Lee had never had a clue.
“Did you kill Clark?” The question was mild and had Lee coming back to the present to see death in Lucas’s eyes.
Had Lucas actually cared about his son? He’d put on a convincing front.
If Lee admitted the truth, he would be dead before he took his next breath. In his mind he apologised to Georgie. “I told you, Georgie Stokes killed Clark. He threatened the man she loved.”
“Love makes people weak and vulnerable,” his mother spat.
The echo of the engine was getting louder. Lee frowned. That wasn’t an echo. It was a car engine. Someone was coming.
It had to be Nhiari. No one else could have got here so quickly. Somehow she’d found him. He had to get this done before she arrived, otherwise she’d be in danger.
The others didn’t seem to notice.
His mother wasn’t holding a weapon, but it didn’t mean she was unarmed. And she was cool. Nothing riled her. But he had to try. “Dad loved me.”
“Your father was always weak.”
Lee clenched his hands, but kept his mouth shut. Lucas stood a metre away in front of the boot of the car, the gun pointed at Lee. If he so much as flinched, he’d be dead.
His mother glanced in the direction of the car noise. “We’ve got company.”
“We need to get out of here,” Lucas said. “Help me with the treasure.”
“I don’t care about the treasure,” she answered. “Get in the plane, or I’m leaving without you.” She turned and walked up the steps.
Leaving. The person responsible for his father’s death was getting away. Lucas grabbed a bag of treasure and hauled it over his shoulder.
Still obsessed. That’s what made him weak.
Lee lunged, twisting the gun from his uncle’s hand. Lucas hefted the heavy bag, and it slammed into Lee’s side, almost taking his breath from him.
Lee stepped back as a car burst onto the far end of the runway and barrelled towards them. It flicked its lights on as the plane engine turned over. Shit. His mother would get away.
He shot Lucas’s knee as the man lunged and he fell to the ground with a yell.
Lee raced for the plane steps and was halfway up them when another gunshot cracked and pain exploded in his right shoulder.
He stumbled into the cabin and glanced out the door. Lucas had pulled his gun and was pointing it at Lee. Lee ducked out of the way as another shot cracked and the plastic moulding around him splintered.
The plane shifted and Lee strode to the cockpit. The door was locked, but a bullet saw it open. His mother was pressing the throttle forward as the white four-wheel drive pulled up in front. Nhiari and Sherlock leapt out.
Lee’s heart stopped, his eyes widening.
Lucas still had his gun. Nhiari might not see him on the ground, and she wouldn’t hear his warning over the engine. He should have killed Lucas before he came after his mother.
Now Nhiari was in danger.
He twisted so he could see out the door of the plane as well, but levelled his weapon at her.
His mother chuckled. “I suspected this might be the case.”
Her words brought his focus back to her. “What?”
He flinched at the gunshots from outside and his mother raised the gun he hadn’t spotted. “That you were lying about seducing the officer. You’re just as weak as your father.”
Lee had no words as he processed the gun pointing directly at Nhiari.
