Chapter 18 Ledger #2
I reach out to her and she crashes into my chest, arms locking around me, trembling and whimpering.
“Hey,” I say, swallowing past the knot in my throat.
“I’ve got you.” Her tears soak through my shirt as she nods, clinging to the back of my leather jacket.
I steer her behind me but keep a firm grip on her so we stay tethered together. She’s fine. We’ll all be fine.
My eyes lock on the handgun. Nausea churns in my gut as he shifts the barrel in our direction, his arm tightening around my sister’s neck. I expect him to shoot, but he doesn’t.
Her lips part in a fearful sob, fingers twitching where they dig against him.
“Hands up where I can see ‘em, pal,” he grits out, brandishing the pistol in the air so I’ll comply.
My fingers curl around the slick handle of Jagger’s utility knife, tension infiltrating my muscles and joints. But my hold loosens when I hear another voice.
His voice.
My heartbeat spikes. I almost lose my grip on Aria as I freeze. For a second, I nearly let go.
“Tanner?” His name slips out in a barely there whisper.
“We come in peace,” he says, his voice booming from the open doorway of the building’s back entrance. The sound sends a cold streak of panic straight down my spine.
I whip my head in his direction, disbelief rattling through my bones. I can’t believe I heard that right. It can’t be him.
But there he is, standing in full sun, the outdoor light shining through his pale locks, every strand smoothly in place. No restraints. Not a trace of blood or a bruise along his chiseled face. Nothing.
He pivots around until he reaches our vicinity, his eyes laser-focused on me.
I don’t move. My brows pull tight as my heart continues to thud louder than anything else in my ears. Everything feels off. Hazy. Like I’ve stepped into an alternate reality.
Frankie’s voice breaks the ominous silence, trembling as she calls out to him for help, “T-Tanner…”
“Don’t worry,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine. “Everything’s fine. Antonio doesn’t want to hurt you.”
Antonio lowers the gun so it rests on her shoulder, but its presence is enough to keep her immobile, her complexion damp and pale.
“That’s right,” Antonio echoes. “She’s not hurt, see? Shaken up, but not hurt.” Pleats are etched deep into his weathered skin as he smiles wide, his dark eyes glinting like tiny rosary beads. They flick over to Tanner. “Did you find the other guy?”
Tanner gives a terse nod, then raises his gun and fires it toward a cluster of crates in the back.
Aria jolts behind me, her small fist balling deeper into the hem of my jacket as I tighten my grip on the crimson-coated blade. I swing it forward, readying myself for anything that comes next.
A piercing scream jabs at my eardrums. My heart rate is on a sharp incline as I scan for backup, but only Dee’s hunched body stumbles into view from behind the boxes.
His hands shake as he tries to lift up the gun at his side, but Tanner’s faster. He shoots a clean bullet right between his panicked eyes.
Dee drops instantly, a garbled scream fizzling out as his body hits the floor. His gun skids along the concrete, landing just an arm’s length from my side.
The bang dulls my hearing for a long moment, but I can see Frankie’s face scrunch up as she cries harder, the barrel of Antonio’s gun tapping her head, slow and antagonizing, as he attempts to shut her up.
“Get the fuck off of her,” I bark, the rage pumping loud in my ears. I glance back at Tanner, the lines in my forehead pulling tighter as I wait for him to do something. Explain what the hell is going on.
His hand flies to the back of his head, ruffling his hair before it drops to his neck. He doesn’t look physically hurt, but he looks tired. Frustrated. Agitated. “He just wants Aria,” he says finally, his gun hanging at his side.
My mind short-circuits.
I can’t comprehend what is happening right now. None of it is real. I can’t believe he’d bring him here. That he’d be dense enough to fall for whatever fucked-up lie Antonio fed him so he’d lead him straight to us.
“It’s true,” Antonio hedges. “Just trade the girl over and all is forgiven between us.” His beady eyes flick to Aria, who is still hiding behind me, her fingers shaking as they claw into the leather at my back.
I scoff. “You expect me to believe that?”
He gives a slight lift of his shoulder and cocks his head toward the only person I would’ve entrusted with my life.
Tanner’s frown deepens. “He didn’t bring anyone else with him, Ledger. It’s just us.”
