Dulce

“Not for me. I’m my father’s son, I guess.”

“Then that makes you a better man than your brother will ever be,” I whisper. He reaches forward and braces his hand on the dashboard as we hit a pothole.

“We’re here. Park over there. It’s out of the way.”

I do as he asks and turn the engine off, snagging my cell from my pocket.

“There is no cell reception out here. It’s a pain in the ass, but it has something to do with the cliff walls interfering with it.”

“Shit. Looks like we’re on our own.”

I lean down and reach under my seat for my gun.

“Whoa, what the fuck, Ev? You can’t shoot my brother.”

“It’s just a precaution. People tend to listen to you more seriously if you point a gun at them. Besides, it’s empty,” I reassure him. It’s a blatant lie, of course. Who the hell carries an empty gun? Nobody.

“Why carry an empty gun?” he asks warily, looking at it like it’s a snake.

I shrug. “Guns scare me. I don’t want to accidentally shoot myself, but I want to make people think twice about hurting me, you know?”

He nods and relaxes.

I don’t have the time or patience to examine everything wrong with this conversation. Sarah has to be my focus now.

“What’s the best way to get to the other side of the rocks, where the access road is?”

“From here, up top. There is a narrow walk-through that’s big enough for maybe two people side by side to walk through. It’s pretty dark, so you might as well bring your cell phone for a flashlight.”

“Okay, let’s go. Keep your eye out for anyone else and signal me if you see something.”

He mumbles something I don’t catch, but I keep my attention on my footsteps as I climb up the steep path wrapped around the cliff. The last thing I want is to break my neck, but I’m already asking for trouble doing this in the dark. I know Sarah doesn’t have time for me to wait.

In any other circumstance, calling 911 would have been the first thing I’d have considered. But these guys are slick, with even slicker lawyers and a shitload of money to back them. If, and that’s a pretty big if, the police were able to mobilize quickly, they would possibly make some arrests, but nothing would stick. I’ve seen it time and time again.

As it stands, the police won’t search for Sarah if they don’t have reasonable cause. Not until she’s been missing for forty-eight hours. She won’t even be in the country in forty-eight hours.

I get that they are just trying to do their job, but I’m not held up by red tape like they are.

When I crest the top of the cliff, I’m warm and breathing a little heavier than usual, but Abe is panting as if he ran a marathon.

I turn to look at him and he frowns.

“Yeah, yeah. I know I’m not as fit as my sexy body suggests.”

“Not really what I was thinking, but okay. Which way?”

“Follow the path around to the right, but don’t get too close to the edge. We’ll have to go single file.”

I bite my lip and nod.

“You first. You’ve been here before and are more familiar with it. I’ll follow in your tracks.”

He looks like he wants to protest but thinks better of it and moves around me to take the lead.

“Where did you see Scott, anyway?”

“Huh?” he calls out over his shoulder.

“Scott? You said he lost his mind after Sarah got taken and Casey got hurt. I should have checked on him before we left.”

“Oh, Aslanov told me as he was racing out of the house. I ended up driving him to the hospital, which is when I saw Scott. I left him there to figure everything out and was just getting back when I found you.”

“ I—” I stop talking as we round the corner. The path widens to reveal a gap in the rock face. I step up beside him, and coughing sounds from behind have both of us spinning around.

Cain stands a few feet away, his hands in his pocket, his face like thunder.

I back up, moving closer to the entrance of the cave while keeping my eyes on him, but all his attention is on Abe right now.

“Why?” he asks, his voice thick with betrayal.

“It was time,” Abe replies, walking toward him with his hands up in surrender. “I just wanted my brother beside me again.”

“Don’t,” Cain spits, his anger like a third person standing over them, ready to lunge at any second.

I draw my gun and keep it hidden behind my leg as I wait for Abe to move aside. If I fire now, I’d hit them both.

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Abe coaxes Cain, moving a few steps until he’s standing close enough to touch him. He moves to the side, giving me a clear shot of Cain, whether that was his intention or not.

“You are dead to me,” Cain spits at Abe before his eyes lift to mine, his face carefully blank.

“Cain,” Abe starts, but when Cain glares at him, he shuts up.

“So this is it. This is how it ends?” Cain shakes his head, his body vibrating as he tries to keep himself in check.

“You’ve made your choice. I’m making mine,” Abe whispers. “Shoot him, Everly.”

I pull the trigger, my ears ringing at the sound as it echoes off the rock face.

Abe collapses to the ground as Cain stares at me in shock.

“How?” he chokes out.

I keep my gun pointed at Abe as he groans on the ground.

“How did I know it was him and not you?”