“You’re a cocky fuck, considering I have a gun to your head and my man has a gun at your woman and sister.” He sneers at Quinn, but he doesn’t back down.
My hand squeezes Emily’s, just waiting for the crack of another bullet.
“She’s not my sister.” He doesn’t hide the disdain in his words. All of my life I hated that I was related to them. They were the enemy. But hearing him deny me hurts more than I want to admit.
“Either way, get down. Where you belong. You’ve been a royal fucking pain ever since you messed with us. It will be easier if I put a bullet in your head.” Andreas nods at the gun, pointing at the floor, but Quinn doesn’t move. It takes the gun pressed into his chest before he finally complies, slowly sinking to his knees. Visions of his execution flash in my mind, but I don’t feel any relief from it. Instead, a twisting ball of hurt and guilt settles, reminding me of him saving me back in that room. He didn't need to. He could have killed me where I stood.
“It will be okay.” Emily’s voice is so soft I have to strain to hear her. It's so resolute, though. So focused.
“How can you be so sure?” I look into her eyes, searching for the answers not just for this situation, but for the countless questions I’ve yet to air. Do I want to be accepted as a Cane? Will Quinn even give that any thought, or just kill me because of my actions.
My eyes flick around at the noise out here, nervous of everything happening. Benjamin hasn’t killed me. I thought that was a miracle. But will he forgive me? We might have made-up in the most primitive of ways, but forgiveness is another level for Benjamin. Should he after what I’ve done? Or should I cut and run after what I’ve set in motion?
“Quinn will never allow anyone to hurt his family. It’s the oath he holds most dear.”
“That doesn’t include me. I’m not family.” Her soft eyes turn to me, regardless of this situation we’re in.
“You are. Quinn doesn’t like being blindsided.”
“How can family be so important when he lives a life filled with such violence?” I stutter, looking back at him on his knees. “There’s so much death in him. Hatred.”
“Which he’s faced all his life, but he still kept his family safe.”
Her words are resolute, like she’s already lived through this and can see the outcome and is now safe in the knowledge that everything will be okay.
I take strength from her words and try to believe in them.
“Are they all still alive, though?” I whisper the words, suddenly desperate to have reassurance from Emily. Or see Benjamin for myself. Any of them. She smiles slightly, eyes still looking at Quinn without wavering.
“Nate will come. Those two don’t do well without each other,” she says calmly. “Quinn would never allow him to be killed.”
“Quiet,” the man to the side of us snaps, smacking the already damaged side of Emily’s face. She tumbles into me and I hold her, supporting her as she shakes. The man steps back and resumes looking anywhere but at us, a tremor in the hand that holds the gun.
The next few seconds explode with action.
Quinn bellows his rage as he looks over to us. To Emily. Murder shines in his eyes, and I brace for action, but movement at the far side of the deck catches my eye. I turn to glance. Nathan, I think, is moving behind one of the bulkheads. My heart thunders in my chest with relief. Perhaps Benjamin is all right, too. My eyes close in a moment of thanks, clinging onto the possibility that he’s okay.
Chaos rains as gunfire snaps out from somewhere, pop after pop, like fireworks on the fourth of July. The muzzles flash, signaling where the people who surround us are in the gloom, although the man behind us stays silent.
Two other shadows stalk around between the containers, keeping out of the sight of the men watching over us from above. True hope starts beating in my chest that those shadows are on our side, that they are Benjamin and Gabby, and not reinforcements.
Quinn suddenly spins on his knees, kicking out and bringing Andreas toppling forward. He stumbles over Quinn, but rights himself.
“Fuck!” he screams as his gun spirals across the deck towards us and out of his grasp.
My body tenses, weighing up the possibility of reaching it before the man looming over us aims. He’s been nervous with the gun. Would he really pull the trigger? It would sign his death warrant the moment he does with Quinn and Nathan in the area, and Andreas hasn’t paid him much attention, more focused on killing Quinn.
Before I can raise my elbow to dig the man in the gut, I see Gabby dart out from the shadows towards the gun on the deck. Emily and I both breathe a sigh of relief.
“Gabby, don’t!” The frustration and fear in Nate’s voice chase her as she and Andreas end up in a race for the gun.
Quinn twists to his feet, his hands still bound in front of him. He moves towards Andreas to help Gabby, but a streak of gunfire keeps him in place. There’s movement from all directions, people manoeuvring in the shadows, positioning themselves for the checkmate that’s coming. My gut tells me I need to move, and I shift my body, ready to grab Emily and run for it.
“Don’t. They can’t do what they need to if we’re in the way. Trust me,” she grits out,pulling my arm to keep me in place. I feel useless just waiting, sitting and watching as the fight unfolds, all set in motion by my actions and my thirst for revenge. Even if we survive the Yakuza, I have to find a way back to Benjamin without either Cane killing me first. The pain at the thought of losing him—really losing him—is greater than any burning rage I felt for the life I was dealt. It led me to him, after all.
Gabby reaches the gun first and dives over it just as Andreas reaches her. His body smothers her to the deck, and I suck in a breath, as I fear she won’t come out of this confrontation in one piece.
Nate advances towards Gabby but keeps his position wide so that he can cover Quinn as well. A dark figure stalks Quinn, ready to take him out.
