Except movement blurred in the cell next to us. A beefy arm reached through the cell, grabbed a hold of the guard, and yanked himback. The other beefy arm wrapped around the guard’s neck, and my heart froze, for a full second, until a very bloodied and discombobulated face peered at me from behind the guard.
Levi woke up.
He couldn’t talk. He could barely see, with only one eye opened, but he was trying to relay that he was okay. Or, no. He jerked his gaze from me to the door and back again. He was telling me to run.
There was a certain amount of resignation and acceptance, and sadness in his eye.
No.
No.
He was preparing to die.
I saw it. I read it. I didn’t accept it.
I began shaking my head, but his eye jerked from me to the door and back again.
Heath shuffled to my side, saying quietly, “Let’s go.”
This was not going to happen, but I could already see that Levi was going to make it happen. My insides screamed in protest. They were wailing because I wouldn’t lose a brother.
Iwould not.
He gave me one more meaningful look, grunting before he slammed the guard back against the cell.
Feet pounded on the floor.
They were coming to separate them.
Other guns.
I had two seconds to move.
One second to think.
One second to act.
With a snap, I knew what I was going to do.
One second—I shoved Heath and Palma out of the cell.
The last second, I raised the gun—they were all yelling.
I was the cash prize.
If something happened to me, Creighton would burn this city down. Knowing that, knowing I was not going to stand by and let Levi die for me—I touched the gun to my temple.
Everyone skidded to a halt.
The side door opened . . .
Creighton walked inside.
Chapter Forty-Four
Blake
Creighton didn’t stop moving. He walked in, saw me, saw the gun, and his eyes went black.
