Split(106)

“Gage . . .” Fear rolls through me and as desperate as I am for the next words to roll from his lips, to hear what I already know, I’m shaking.

He cups my jaw with both hands and holds my head tight so I can’t look away. “I was spared to accomplish this one thing, to get revenge. I pushed myself up”—a languid grin pulls at his lips—“and shot the bitch between the eyes.”

I suck in a breath, and strangely there are no tears. “You didn’t murder your family.” No fear. Not even revulsion. Only relief. Respect. And the feeling of justice. “But . . . you killed your mom.”

“She killed me first.” His hands release me and he takes a step back, putting distance between us. “And, Shy?”

“Yeah?”

The sound of voices yelling outside is followed by boots stomping across the porch. Oh no, the sheriff. Our time is up.

He turns to me and smiles softly as a single tear falls from his eye. “I love you too.”

The door bursts open and deputies with guns drawn pour into the living room.

“No!” I move on instinct to protect Gage, to cover him with my body. “What is this? What are you doing?” I’m snagged from behind by a deputy and pulled to the far end of the room.

Deputies surround Gage, but he doesn’t run or take his eyes off me. They jerk his arms behind his back. “Lucas Menzano, you’re under arrest for—”

“Arrest?” I kick to free myself from the deputy’s hold. “For what? He didn’t do anything!”

He blinks and confusion tightens his expression. “What happened?”

Sorrow drags me to my knees. “Lucas! Oh God, Lucas!” Finally, the tears come.

“I don’t understand,” he says to one of the deputies. “What’s going on?” His gaze searches mine and he takes a second to study my face, most likely seeing the leftover emotion and tears from Gage’s confession. “What did you do to her? Why are you holding her?” He fights in their hold, the muscles of his upper body straining beneath his bare skin.

“Lucas . . .”





LUCAS


Pain I can take. The burn in my shoulders as I struggle to get free, the ache in my legs as I push to get to Shyann, all of it is a party compared to the slicing agony at seeing her cry.

Her eyes are puffy, bloodshot, and tear-soaked.

What happened?

Confusion makes everything sluggish. As if my thoughts can’t catch up to real time. But nothing matters except soothing Shy.

“Stop fighting, son.” I ignore the deputy and try to wrench my arms free when I’m shoved between my shoulder blades to move. “Calm down and we’ll get this straightened out.”

Nash pushes his way through the human barricade to Shyann and I breathe a little easier knowing he’s with her. He’d never let anything touch her. He swings his cold blue gaze to me and I resist the urge to tuck my chin.

I didn’t do anything wrong, at least not that I remember.

Last I remember was that Trevor guy making comments about Shyann and then Gage shoved me into the dark.

Fear ripples through my veins as a thought hits me hard.

Did Gage hurt Trevor?

I do a quick inventory and my knuckles aren’t sore, no aches that would give away there was some kind of physical fight. I don’t own weapons, so . . .?

The police pull me out to the front porch and Buddy barks at me feet. “It’s okay, Buddy. It’ll be okay.” The front of my house looks like a parking lot filled with a couple sheriff’s Jeeps, Trevor’s car, a van, and Nash’s truck. “What happened?”

“We were hoping you could tell us,” the deputy leading me to a Jeep says.

I wish I could.

Headlights shine as another truck pulls up, this one brown with SHERIFF written in gold letters on the side.

Just then, Shyann appears in front of me and throws her arms around my neck. “It’s gonna be okay, Lucas. I promise. I’ll figure out a way to get you out of this.”

If I had the use of my hands, I’d hold her to me, but I don’t, so I nuzzle her hair at her neck and breathe as much of her in as I can.

Nash pulls her away, but she rips her arm free. “Stop, I just want to say goodbye.”

I look between Nash and Shy, hoping to decipher her meaning. She pulls my face down to hers.

“Why goodbye, Shyann?”

Her lip quivers, but she’s strong and fights back the tears. “Don’t worry, okay?”

I shrug, but my body screams I should be more than worried. “Okay.”

“Do you trust me?”

The twitch of a smile tickles my lips. “Yes.”

She sighs and pushes up to her toes. “I love you.”

My eyelids drop closed as the warmth of her words spread through me and breathe life into my soul. The soft heat of her lips brush against me in a slow kiss before she rests her forehead on mine.

“I love you too.”

“Lucas Menzano?” Sheriff Austin steps up to me, his face grim. “You’re under arrest for the assault of Samantha Crawford.”

The sound of Shyann’s roar slices through the night and straight to my chest.





THIRTY-EIGHT



LUCAS