Chapter 101
REGGIE
The air has shifted, heavy with the kind of silence that warns of a storm.
Bella’s eyes snap to me, furious now. “You didn’t tell me. You knew, didn’t you? That time in the club? That was what this is all about,” she says quietly, the hurt evident in her voice.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
She shakes her head, her hand trembling. “I could have helped you, Reg. Stop trying to deal with everything on your own. This has to stop. You can’t keep taking the burden for everyone else.”
There’s a warning in her tone, one I know better than to ignore.
“I will. I promise, from now on, we’re a team.”
Bella chews on her lip. “You really should have let me kill her that day,” she mutters, before turning her attention back to Lyla.
My pulse kicks hard. The name alone makes my blood run colder.
“Just follow my lead. Crazy knows crazy. Okay?” she whispers.
Bella steps forward, fearless as ever, and by instinct, I grab her waist. My other hand is already on my gun in the holster, hidden but ready. The only reason I haven’t shot this bitch straight between the eyes yet is that spark of crazy in them.
I want to avoid Father Byrne’s death. And I don’t trust her not to turn her sights on Bella. If she wants to hurt us, that’s how she will do it. I’m not making any bold moves until Bella is safe.
“Lyla, we can talk about this, like adults, without guns,” Bella offers, her voice soft but strong.
She’s smart—buying time, shifting the power. Bella knows me too well. She knows I won’t pull the trigger first on a pregnant woman. But she also knows I’ll end this if I have to.
“No.”
She pushes Father Byrne to the ground and he cries out in pain, scrambling away to the corner. I shoot him a look that tells him not to fucking move.
“Think about the baby, Lyla. This isn’t fair.”
A knife twists in my gut. I’ve been adamant she’s been lying this whole time. What if she isn’t?
And then she laughs completely unhinged. The kind of sound that makes the walls shake.
“There is no fucking baby, Bella. That isn’t the problem here. You are.”
That does it.
I pull the gun from its holster and point it at her. All I see is Lyla’s gun pointing at Bella. The only thing that’s stopping me from shooting.
“So, you’re just a bitch scorned. Jealous they don’t want you anymore?” Bella seethes.
I frown, my jaw tightening. “Bella,” I hiss, voice low, a clear warning.
Lyla giggles, a sound that chills the air. “Reggie, I think your dog needs its leash back on.”
I knock off the safety, sights fixed on her. Every nerve in my body is strung tight. Just give me an opening, one breath, one reason.
I just need her to shift her aim off Bella before I move.
“I was a bitch scorned, Bella. Yes. But I’m part of something far bigger than my own feelings. So, there is only one way this is going to go down.”
I freeze.
Her choice of words plays on my mind like a bad echo. Part of something bigger. The way she says it—it’s not personal anymore. It’s a message.