Chapter 14 - Brothers
“Let them go,” Richard said.
Marcus laughed. “There he is. The respectable brother.”
Richard’s face was gray with exhaustion. “This ends tonight.”
“It ended fourteen years ago. You just refused to accept it.”
Caroline kept her gun raised, but her hands were trembling.
Nathan looked at her. “Why are you with him?”
“I’m not.”
Marcus smiled. “She says that a lot.”
Caroline’s jaw tightened.
Richard took another step. “Emma, move toward the door.”
Marcus lifted his pistol. “She stays.”
I stayed where I was.
My knee throbbed. My ribs hurt. I was tired of being moved around by powerful men who thought commands were the same as protection.
“No,” I said.
Both brothers looked at me.
I pointed at Evan. “He comes with me.”
Marcus chuckled. “He sold you out.”
“That’s my problem.”
Evan lowered his head.
Richard said, “Emma, please.”
I turned on him. “You forged my signature.”
“This is not the time.”
“You tried to steal my company.”
“To keep it out of his hands.”
“Still theft.”
Marcus clapped slowly. “Exactly.”
I looked up at him. “And you want my routing engine.”
“Yes.”
“At least you admit it.”
“I don’t need your company. I need one deployment key.”
Evan whispered, “Don’t give it to him.”
Marcus kicked the metal railing. “You already gave me half of it.”
I looked at Evan.
His face was full of shame.
“The second half rotates every twelve hours,” he said. “Only Emma can authorize it.”
Marcus nodded. “Which is why we’re all here.”
Richard raised his gun higher. “You’re not getting it.”
Marcus’s expression turned cold.
“You always did think stealing something meant owning it.”
Then he looked at Caroline.
She closed her eyes.
That was the signal.
She spun and fired.
The bullet hit Marcus in the shoulder.
He fell against the railing.
Everything happened at once.
Richard fired upward.
Nathan lunged toward Evan.
I dropped behind a steel crate.
Gunshots cracked through the warehouse.
Ortiz shouted through my hidden earpiece, “Down! Stay down!”
Then the lights went out.
In total darkness, someone grabbed me from behind.
And whispered into my ear,
May you like
“Don’t make a sound, Emma.”
It was Evan.