I shake my head, unable to process anything. This is wrong. All of it is wrong.
“I know how you feel about her. And in a way, I get it. I do,” Tanner says, voice softening. “But Ledger…She’s not worth all of this.”
My hand stays clasped around her wrist as I keep her sheltered behind me. Jagger’s utility knife drips more of his blood onto my boots, useless now, just like he was.
“I trusted you,” I say, my jaw clenching hard against the churn of emotion.
I wait for Aria to pull away. To run. To beg. But she stays quiet, leaning into me like she still believes I’ll keep her safe. That I’ll protect her.
Fuck, baby. I really wish I could.
But we’re backed into a corner.
There’s no getting out of this.
For a second, his eyes soften, like there might be some regret, but it vanishes fast, hardening into stones.
“And I fucking trusted you, too. Trusted you to come to your goddamn senses. Trusted you to have my back at that meeting. But here we are. This is it, Ledger. It’s her or us. There isn’t another way.”
“Don’t do it,” Frankie sobs as Antonio jostles her again.
“I’d keep quiet if I were you, sweetheart,” he snaps. “Your life depends on it.”
With defeated rage, I hurl the blade to the ground, the metal clattering at Tanner’s feet. “Let Frankie go.”
Antonio bristles, his patience thinning. “Aria first.”
Tanner dips his chin to his chest, brows drawn, a silent plea behind his eyes.
He knew exactly what this would do to me. And he did it anyway.
He went behind my back, knowing I’d have no choice once it came to this.
If not to save him, then to save Frankie.
Damn him.
God fucking damn him.
All he had to do was sit tight and wait. I would’ve come back for him.
But this wasn’t about his faith in me.
This was about The Ringer.
It always has been. From the start. He wanted a pardon from Antonio, a reason to stay under his protection even after I told him I was done. Explicitly. Repeatedly.
I was finished with Antonio. Had been for a while. This was just the tip of the iceberg, but now, the only way forward is straight through.
Failure tastes bitter on my tongue. No matter how hard I’ve looked for an out, there just…aren’t any.
Frankie’s my sister. My blood. I swore I’d spend the rest of my life protecting her. The choice should be clear.
It is clear.
But even if sacrificing Aria saves them from Antonio’s wrath, a part of my soul won’t make it out of here.
It’ll perish with her.
Frankie always comes first, but Aria’s the next girl I swore to protect. Giving her up won’t just wreck me. It’ll destroy whatever sliver of soul I have left. The piece she sparked back to life the second I barged into her world.
I swore I’d keep her safe. And I didn’t.
Intentions don’t mean shit, and I should’ve known that before I ever decided to take her the first time. It doesn’t matter what I meant to happen. It only matters what does happen in the end.
I failed her.
Just like I failed Frankie years ago. Only this time it’s worse, because I’m the executioner who’s dragged this cursed fate to her myself.
Me.
Turns out she was right to never trust me. I’ll only lead her to ruin.
And we were so close to a different ending.
So close.
Is there really no other way out?
Devastation scorches through my chest. Her body heat presses against my back as she stays tucked behind me, exhaling a shallow breath, but never letting go.
“Clock’s ticking,” Antonio grunts, his frown going to battle with my glare.
I could rip him apart with my bare fucking hands. That smug bastard.
Tanner swallows, lifting his head to meet my eyes. Then delivers the final blow, an ultimatum, his voice steady, his stare stripped of apology.
“Which is it going to be, Ledger? Her or us?”
The words hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. It almost has me reeling back, but shock holds me immobile for a long, painful moment.
I can’t believe he’d do this. After everything we’ve gone through together. The reckless nights. School dropouts. Jail breaks. Frankie’s escape.
We’ve had our differences, sure, but we’re like brothers. Through thick and thin, it’s always been us against the world. The Tanner I know wouldn’t have gone behind my back. Wouldn’t have forced me to choose. Threaten me with family.
I barely recognize him now. His glare hardens on me, colder than I’ve ever seen it, as he waits for my response. I know I’m not better. But I thought we were above turning on each other, above letting an innocent girl burn in the crossfire. I thought I knew him. Trusted him.
My lips open just a fraction, my voice steeled, calm, and collected, despite the terrible ache scorching my chest. “Fine. You win.”