Page 74 of The Revenge
“If you want to shoot her, go ahead. Dead’s dead,” Syn continues. “But personally, I’d rather make her suffer. You’re here because I assume you’re going for the suicide angle? Throwing herself into the Hudson? I think you should do that. I’ll even push her myself.” He gives me a smile that makes my breath catch.
This can’t be real.
If he wanted me dead, he could have killed me before now.
It feels like something had changed in Syn over the last week. Was that all an act?
Is this the act?
I can’t tell anymore.
“Why are you here?” Preston asks again. “Where are your two parasitic friends?”
Syn tilts his head as he switches his attention back to Preston. “You mean Royal and Gemini?”
“Why aren’t they attached to your hip?”
“Royal caught feelings.” He sneers like it’s the same thing as catching an infectious disease. “And you’ve met Gemini. He’s as unpredictable as he is unhinged. We’d probably have to tie him down to stop him from getting one last fuck in. This whore would love that, and I sure as hell don’t want any of her last moments to be enjoyable.”
I close my eyes, fighting back my tears. “Please, Syn. Cole didn’t kill JP. You have to believe me.”
Preston clamps his hand over my mouth as he pushes the gun harder against my head. “I swear to god, I will shoot you if you don’t shut up.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Syn snaps. “Just tell her what happened.”
“What?”
“You know what happened. Tell her how her piece of shit brother killed mine.” Syn takes another step forward, his eyes trying to burn holes in me. “Tell her that her brother is a monster and should be the one here.”
“I can’t,” Preston tells him.
“Stop protecting her. I want her to suffer,” Syn yells at him.
“I’m not protecting her,” Preston shouts back at him. “I’m protecting JP.”
Syn goes still, breathing heavily, like he’s just had a workout. “Protecting me from what? What happened, Preston?”
Preston doesn’t take his hand away from my mouth, but the pressure from the gun eases a little. “Reynolds killed JP. He killed him because JP fucked his girlfriend.”
XXIX
Tori
Syn takes half a step back, his eyes wide with shock. “What?”
“She was local trash. Reynolds brought her a few times, and she was always acting like she was too good to be there, all while flirting with all of us. That night, JP said he was tired of the games and took her into the Crypt.” The words seem to spill out of Preston’s mouth. “He must have given her something, because after he fucked her, she didn’t get up. JP called me and begged me to help, so I got her out of there.”
Syn stares at him, his face betraying nothing. “How did Cole murder my brother?”
“I went back to the Crypt to help JP clean up, only I found Cole standing over his body, freaking out. He said it was an accident. They’d fought, and JP tripped and hit his head. Damn it, Syn. He was dead!” Preston exclaims.
“Then why didn’t you call the police? How did JP end up on the other side of campus?”
Preston snorts. “Are you kidding? If the cops went in the Crypt, they’d find everything. Not just the evidence of what just happened, but everything. The cameras, the videos—everything. You know the organization would have cleaned it up eventually, but the mess…”
Syn just nods.
“I told Reynolds to confess, and if he didn’t, I’d kill everyone he cared about, starting with the girlfriend.” Preston lets out an evil laugh. “He asked for a lawyer, but I showed him a picture of her dead body. He’s played ball.”
