She scoffs, drying her tears with the back of her hand. “Really, Luke? I know you were afraid to tell me for my safety, but this isn’t exactly easy to hear. I’m notsafewith him? How many vulnerable positions do you think he’s had me in?”
My face twists in disgust. “I’d prefer not to know actually. You need to get away from him to clear your head and decide on what to do. I’m going to prove it was him to the government, Fal. I’ve already got a plan in motion to get them proof. I’m done waiting on justice from the FBI.”
The tears flow harder. My heart crumbles inside my chest as I watch my sister’s world break in half. My arms wrap her in a tight hug, and I hold her close while she sobs.
Should I not have told her? Should I have let them be together until I could prove Garrison’s guilt?
No. They came after Kate for being involved with me.
Who knows what they might do to Fallon?
She pulls back, and I immediately see the change on her face—from powerlessness to resilience.
“I’m not moving out. I want to hear it from him. I want to hear his explanation. There’s got to be a reason.”
“And if there’s not? If he’s guilty?”
She lifts her chin, wiping the tears away. “I’ll make his life a living hell. I want his last moments before he’s dragged to a dark prison cell to be the epitome of pain and misery.”
My throat constricts. “Fallon...no. You don’t need revenge. He’s a killer, and if he knows you know, then you will be in incredible danger.”
Her eyes spark with the fiery spirit she’s had since we were kids. “You’ve always protected me. I love you for it—I do. But he’s my husband, and if I want to make his life a living hell for what he’s done, that’s my choice.Ifhe did it.”
I clench my jaw, searching her face. Once Fal makes up her mind, there’s no arguing with her.
“Is that what Reid would’ve wanted? For you to be in danger for the sake of some twisted version of justice?”
I hate to use her love for Reid against her this way, but she needs to see reason. Reid and Fallon dated for a year. Neither mentioned marriage until two nights before his death when Reid came to me and asked for my blessing. I gladly granted it, thrilled to welcome him as my brother.
Fallon isn’t looking at me now, her eyes growing distant. “You know, Luke, I was going to break up with Reid.”
My breathing halts at her words. “What?”
“I’d been debating it for a while. He was...I don’t know...so obsessive about the missions. I knew what y’all were doing was serious, but he never let it rest. Even when he was home, it was all he thought about. At least you, Garrison, and Henrik could relax and pretend to be civilians. Reid was...he was meant to be a single man. I loved him, Luke, but it wasn’t going to work.”
Telling her now what he was planning that night would only bring on guilt. I can’t blame her for wanting to leave him. Reid was the most dedicated to the mission out of all of us.
Which is exactly why Garrison killed him. He knew something, something that was valuable. Garrison is convinced it can’t be proven, that it’s my word against his. He thinks he got away with it and that he got Fallon too. He knows I value her life too much to put her in danger.
I don’t want to tell her that, but I think that’s why he married her too. To keep her close, as a way to blackmail me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about being with Garrison sooner. I knew how much you hated him, and since Reid was your best friend, I didn’t...think you would understand.”
She’s right about that. I would’ve done anything I could to tear them apart—with good reason.
“He’s a cold-blooded killer, Fallon. He’s a traitor. I’m going to see Henrik now to start working on a plan to avenge Reid. Garrison will pay for his part in it—whatever the extent of it was.”
She lifts her chin up, tears dripping down.
“If he really killed Reid, I will make him pay, brother. He won’t have a moment’s peace until you’re ready. I just can’t believe he would do that. I have to talk to him about it.”
This isn’t how it should be, but how do I convince her?
He deceived her gravely, betrayed us all. No one can stand in the way of my justice, so who am I to stand in front of hers?
I have to prove he did it, once and for all, to free her from him.
After checking in with Kate,I have to wonder if she knew the extent of the danger she could be in by being affiliated with me, would it change things? If they knew how much she meant to me, she’d be infinitely more vulnerable.
