Page 91 of Hold Back
"Kit."
Everything stopped. Fear wrapped its icy coils around Kit’s heart. He knew that voice.
“Tony.”
His brother stepped out from the dense patch of trees, his rifle aimed at Kit.
Kit's first reaction wasn't fear. It was relief. For one stupid second, he was relieved his brother was alive. Then he focused on the gun. “Why are you here? How did you get here?”
“Little Pete drove me. He knew where you were.”
They thought they were being followed.
And now Kit understood what Lucinda meant. It was the betrayal from people who knew you that hurt the most. LittlePete had sat with Kit every night as he cried himself to sleep after his parents were killed. Kit had counted Little Pete as family.
“I thought you were in custody.”
Tony shrugged. “I was at CDR. You’re not the only one who knows how to escape.”
“You’re here to kill me.”
It wasn’t a question.
"You weren’t supposed to get hurt. It was CDR’s fault. They weren’t meant to get the intel so quickly."
Backed into a corner, blaming everyone else, Tony was desperate. So now he was thinking on his feet. Kit couldn’t trust anything that came out of his mouth.
“That’s a lie.Youtorched the clubhouse.Youexpected me to be in it.”
“It would have been quick. You wouldn’t have suffered.”
Kit just stared at him. Was that supposed to make him feel better? “So you do intend to kill me. You want my money.”
Tony smiled at him as if he’d said something clever. “Yes. It makes sense. You’re just wasting your life. and I can use the money to start over. Your death will be quick. It won’t hurt. I promise you.”
Kit knew that, fully aware how good Tony was with the rifle. There were family secrets he’d take to the grave.
“Do you really think you’ll walk out of here after killing me and you’ll claim all my estate?”
“Little Pete will back me up. He’ll say it was you who planned this.”
“You told them you did.”
“I was coerced by CDR. Everyone knows their reputation. I’ll be the poor brother destroyed by your betrayal.”
Kit’s breath caught in his throat. He realized Tony had really come here to kill him.
All the threats. He’d woven them all to end up sacrificing Kit. Every lie pointed directly to him. Tony kept the gun trained on him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucinda subtly shift her position. Kit wasn’t sure what she was doing but Tony noticed.
“Don’t move, bitch.”
“Hey, mind your fucking manners,” Kit snarled at Tony. “She’s a lady.”
There was a snort. He swore it came from Lucinda.
Tony frowned, clearly not happy at Kit swearing at him, but didn’t move the gun from its aim at Kit’s head, so he obviously didn’t think she was a threat. Kit had a feeling he’d regret underestimating her. But what could she do with hands bandaged like that?
Then he heard another voice behind him, and his heart leaped in his chest. Cold. Controlled. And totally terrifying. But not to Kit. To Kit he felt like home. But he didn’t move in case Tony shot him. The rifle was waving around but it was still trained on him.
