Page 16 of Deadly Scandals

“Now!”

I slipped my T-shirt over my head and pushed my jeans down my hips. I felt the burn of tears behind my eyes as humiliation, anger, and shame stormed through me.

He motioned toward my bra, and as I went to unhook it, Joaquín spun…

Pointing the gun at the two men who’d just stepped into the clearing.

At Grant and Mitch.

Thank fuck.

Grant approached us, his gun steady on Joaquín. “Put the gun down, Cruz.”

I didn’t give my brother a chance to choose his fate.

I reached into my purse, grabbed my gun, aimed at my brother and, before I could talk myself out of it, pulled the trigger, aiming directly at his shoulder.

It was the perfect shot. Joaquín collapsed to the ground, dropping his own weapon, which Mitch quickly retrieved.

Grant ran over to Joaquín and pointed the barrel of his own gun at my brother’s head.

“No!” I screamed. “No!”

I ran over to my brother, bleeding into the earth, and put myself between him and Grant. “Please, Grant. Please! Help him!”

“Are you fucking kidding me? He just tried to kill me! And you! You just shot him. He raped you and kidnapped our kid!”

“I know…I know.” I sobbed. “But he’s my brother. I love him.”

“Dammit, Mia.” Grant ripped off his own shirt and tied it around Joaquín’s shoulder to stop the bleeding. “Call 911,” he barked at Mitch.

Joaquín looked up at me. “I’m sorry, Mia. I love you. I just—”

“Shh. You’re sick. You need help, not another bullet.”