I was on the table and throwing myself at Neal. “You son of a bitch. Answer the questions.” My hands were around his throat.
Gwen rushed over. “Fallyn, we need him if we want the truth.”
I let go, and Neal choked out a laugh. “You have nothing on me.”
I climbed off the table as Neal popped out of the chair.
“We have a witness.” My stomach knotted as my hands shook.
Neal laughed. “Who? Brian McCauley? He won’t testify. He would only be incriminating himself. His ego is too fucking big to do such a thing.”
“Oh, you think Brian will go to jail for what?” I asked.
“Drug running,” Neal said. “Not to mention, if he knows who killed Jason, then he’s liable as well.”
My dad’s laugh sent shivers down my spine. “You know, I will roll out the red carpet for McCauley where he won’t see the inside of prison.”
“You can’t do that.” Neal’s brown eyes were wide with fear.
“Oh, you don’t know the influence I have,” Dad said confidently. “To murder one of your own is a sacrilege.”
“No jury will believe a thug like McCauley,” Neal argued like he would win against my dad or even a jury.
“I’ll make it so a jury convicts you,” Dad said.
It was as if Duke had given him that idea earlier when Duke intimated in so many words that the government was corrupt.
Neal turned as white as a ghost. “You can’t do that.”
“Want to try me?” Dad fired at him.
“Why did you do it?” I asked, even though Neal had yet to admit his guilt.
Neal sighed loudly, defeat washing over him. “Jason was about to narc on me.”
My dad dropped into his chair, holding his chest. “You motherfucker.” His voice cracked.
“I tried to reason with him that night,” Neal continued. “But he wouldn’t listen.”
Gwen stood, ready to intervene in case I lashed out at Neal again.
“So you pumped a ton of drugs into him?” I asked, my tears flowing freely.
Sweat beaded on Neal’s forehead. “Not right then. I waited until later when he was passed out. Word was he was hooked on drugs, and he had a lot of them in his apartment.”
“Take him,” Dad ordered Gwen and Bruce. “Lock him up.”
Gwen clutched Neal’s arm and all but dragged him to the door.
“I’m not going to prison,” Neal said.
Suddenly, déjà vu slapped me across the face as I remembered Mateo’s words right before he pulled the trigger.
I couldn’t have stopped time even if I tried when Neal grabbed Gwen’s gun from her holster. The two fought as Bruce drew his weapon, but Neal already had Gwen’s gun, aiming the weapon at Bruce then Gwen.
“You don’t want to do this.” Gwen backed away, raising her hands in the air.
“Man, drop it,” Bruce ordered, ready to fire.
