Page 100 of Hart of Vengeance
Denim, who was slightly behind me and off to the side, sucked in a sharp breath.
“He probably did,” a short, freaky-looking older man said. He was glaring at me, or maybe he was in awe of me.Whatever.He gave me the creeps.
I made a mental note to thank Denim for breaking up with me. He was spot-on. I didn’t want to be with a criminal, not ever. If Denim had any ideas of joining Duke in his business—whatever that was—I was walking away and not looking back.
“Well?” I asked Duke again. “Are you and this thug in bed together?”
Shockingly, a laugh rumbled out of Duke. “Fuck no.”
It was then that I finally looked at the man who had my heart in the palm of his hand, the man who had been imprisoned for a wrong he didn’t commit.
Denim was tense, his jaw was set, and he also appeared ready to hurt someone. A sharp pain gripped my chest. The man had lost six years of his fucking life.
“Look.” Tito’s voice scraped my nerves, sending raging chills down my spine.
With the letter in one hand, I dipped my free hand in my coat pocket and wrapped my fingers around the handle of the gun. I wasn’t a killer. Yet if he didn’t come clean, I was ready to take the law into my own hands.
I regarded Tito with my hackles raised.
One side of lips curled, and he puffed out his chest as if he’d won this battle, which was laughable. He hadn’t won anything. “You have nothing but your sister’s word.”
“Do you want to hear more of my sister’s words?” Even though it was a question, I wasn’t asking.
I read another part to him.
“I’d just entered Hector’s building when a gun went off. Scared, I ran out and hid in the shadows across the street. But Denim didn’t come out of the building that night. Tito Alvarez did. I don’t know what happened. But the next thing I knew, Denim was getting arrested. I never had a chance to talk to him.
“You’re wondering why I didn’t go to the police. Oh, I thought about it and decided I should do the right thing. But after Hector’s neighbor gave her statement to the police and disappeared shortly after, I clammed up. I didn’t want to face the same fate as the neighbor, and I would’ve if Tito ever found out I saw him. He’s a monster, sis. He has no regard for human life.”
The gun in my pocket felt heavy and exhilarating at the same time. I lifted my eyes to stare at Tito. “Last chance.”
Tito looked at the short, creepy guy as though he could save Tito. Then his attention swung to Duke and Denim. None of them were bouncing on their feet to help. He set his dark eyes on me. “Or what?”
I swallowed an elephant and pulled out the gun, aiming it at Tito’s heart. I had no idea if I could successfully shoot him since I’d never shot a gun before. “Or I shoot.”
“Jade.” Denim’s husky voice drew closer. “Don’t. He’s not worth it.” He touched my trembling arm gently. “Angel, lower the gun.”
A tear slid down my cheek, burning a path until the salty tear was sliding into my mouth. “He is worth it. For Savannah. For you. Don’t you want him to pay?”
His hand inched down my arm. “He will pay.”
More tears clouded my vision, and I shook my head. “No.”
“You’re not a killer.” Denim’s hand was on my wrist. “Give me the gun.”
All I saw was my sister fighting to stay alive. All I saw in front of me was the thug who had stolen six years of Denim’s life.
Tito stared at me, his dark eyes pleading. “Hart, you better get that out of her hands.”
His grating voice seemed to blast in the deadly quiet room, and in that moment, I didn’t think. I closed my eyes and squeeze the trigger.
The blast hurt my ears, and I practically fell into Denim.
Mallory screamed.
Before I could open my eyes, Denim had the gun out of my hand. “Duke, take Jade, please.”
My heart punched my ribs, trying to get out of my chest. To my dismay, Tito was still standing without a scratch on him with a smile that reminded me of the Joker inBatman.
