Elicit (Eagle Elite #4)(57)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

I shook my head in an effort to fight the truth. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Phoenix threw his hands up into the air. “What could I possibly gain from a lie? When the truth is so damning!” He bit down on his lip and placed his hands on his hips. “Mo, you need to stay out of it. Let him go, if you don’t…”

“If I don’t?”

Phoenix turned away from me, his face like ash. “Imagine a world where a husband is forced to kill his wife. Imagine a world where a brother is forced to watch his sister get raped. That’s the world you live in, Mo. That’s the world his father—” He jutted his finger towards Tex. “—created. It’s his legacy, that’s what Tex has to fix. That’s what he has to protect everyone from. If he fails to gain the allegiance of Alfonso’s men, if he fails in any way to gain the allegiance of the other families, if he shows weakness, that’s the legacy you’ll be allowing to live, and if for some reason he fails… we’re all going to die.”

Tex stirred with a moan.

Phoenix knelt down to his side and shook his head. “I won’t tell you again, Mo. Leave him alone. Go get dressed, I won’t watch. Let me know when you leave and I’ll go about getting him cleaned up.”

Slowly, I rose from the bed and quickly slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt.

“Also.” Phoenix didn’t turn around. “I need you to get Nixon.”

“But—”

“Mo.” Phoenix’s voice was harsh, edgy. “Get Nixon.”

Getting Nixon meant he’d know what happened and I knew I looked like I’d just been with someone, the room smelt like us, I smelt like him. Tears threatened as I walked down the hall and into the Billiards room.

“Nixon?” I pasted a fake smile on my face. “Can I talk to you?”

He flashed a smile. “Of course.”

That same smile stayed firmly in place until he reached the door, his fingers dug into my arm as we walked swiftly down the hall.

“What’s going on?” he asked smoothly, as muscle ticking in his jaw as his teeth clenched harder.

“Chase almost killed Tex.”

Sighing, Nixon looked up at the ceiling and crossed his arms. “For the hell of it, or was there good reason?”

“Oh, there was a reason.” Chase stumbled out of the bathroom, his hands a bloody mess. “He slept with Mo.”

I took a step back as Nixon took a menacing step forward.

I jutted my chin forward in defiance as I challenged him with a glare. “He’s my husband.”

“Funny you should say that.” Chase crossed his arms. “Because when you were both busy ripping each other’s clothes off, the deal was just getting signed.”

“Deal?” Fear spread through my body like ice. “What deal?”

“An alliance,” Chase scoffed. “What? He didn’t mention it to you?”

“What type of alliance?” I asked knowing I probably didn’t want to know the answer.

“The most powerful family in Sicily is the Campisi clan… the second most powerful, Nicolasi.”

“So?”

Chase shook his head. “So do the math.”

“Nixon?” I pleaded.

“He’s going to marry into Nicolasi; it’s been decided. I told them how I altered the marriage records between you two to protect him from the hit. Luca’s drawing up the new contract later this evening—they want it a done deal so they have a joined front at The Commission.”

My heart dropped to my knees. Nixon kept speaking but I couldn’t make out any words, just white noise. Tex knew. He’d known the whole time and he still did what he did… he knew my heart would be broken but he broke it anyways. He broke it with the full knowledge that I’d never forgive him, never be able to come back from this moment. We all have those instances in our lives, where something big happens, where we have a choice to react and let that something big define us or mold us. I had no idea what I was going to do. All I knew was that I couldn’t envision myself ten years from now healed. I didn’t see a future anymore. All I saw was black—all I felt was fear.

Gasping I put my hands over my mouth and let out a little sob. The pieces fell into place, why he’d said goodbye, why he was cutting off all communication. And finally, why he’d let Chase almost kill him.

Shaking, I tried to move away from Nixon but my feet wouldn’t budge, instead my knees knocked together as I bit down on my tongue until I tasted blood.

“Mo.” Nixon grasped my elbow. I jerked away from him, my eyes downcast, focusing on the hardwood floors.

“Is everything okay?” Luca’s accented voice pierced the haze of shock.

“Fine.” Nixon answered just as a noise sounded from the end of the hall. Phoenix walked slowly around the corner, Tex’s heavy body leaning on him as they made their way towards us.

It all happened at once. Nixon reaching for me, Chase doing the same, Luca touching my other arm.

With a hoarse cry I pushed at Nixon and pulled the gun from its holster strapped to his chest, inside his jacket.

With shaky movements I pointed the gun at Tex and screamed, “You bastard!”

Phoenix froze as Tex lifted his head, his face a mask of confusion and blood. “Mo…”

“No!” My hand trembled as I pressed the barrel of the gun to his muscled chest. “How could you?”

“Mo this isn’t the place to—”

He flinched and licked his lips as I jammed the gun harder against his body. “What? Air out our dirty laundry? Tell everyone that about fifteen minutes ago we were naked? Oh, I’m sorry, when would be the right time? How about after I find out you’re marrying a Nicolasi bitch just to align the families!”

Tex paled, his mouth dropped open, then closed, then opened again. “Mo, it wasn’t a sure thing. I didn’t—”

“Shut up!” I wailed, shaking the gun harder against him. “You don’t get to talk. You don’t get the satisfaction of apologizing, and I’m sure as hell not forgiving you, not now, not ever. We. Are. Done.” I wanted to pull the trigger. I wanted him to hurt as bad as he hurt me, but I couldn’t. No matter how much I hated him, I still loved him. My heart wouldn’t let my finger squeeze. So instead, the gun fell from my hands and clattered to the floor. “Move.”

Tex and Phoenix stepped apart. I walked through them, head held high. Screw him, screw all of them! I was done, so done.