I flinch at the outburst—not because of fear, but because, for a split second, his voice sounds exactly like Andrew’s.
“Excuse me? Would you like to have a look at the documents?” I say, forcing my tone to remain calm.
Tyler’s nostrils flare. His hands tremble with barely contained fury. “We got the camera footage, Rachel.” His voice is lower now, lethal. “You were the only one in and out of the apartment on the day of Andrew’s death. You fucking killed him.”
The air in the casino thickens. I barely register the murmurs around us before Tyler moves.
In one swift motion, he yanks out his gun and points it at my forehead.
Alex moves just as fast, with no hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he’s on his feet, both of his guns drawn and locked on Tyler.
Silence.
A dangerous standoff.
The weight of the moment presses down on me. One wrong move, one twitch of a finger, and blood will spill all over the velvet carpet, and it will be my fault.
I steady my breathing, my pulse hammering in my ears.
This has just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated.
Chapter eight
Olivia
Iwakeupfrommy nap, finally feeling more human. It’s been days since I have felt decent. I blink to adjust my eyes to the soft glow of the TV and glance over to see Oliver sprawled on the couch, eyes locked on an action movie.
“Hey, sorry I fell asleep,” I mumble, my voice still thick with sleep.
Oliver glances over, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. “Don’t be sorry, sissy. You needed it. And as I told you, I’m here with you every step of the way.”
Before I can respond, his phone buzzes loudly on the coffee table. Oliver glances at the screen, and just for a second, something flickers across his face—hesitation, maybe even dread. Then he snatches it up, pressing it to his ear, and his body stiffens.
“Alex. What’s up?” Oliver’s voice booms through my tiny apartment, followed by a long pause. Too long. My stomach tightens, my anxiety creeping in like a slow poison, taking over my body.
“Yeah, I’ll be there…” Oliver’s voice is steady, but I don’t miss the flicker of concern in his blue-green eyes that match mine. Another silence stretches between him and Alex.
“She won’t just stay here. You know that,” he says, his tone firm. “Regardless of how confused she is with everything that happened, she won’t do that.”
What in the actual fuck are they talking about?
“Yeah. Okay. Mhm. Bye.”
Oliver hangs up, but before he can even lower his phone, I’m already glaring daggers at him.
“What the fuck is going on?” I demand my pulse, now a thunderous roar in my ears.
Oliver lifts his hands in surrender. “Okay. So before you freak out—”
“Before I freak out? That’s the worst fucking thing to say to someone before they freak out! Are you serious right now? Just spit it out, Oli!” I snap, my patience gone.
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alex and Rachel are outside the Silver Serpent. Andrew’s oldest brother, Tyler, accused Rachel of killing Andrew and pulled a gun on her. Alex and Rachel barely got away, but they knew the Starr brothers would be coming after them. And we don’t know who they’re bringing with them.”
I clench my fists, my mind racing.
“Alex asked if I knew anyone in San Diego who could help with this situation. Lopez García and Alex aren’t on good terms, so his family isn’t gonna back him up.”
That stops me cold in my tracks.
