Chapter 58 RAIN OF BETRAYAL
“You saved me the trouble,” Agron sneers as he steps inside, his gun trained on my chest.
I arch a brow, unflinching. Of course, the bastard wanted to climb the ranks with his dad out of the way.
Sorry Rafe, but he’s definitely not innocent.
“It’s stupid of you,” I murmur, backing until I’m pressed against the gurney. “You could’ve stayed home, safe with an alibi. Why show up and risk everything?”
One shift, one second, and my side holster releases my gun.
A clean shot—straight between the eyes—will take care of this trash.
He scoffs. “Have to make sure you’d do your job.”
I twist. The gun clears its latch—
Agron fires a round into the cabinet beside Sofia. Glass shatters on my sister before she ducks.
Blood freezes in my veins.
Alarms wail. Red lights strobe.
Leveling his gun at her, he pivots. “One more move and your sister joins Dad in the great beyond.”
Chaos from the outside bleeds through—muffled screams, harsh orders.
“What did you do, Agron?” I raise my hands, pulse hammering. “You won’t escape this.”
He flushes, eyes wild. “You forced this on me! I was going to take care of the old bastard months ago. Then you joined the party, hovering constantly. I couldn’t do anything. You brought this upon yourself.”
“What do you want then? Your dad’s dead. You didn’t pull the trigger. Leave. No one will know.”
He laughs. “You think I’m stupid? You’ll add this to your book of secrets and lord this over me forever. No.” Agron’s gun trembles. “You deserve to die, just like him.”
My gaze flicks to Sofia, who slides something out from her sleeve—a glint of silver.
A knife or a blade. She just needs a distraction.
“You think you’re so smart, Elias Kent. One step ahead of everyone,” Agron spits. “But you aren’t. You don’t even know how much your people hate you—”
The door crashes open. Shrieks and shouts echo down the hall—people fleeing, code calls blaring.
“I’ll get backup,” a familiar male shouts from the hall. “Stay here. Don’t move.”
The words snag at me. I know that voice from somewhere, but I don’t have time to place it.
Then suddenly, a muscular man with a shaved head and a sleeve of tattoos bursts in.
Aleksei.
“Go, Elias! I got this,” he yells, gun raised.
Time slows to snippets. The ruckus dulls to a hum.
Agron turns, his attention shifting from me to Aleksei.
I move before Aleksei finishes his words.
I know what’s going to happen.
Agron cocks his gun. The barrel flashes orange.
I shove Aleksei aside. Fire explodes through my chest.
“Elias,” Sofia screams.
My world spins—ringing, tilting, dimming. My body hits tile. Warmth floods my shirt.
Blood. I got hit.
Loud thuds. Metal clanging. A scuffle.
Sofia cries—then a crash—her head knocks against the cabinet and she goes down.
Aleksei’s fist cracks against Agron’s jaw. The asshole drops like a boulder in water.
Pain spears from my chest. Crimson soaks my fingers.
Aleksei’s face fills my vision, his face ghost-white, his hand gripping mine.
“E-Elias, I’m sorry.”
My limbs grow cold, lips numb. I choke on air. Aleksei grips my fingers, tears gathering in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he repeats. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“You’ve,” I wheeze. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for. If anything…I’m sorry. I made you an orphan.”
Images detonate.
A cold night. Fury boiling in my veins.
Gun in my hand as I accosted the couple who told Vasil ?ela where my family lived. The satisfaction when the bullets pierced their skulls.
A muffled sob in the coat closet.
A teenager trembling with wide, grief-torn eyes.
Aleksei.
One moment destroyed his life—just like mine.
“I-I did it,” Aleksei stammers. He presses a cloth to my wound.
“What?”
“Why do you think Agron knows you’re here?” He glances away, a rough laugh tearing out of him. “Don’t fall apart until you get your revenge, remember?”
I freeze, remembering what he said to me when I was spiraling in the crematorium.
My gaze refocuses on the hacker, whom I consider family. “You told him.”
Of course he did. I’d laugh if it didn’t hurt so much.
After all, it’s peak irony. I’d built my life on revenge. Naturally, I’d raise another version of myself.
“I’m sorry,” he chokes out, forehead dropping onto my chest. “I-I thought this would stop my nightmares. My parents’ screams. The pain.” His shoulders shake. “I regret it. I tried to stop it. Not in time—”
“Go,” I whisper. “Leave before the cops come.”
“What? No—”
“Go!” I squeeze his fingers, blood slick between us. “I don’t blame you. Don’t let them catch you. Leave. Start a new life.”
A cough racks through me. Bitter iron fills my mouth.
Keeping my gaze on his, I rasp, “A life for a life. My debt’s repaid.”
His words. The truth. My atonement.
Slowly, he lets go of my hand. His gaze pinballs down my body, over my wounds.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. He tears himself away and runs.
Blackness devours my vision. It’s so cold. Terribly cold. My eyes flutter shut.
A feminine cry cleaves the air.
“Elias!”
The scent registers first—roses, sweet roses in the rain.
No. Why is she here?
My eyes snap open.
Lana.