Chapter 10
Gavin Rourke was still on the estate payroll.
That was the surprising part.
Men planning betrayal usually run.
Gavin had stayed.
Confidence.
Or stupidity.
Sometimes both.
My bodyguards brought him to the hospital at 1:06 a.m.
He entered room fourteen and looked at the transmitter.
Then Ryan.
Not me.
Ryan saw it.
“So that's yours.”
Gavin laughed.
“You told me to keep it here.”
Claire turned.
“What?”
Ryan's face tightened.
Gavin continued.
“You said nobody searches the coma room.”
I almost smiled.
Coma room.
Not recovery suite.
At least Gavin was honest about language.
I looked at him.
“Did you cut my brakes?”
He stared.
Then shrugged.
“I loosened the rear line.”
Nathan's face went pale.
“How much?”
Gavin looked at him.
“Enough.”
I stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
“Pedal goes soft after pressure loss.”
“You knew I'd lose braking.”
“Yes.”
“On the bridge?”
He looked at Ryan.
Ryan said:
“Don't.”
Gavin laughed.
“You going loyal now?”
I waited.
He continued.
“Ryan gave the route.”
Claire added:
“Malcolm gave the garage access.”
Malcolm snapped:
“Shut up.”
Gavin smiled.
“And Claire gave the timing.”
Four people.
No ambiguity.
I looked at Gavin.
“Did you know the plan was death?”
He shrugged.
“I knew the bridge.”
That was enough.
Ryan stepped forward.
“You said it could look accidental.”
Gavin looked at him.
“It did.”
“I said scare her.”
Gavin laughed.
“No.”
Ryan's face hardened.
Gavin turned to me.
“He said, ‘No second chance.’”
Silence.
Ryan stared.
Gavin continued.
“He said if the car stopped anywhere before the bridge, I should make sure it wouldn't stop twice.”
I felt cold.
Not one sabotage.
A contingency.
“What does that mean?”
Gavin looked uncomfortable for the first time.
Claire whispered:
“Tell her.”
He glanced at me.
“There was a second vehicle.”
Nathan swore.
“Who?”
“Two men.”
“Orders?”
“If Emily pulled off before the bridge, follow.”
My stomach tightened.
The delivery truck.
The crash.
I remembered headlights stopping behind me.
Then leaving.
I had thought someone witnessed it.
Maybe they were checking if I lived.
“Why didn't they finish it?”
Gavin looked away.
“Police arrived too fast.”
I stared.
Not paperwork.
Not investigation.
Just timing.
Public road.
Sirens.
Witnesses.
They fled.
Ryan sat down.
For the first time, he looked sick.
I turned.
“You didn't know.”
He said nothing.
Gavin laughed.
“Of course he didn't.”
Ryan stared at Malcolm.
“What?”
Gavin continued.
“Ryan ordered the brakes.”
He pointed toward Malcolm.
“Malcolm ordered cleanup.”
Silence.
Ryan went pale.
“You were going to kill her even if she survived.”
Malcolm said nothing.
Claire looked at him.
Then me.
There.
A bigger betrayal than Ryan expected.
I almost pitied him.
Almost.
Gavin continued.
“Victor wanted no loose ends.”
Victor Hale again.
The absent man.
The intended permanent head.
I stared at Malcolm.
“You were working for Victor.”
He said nothing.
Ryan laughed bitterly.
“All this and I was temporary.”
Claire looked at him.
“We both were.”
Gavin smiled.
“Very temporary.”
Claire turned.
“What does that mean?”
Gavin looked at her.
“Victor didn't trust either of you.”
She stopped breathing.
“He said Ryan was too emotional.”
I almost laughed.
Ryan stared.
Gavin continued.
“And Claire talked too much.”
A capo's critique delivered through a mechanic.
Perfect.
Claire's face twisted.
“What was supposed to happen to us?”
Gavin shrugged.
“After command settled?”
He looked at Malcolm.
“You tell them.”
Malcolm finally spoke.
“They would've been removed.”
Ryan stood.
“Removed how?”
Malcolm's expression was flat.
“You really want details?”
Silence.
Ryan looked at me.
For the first time, not as enemy.
As someone realizing we had both been targets of a larger plan.
I gave him nothing.
He had still tried to kill me.
Then Gavin added:
“There's one thing none of you know.”
I stared.
“What?”
He nodded toward Ethan's phone upstairs.
“The crash wasn't the first attempt.”
Nobody moved.
I felt my blood go cold.
“When?”
May you like
Gavin looked at Claire.
“Ask her about Ethan's fourth birthday.”
