Chapter 51 · Welcome Back, Heir Voss

"Then stop giving me reasons to."

I looked from Lucas to the pistol in his father's hand.

"Mara's testimony is on the chip," I said. "You knew she was alive?"

Lucas's shoulders locked. "Not alive. Not anymore."

"But you knew she recorded something."

"I knew my father buried a report. I didn't know what was on it."

His father lifted the pistol another inch. "You don't know a damn thing."

"Then let the city hear it," Lucas said.

The gun fired.

Lucas jerked. The bullet tore through his upper arm. His hand slammed into the console, smearing blood across the glass.

I caught him before his knees hit the floor. "Lucas."

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding from two places. Stop saying that."

"I said I'm—"

His legs folded.

I lowered him against the console and dropped beside him. Blood soaked through his sleeve, hot against my fingers. I ripped a strip from my coat and pressed it over the fresh wound.

Lucas caught my wrist.

His fingers were cold. His grip wasn't.

"Evelyn."

"What?"

"Stop deciding whether I'm worth trusting."

I stared at him.