Midnight Jewel (The Glittering Court #2)(130)

I didn’t blink. “You’re lying.”

“I’d never really leave a loaded gun that accessible. I keep it on display to make drunken customers think twice about harassing the bartender. And if they don’t, my men can deal with any altercation.”

“I don’t believe you.” But I was less confident now. Since I didn’t know this type of pistol, I couldn’t use its weight to tell me if it was loaded or not.

Tom got to his feet and brazenly moved forward, putting the barrel back to his chest. “Then fire and find out.” When I did nothing, he chuckled softly. “Even if it was loaded, I wouldn’t be afraid. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t think I have the nerve?”

His smile broadened. “Oh, no. You’re no coward, Aviel. You were brave to come here. I used to tease you about not getting your hands dirty, but now I know that’s not true. It’s just your last resort. You’d rather appeal to man’s better nature. That kind of idealism will only hobble you, my dear. Because if you’re trying to get ahead, if you’re trying to further a cause, you have to shrug off honor and sentiment. If you really wanted to stop my actions, you would’ve tried to shoot me the instant you walked in. Instead, you decided to take the honorable path, to bring me in and see justice served through the fair channels everyone else faces. Thinking like that is why people fail. Why they get killed. Attachment to people, to principles, is a waste of your time. You need to be ready to sacrifice them.”

“My father used to say the same thing.”

“Smart man.”

I pulled the trigger. It clicked. Nothing more.

My hands shook, as though the hopelessness of my situation had cowed me. I turned the gun to its side and made motions to surrender it—and then I swung upward and slammed the grip into Tom’s face. He managed to grab my hair as I leapt for the stairs, jerking me back. I fell with a yelp, and moments later, he had me pinned on my back. He pressed a more familiar gun’s barrel to my forehead, and I knew it was loaded. It was the one he often wore.

“I like you, Aviel,” he said, with none of his usual levity. “And I wish you’d stuck with us. Lorandy’s going to do great things in Adoria—far better than Osfrid could have. But your chance is over, and I can’t leave loose ends. I, you see, have no problem making the tough decisions.”

“Neither do I,” said a welcome voice. “Pull that trigger, and I pull mine.”

Still keeping the gun on me, Tom glanced over his shoulder, toward the stairs. He blocked my view, but I knew who stood there. “Mister Elliott, right? Spy and alleged shopkeeper. Until my lady showed up here, I would’ve said you’re the best-kept secret in Cape Triumph.”

“Lower your gun and stand up,” said Grant.

“How are you giving commands? Are you really ready to sacrifice some innocent girl for the McGraws?” When Grant didn’t answer, Tom tsked. “Well, Aviel, there you have it. Someone not afraid to get his hands dirty.”

“Worry about yourself,” said Grant. “If you shoot her, I shoot you. If you surrender, you can live. Those are your choices. I walk out of here either way. It makes no difference to me.”

“Oh, stop. Of course it makes a difference. If I live, you get the glory of bringing me in for interrogation.”

My mind raced. Tom was behaving too casually again, just as he had when he’d known my gun wasn’t loaded. True, he was in a deadlock with Grant right now, but Tom wasn’t the type to just sit still when a situation showed no obvious solution.

“Grant, someone else is coming! He’s just wasting time!”

Tom still had one arm draped over my chest, letting him lean his body weight into me, but he kept his head and neck twisted to watch Grant. It couldn’t be comfortable, but Tom also couldn’t risk an unseen attack. “Are you on a first-name basis with him? No wonder you always seemed to have such romantic troubles. Never fall in love with someone who wears two faces, Aviel. And, Mister Elliott, I’m guessing you actually aren’t so indifferent to—”

There. It was what I’d been braced for. I’d known Tom would have to shift eventually. He couldn’t maintain that awkward position. And although he didn’t release me, that slight rearrangement of his body gave me the only chance I’d get at fighting back. In the few seconds that his arm moved, I bucked up and jabbed his face with my shoulder as best I could. He immediately fired, but I’d maneuvered over just enough to escape the barrel. The gun went off right next to my head, though, and its blast sent a shock wave of pain through my ear. The world suddenly muted, and all I could hear on that side was a ringing.

Grant wasted no time either and was across the room in an instant, pulling Tom away from me. The two of them grappled on the floor, each trying to position his gun for a killing shot. They were too close and couldn’t clearly aim with all the jostling. Tom had one bullet left and had to make sure his shot counted. Even with two bullets, Grant had to be cautious too. I glanced around for any weapons, but all I saw was the empty gun Tom had knocked out of my hand. Picking it back up, I moved over to the two men.

A brief opening let me slam the gun against Tom’s head. He cursed and fumbled for just a moment, enough that Grant fired. Tom had squirmed away at the last possible moment and rather than continuing with Grant, he grabbed my bad ankle. I lost my balance and fell onto them, putting us into a momentary tangle of limbs and confusion. Tom managed to sit up and aimed at me, his clearest target, ready to use his last shot. Grant shoved me aside just as the gun discharged, and I saw his body jerk when the bullet struck. I screamed and dove for the gun he’d dropped. Tom was faster.