Chapter 26 #2
“It was so easy,” Payton said with a shrug.
“Too easy. I actually thought it would be more difficult. There were times I thought you’d figure it out, but you were too caught up with Jace to notice.
Even when I got Ben hooked on drugs, I thought you’d finally piece it together, but you didn’t.
Instead, you started poking into my life, wanting the two of us to move out together.
I had Dad and Ben right where I wanted them.
The only one in the way was you. I thought you’d move in with Jace, but you stayed and continued messing with my plans. ”
Taryn shook her head in amazement and confusion. “You ruined all our lives.”
“You had a chance to get free, but I knew if the rest of us disappeared, you’d come looking. So, I told Boyd that you had to come, as well. He didn’t want to include you at first, but then I told him you’d do anything for your family.”
“I would have. I did,” Taryn bit out, her hands fisting with her fury.
Payton laughed and rolled her eyes again. “Even now, you came back. Not that you would’ve gotten far had you tried to leave. I made sure you were followed closely. I know everything, big sis. Including the fact that you got married this morning.”
Boyd’s eyes widened as he smiled. “And we both know that Jace wouldn’t allow you to return without a plan to get you back. Where is he?”
Taryn’s stomach dropped to her feet like a rock. This was her worst fear. She couldn’t lose Jace. She wouldn’t. Not to her deraigned sister and her boyfriend. “I don’t know.”
“But he’s here,” Payton said as she took a few steps closer to Taryn. “Isn’t he?”
“You expect me to answer that after all you’ve done to me? To Dad? To Ben?”
Payton crossed her arms over her chest and gave Taryn a knowing look, complete with a sardonic smile. “I know you will.”
“No,” Taryn said with a shake of her head.
“You purposefully ruined Dad’s life. He could’ve found some peace after Mom’s death, but you made sure that didn’t happen.
Then you put Ben on that same path simply to see if you could.
Instead of going out on your own, you put the three of us into servitude, beholden to a maniac.
He killed Dad and Ben, Payton. Did you know that? ”
“Of course. I’m the one who told Boyd to do it.
I also made sure to put you and me in a dire situation so you’d think we were in danger.
Then I told Boyd to take me away from you.
I knew you’d do absolutely anything he wanted after that.
” Payton’s cocky smile said it all. “Because you wanted to save me.”
And she had. Taryn couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen the truth before now.
Was Payton that good of a liar? Or was Taryn simply that blind?
That was something she’d have to debate later.
Right now, she was more concerned with getting out with her life.
And given the way Payton looked at her, Taryn wasn’t sure that would happen.
Not to mention, she had no way of alerting Jace to the fact that things had changed.
All she could hope for was that they witnessed what was going on.
Payton held out a hand to Boyd, who put a pistol in it. Her sister then turned and pointed the gun at Taryn’s head.
Taryn stared into her sister’s psychopathic eyes and lifted her chin. “You must hate me a great deal to want to kill me.”
“You’ve given me no choice. I know Jace and his buddies.
They’ll be here soon for you. When they arrive, all they’ll find is your body.
But don’t worry, I’ve got a trap set for them.
They’ll be framed for your murder. You’ll be dead, Jace and his friends will be in jail, and Boyd and I will get away to continue building our empire. ”
Boyd gazed adoringly at Payton. “No one can come up with a plan like my beautiful girl.”
Taryn smiled then. She struggled not to laugh as a calmness washed over her. Now she understood why Jace had told her to go over the plans again and again. She had forgotten them for a moment, but they filled her mind once more, and she couldn’t help but grin.
Because if there was one thing she could depend on, it was Jace.
Payton’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “What’s so funny?”
“The fact that you think you’ve thought of everything.”
“I have,” Payton stated.
Taryn shook her head. “Hate to break it to you, but you haven’t.”
Boyd’s smile disappeared as he moved to stand beside Payton. He glared at Taryn. “Tell us what you mean.”
She shrugged and wiggled her fingers, a sign to Jace and the others that it was time.
Taryn then slapped Payton’s hand away at the same time she leaned to the side.
The gun went off, the sound deafening Taryn in one ear.
Gunshots erupted from the guards next to Boyd as he grabbed Payton and tried to pull her to him.
Taryn held a hand to her ear and started turning away just as Payton pulled the trigger again. Taryn jerked in surprise, and a bellow of pain ripped from her when the bullet entered her shoulder.