Her voice was deadly quiet.
“Truth—”
“Get. Off. My. Property.”
“You don’t get to—”
The pain hit before I heard the shot.
A sharp, burning agony that tore through my back.
I staggered, my hand instinctively going to the wound.
Warm blood seeped between my fingers.
“What—”
My knees buckled.
I hit the porch hard, the impact jarring through my body.
Truth screamed.
I looked up at her, my vision blurring, and saw the horror on her face.
She wasn’t looking at me.
She was looking past me.
Across the street.
I turned my head, following her gaze, and saw it.
The rooftop.
A figure, barely visible, already moving away.
But I knew.
I knew.
Amai.
My brother.
Protecting what was his.
Establishing boundaries through blood.
The message was clear.
Stay away from her.
Or next time, I won’t miss.
The world tilted.
Truth was kneeling beside me now, her hands pressing against the wound, her voice frantic.