He trails off, and a flicker of something jumps into his eyes.
In one quick move, I snatch the gun out of Katia’s hand and inch closer. “You fucking said something.”
Panic springs to Noah’s eyes, and he swallows. “I was just venting about what happened between London and me. Ryder and I hadn’t seen each other in years, and I was so angry…”
“Noah.” London’s voice catches toward the end. “What did you do?”
“I swear, I didn’t think he was even listening, Lo. I told you how Ryder is. You know how self-involved he is.”
I withdraw the gun and use the butt to smack the side of his head. “And you’re a self-absorbed moron. What did you think would happen?”
Noah clenches his jaw and turns back to me. “I wasn’t thinking.”
I draw the gun back again, but London’s sharp cry stops me.
I know what I need to do, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Noah has been a nuisance since the moment I first laid eyes on him, but of all the scenarios I expected, an accidental slipup wasn’t one of them.
Jesus.
How can I enjoy making him pay now?
“I wasn’t behind the kidnapping,” Noah adds when the silence stretches on for too long. “But I remember overhearing them when they were holding your father and I, Lo. The kidnappers were talking about someone else. Someone on the inside—”
“You’re not telling us something we don’t already know, Nolan,” I bite out. “If I’m going to let you walk out of here, you’d better give me something good.”
Noah’s eyes flash. “What the fuck do you want from me?I don’t know anything.”
“You have until the count of five.” I slowly remove the safety on my gun, roll my shoulders, and sigh. “One.”
Noah throws his hands up in the air. “Jesus. Fuck, man. You won already. Isn’t that enough?”
“Two.”
“It’s not enough that you got her.” The words pour out of Noah in a rush. “Why is it so important to you that I’m out of the picture?”
“Three.”
“Mason.” London appears next to me and clears her throat. “He didn’t mean to make things worse.”
“Four.” The word tastes funny in my mouth. “Time’s running out, Noah.”
A thin sheen of sweat breaks out across Noah’s forehead. “Lo, I swear—”
“Time’s up.” I pull Noah to his feet and take two steps back so the gun is pointed at his chest. “Any last words?”
Noah’s face is white now, and he’s trembling. “Alright, fine! I pushed Ryder to look into you, okay? I knew a few slipups here and there would push him to dig deeper. He’s like a dog with a bone when he gets a whiff of something big, and I knew that all I had to do was push him hard enough.”
The anger inside of me floods my veins and melts everything in its path.
I clench my free hand into a fist. “What else?”
“Nothing, I—”
I point the gun at Noah’s foot and pull the trigger. “Don’t fucking lie. The only reason you’re not already bleeding out in a basement somewhere is because of her. I will not hesitate to kill you in front of her if I need to.”
London’s worst fears are coming true.
