going down. “Don’t be fucking stupid, Gerard.”
“How is it less stupid for you to die?”
I meet Gerard’s eyes and let the silence grow and grow and grow until it’s infested every breath of air. “Go now, and don’t come back.”
Two red splotches have grown on his cheeks. Gerard’s not a man who cries. He’s unemotional and steady. Even the comings and goings of my sisters don’t bother him. But now his eyes have a sheen.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. On balance, the world will be less evil without me in it. Stop pretending otherwise and go.”
He nods once, then twice, obviously searching for something to say. Gerard never finds anything. He goes out without another word.
“Gerard,” I call.
He pokes his head back in the door.
“Leave the front door unlocked. Every member of the security team goes with you.”
He lets out a sharp breath, like I’ve hit him. Then he really leaves. At first, his footsteps recede at the measured pace he always moves through the house yet. He’s still in earshot when he breaks into a run.
My armchair waits for me by the fire. I sit down with the whiskey and watch the flames tangle around each other. A small tapping from the window draws my attention. The robin watches me with black, shining eyes.
“You should leave, too,” I say. “It won’t be a pretty sight.”
The little bird cocks its head to the side. It doesn’t believe me, clearly. It waits for a few beats longer and takes to the air on reluctant wings.
I stay where I am and wait to die.
24
Haley
We’re sitting on the couch in the living room when Ronan takes a call.
I got my dad to eat and sleep last night. I showered. Changed my clothes. Tossed and turned. Couldn’t sleep. The morning crawled by. The phone call is the only thing to break up the late afternoon.
My dad stares at the floor, not seeming to notice, but Cash picks up his head from where he’s been staring into the fire. We both watch Ronan step toward the front door. “I’m on my way,” he says, and then he comes back into the living room at a brisk pace. “No one leaves this house.” He points specifically at me. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Anyone’s gone, and there will be hell to pay.”
Ronan leaves before we can answer, slamming the door behind him. A curl of winter wind moves through the living room and ruffles my hair.
“What the fuck was that?” Cash’s eyes are pinned to the front door.
I count to three and get up off the couch. Ronan maneuvers his car around in our driveway. The second he’s finished he accelerates toward the main road. My heartbeat is lodged in my throat. “This is bad.”
“Is it, though?” Cash comes to stand next to me at the window. “He left us alone. That’s an improvement.”
“He left us alone for what? Ronan’s been here because Caroline thinks Dad is the worst threat to the family. They both think he’s working for the Morellis. What bigger threat could there be, other than—” My voice dies. The words shrink until they pop out of existence. “Does your car have gas in it?”
“Yeah.” Cash glares after Ronan’s taillights. “Wait—are you planning to leave? Ronan just said there’d be hell to pay, Hales. We’re already in hell. You want to make this worse?”
I’m already grabbing one of Petra’s abandoned coats from the last time she lived here and pulling it on. “Where are your keys?” A pair of winter boots are the only footwear in sight, so I put those on too. “Cash. Keys.”
“Where are you going?” My dad has chosen to enter the conversation, but he’s blinking, confused.
“Stay here, Daddy.” I reach into Cash’s coat pocket and my fingers meet metal. “You too, Cash.”
“No.” Cash comes to my side and pulls the coat out of my hands before I can get the keys free. “I’m going with you.”
“I’m going to Leo’s house.”
He meets my eyes, his jaw tight. There isn’t time to argue. There isn’t time to put together a full presentation on why I am not letting Ronan get to Leo like this. “What the hell happened to you?” Cash pitches his voice low, so Dad can’t hear. “He’s a Morelli. You should let Ronan kill him. At least then no contract with him would be binding.”
“Are you coming or not? Because if you’re not, give me the keys and get the fuck out of my way.”
Cash blinks first.