I hook my fingers in Saint’s, squeezing his hand, as we stare at the motionless body of the man who gave him life.
“Jesus.” Galen slams to a halt, his eyes instantly meeting Saint’s. Theo materializes beside him with Howie, Diesel, and Bry taking up the rear. We stand around Sinner’s lifeless body, staring at a man we all hated, as the realization sinks in.
He’s dead.
And we’re free.
A shuddering breath leaves me as relief floods my system. “Thank fuck, you’re all okay.”
“You killed him,” Diesel asks, glancing between Saint and me.
I nod. “We did. He had to die.”
Now it’s Diesel’s turn to nod.
“I hope he’s rotting in hell,” Galen says, viciously kicking his corpse a couple times.
“Amen to that,” Howie adds, crouching over him and punching him repeatedly in the face.
“Where were you?” I ask Diesel.
His eyes roam me from head to toe, checking I’m intact. “Dealing with a snake.”
“Randall?”
Diesel bobs his head.
“You knew he was dirty?”
“Not until recently. I—”
“This’ll have to wait,” Galen says, cutting across us. He eyeballs me with a solemn expression. “Our moms have been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. I said we’d follow.”
“Okay.” I move to walk off, but Galen steps in front of me.
“Hang on. I need to check something first.” Taking my hand, he strides with purpose toward the stone box nestled alongside the freshly painted wooden bench with Theo following suit. My brows pucker, and I throw a look at Theo. His shoulders lift, his puzzled face conveying he knows as much as me.
Galen opens the lid, and expletives rip through the air.
“What is it?” Saint asks, staying where he is while Diesel, Howie, and Caz all step forward to join us.
Galen lifts a large wrinkled brown envelope from the box, spinning around to face us with a mad grin on his face. Opening it, he removes the contents. “It’s the Leydon evidence,” he confirms, holding up the clear plastic bag containing a bloody knife and a USB key.
“What the fuck, man?” Theo steps forward, shock splayed across his face.
Diesel and Howie share a grin. Bry lounges against the armrest of the bench, taking it all in.
“Mom stole it,” Galen confirms, and I almost keel over.
“Alishahad it all this time?” My tone betrays my disbelief.
Galen grins. “She told me the truth under the table before the EMTs arrived,” he explains. “She followed Sinner and his men one night. Climbed in the trunk of one of their cars. She planned to capture them doing something illegal. Something she could use as insurance, but she found this tucked under the spare tire well of the trunk. She didn’t know what it was until she watched the video footage. Then she knew she’d struck gold.”
“So why the fuck didn’t she use it to put those bastards away?” Saint blurts, his voice a little breathless.
My head whips to his, noting how he sways a little on his feet. I frown, keeping an eye on Saint. “Why didn’t she use it to save herself?” I ask.
“She was scared because she knew it was dynamite. She didn’t trust handing it to the police after what Daphne admitted on the recording. She gave away trade secrets. Secrets that would destroy a lot of powerful people. Mom decided to hide it. To keep it in reserve until she needed leverage with Sinner. She knew he’d come for me at some point, and she was going to use it to bargain for my life.”
