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
My lungs cramp.Everything?I don’t believe that she would.
“Tyler.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “You’re not my enemy. If you would just?—”
“I don’t care,” he cuts me off. “Nothing you say will excuse the harm that your family has caused me. I bleed out every day,alone. No father. No mother. No goddamn sister. And now you want to take Juliette, too?”
He moves his gaze to Rosalie, something sad flickering in his gaze, and then he hardens again. Takes a step forward, his head tilting as he looks at her.
His nostrils flare. “Rosalie. Is that a bruise on your face?”
The air whooshes out of me, and my brows hike, as I spin to face her and Benjamin. “What?”
Is that why she’s been hiding her face all night?
Tyler reaches into his waistband, and before I can blink, he brings out a gun.
Immediately, I throw up my hands, my heart pounding in my ears.Jesus Christ.
“Tyler.” Lance’s voice echoes like a boom, and then everyone is close again, trying to regain control of the situation.
“What thefuck, Ty?” Rosalie screams. “Where did you get a gun? What the hell is wrong with you?”
Frederick stands on the side, his hands still in his pockets.
“Shut up, Rosalie,” Tyler says. “I’m doing this foryou.”
“Tyler,” I say, making sure to keep my voice even-keeled.
His eyes are watery, like he’s trying to hold back tears.
Merrick moves to stand next to me and Benjamin. “Ty, if you want to fight someone, fightme. With your fists, you coward. At least then it would be fair.”
I can’t believe this is happening right now. All I want to do is go be with Juliette, but instead, I’m here with people trying to fight my battles and one of her cousins holding us at gunpoint because Benjamin’s a piece of shit. I knew that this town was messed up, but this is another level.
Lance steps forward again, his brow furrowed and his gaze locked on Tyler. He moves slow and steady, almost as if he’s trained to, and Tyler doesn’t even realize how close Lance has gotten, because he hasn’t taken his own eyes off Benjamin or me.
His hand is trembling so badly, the gun shakes. “Uncle Craig would kiss the ground I walked on if I got rid of you both.” His eyes flash. “Everyone would be better off.”
“I’ll leave,” I say with my hands up.
“I don’t care!” he spits. “I wantherto be free.”
I frown. “Who, Juliette?”
Tyler’s grip grows stronger on his gun, and he re-aims, his hand steadying.
The night is so quiet around us, it’s like even it can feel that moving would be perilous.
And then Merrick—drunk as shit—sways.
Pop.
For a second, there’s no movement. I question if I even heard the gun go off; there must be a silencer on it, because the noise was muffled. It didn’t crack against the sky. But then, a flurry happens.
