Page 59 of Love Gamble

I type furiously.

Corey: Yeah, it’s a giant shit show. Stay home and lock your doors. Trust no one.

No one is safe.

I doubt they’d go after Echo, who they would see as just an employee of the club, but you never know. Anyone I care about right now needs to just be safe.

Echo: Oh dear. Yes, I’m home catching up onThe Last Kingdom. Call me if you need anything.

Corey: Right back at you.

“The Last Kingdom, now that is a good show,” I say to myself.

Leif nods slightly in agreement. He’s so calm and collected.

It annoys me.

He played me, all of us, just like Rosalind did, and it makes me angry. An image of her pops into my head, and for once it doesn’t fill me with instant panic and anxiety. My therapy sessions must be paying off.

Jeremiah returns and checks on everyone. When he sees all is good, he goes to observe the security cameras with Jag, once again leaving Leif and me alone.

I can’t let him get away with this. I’m the only one that knows the truth, so it’s up to me to make it right. He’s not going to get away with betraying all the people I love. I grit my teeth, the anger of the situation hitting me.

How dare he do this to us?

“I’m going to go and get changed into something warmer,” I lie.

Instead, I go into Damon’s room, open his secret gun stash, and take a handgun. And some bullets.

And then I brace myself to go back into that kitchen and face him.

The text that popped up on his phone was from an unsaved number, but it said:

We are ready and waiting for them. Just waiting on your signal. They won’t know what hit them.

Well, now he’s not going to know what hithim.

I tuck the gun in the waistband of my jeans and walk back out to the kitchen. Leif is still alone and on his phone.

I turn off the safety of the gun and come up behind him.

“You’re with the Lost Lions MC, aren’t you?” I say, and he turns around, eyes flaring when he sees the pistol pointed at him. “I saw the text message. You are giving them inside information. Don’t try to lie about it!”

“Corey—”

“I’m not going to let you get anyone I love hurt!” I seethe. “And if that means me killing someone, then so be it.”

He stands up, with his hands in the air, facing me. His eyes are wide and filled with surprise. “Let me explain—”

The time for explaining is long gone.

I lower the gun and shoot him in the foot.

That will slow him down until I can decide what I want to do with him.

“Fuck!” he yells, dropping to the floor, just as Jag walks into the room, his expression turning to one of shock.

Tilting my head to the side, I point the gun at Leif’s other foot. Then he definitely won’t be going anywhere, will he?