Chapter 155
“You threatened her. You threatened Sofia. Did you really think I wouldn’t respond?” Each word came out precisely measured, controlled, though I could feel my eyes beginning to shift color.
Dylan’s smile widened. “Actually, I was counting on It.”
The movement was so fast I almost missed it. His hand reached inside his jacket and emerged with a handgun, pressing it against Emily’s temple before any of us could react.
“Stand back!” he shouted, his voice echoing across the empty park. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and I could hear his heart racing. “Or I put a bullet in her brain.”
I raised my hands slowly, signaling my team to hold position. The air between us seemed to crackle with tension. Emily remained perfectly still, her eyes locked with mine, awaiting my command. I could smell her fear, but also her
trust.
“Let’s talk about this, Dylan,” I said, keeping my voice steady while activating the recording app on my phone with a subtle tap. I took a careful step forward, watching his pupils dilate. “This isn’t you. Someone put you up to this. Who’s pulling your strings? You wouldn’t dare act against me without backing.”
Dylan’s hand trembled slightly, a vein pulsing visibly in his neck. “You think you know everything, don’t you, Sterling? Always the puppet master.”
“Who is it, Dylan? William? Your father?”
–
“Nobody controls me, he snarled, pressing the gun harder against Emily’s head..
“Then you’re even more foolish than I thought,” I said, taking another careful step forward. The air between us felt electric, charged with unspoken threats. “You know what happens to those who threaten pack members.”
Something in Dylan’s eyes changed–a flash of defeat, or perhaps resignation. His shoulders sagged minutely. “You’ve already lost, Sterling. You just don’t know it yet.”
Before I could process his words, Dylan yanked the gun away from Emily’s head and pressed it against his own temple.
“No!” I lunged forward, muscles straining, but it was too late.
The crack of the gunshot echoed through the park. Dylan crumpled to the ground, blood spraying across the concrete path.
I reached him in seconds, pressing my fingers to his neck. A faint pulse–weak, but there. My hands moved automatically, applying pressure to the wound.
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Chapter 155
6300
“Johnson! Medical team, now!” I shouted, feeling warm blond seeping through my fingers. The metallic smell filled my nostrils, making my wolf stir restlessly.
Emily kneeled beside me, her training taking over as she helped stabilize Dylan’s head.
“Why would he do that?” she whispered, her voice tight with confusion.
My mind raced through possibilities. A suicide attempt was never part of Dylan’s profile–he was too narcissistic, tom self–preserving. This felt orchestrated, planned.
“Something’s wrong, I muttered, just as my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I nodded to Emily to take over the pressure on Dylan’s wound and pulled out my phone with my clean hand. Johnson’s name flashed on the screen.
“What is it?” I answered, moving away from the growing pool of blood.
Johnson’s voice was tight. “Sir, there’s been an incident at the Brown family apartment. Armed men broke in twenty minutes ago.”
My blood froze. “Rebecca’s parents?”
“Shaken but physically unharmed. We got there minutes after the intruders left.”
“And Jason?” I asked about Rebecca’s brother, already dreading the answer from Johnson’s hesitation.
“I’m sorry, sir. He was killed. Single shot to the head, execution style.”
The world seemed to tilt momentarily. Jason–Rebecca’s irresponsible but beloved younger brother–murdered in his family home. The timing couldn’t be coincidental.
“Get the Browns to Silvercrest Medical Center immediately,” I ordered, my mind already calculating the next steps. “Full security detail, private wing, no visitors without my explicit approval.”
“Already done, sir.”
d the call and turned to Emily, who was now helping the medical team load Dylan into an ambulance.
I ended
“Emily, I need you to go to Dylan’s apartment. Search for anything that might explain this–computers, phones, notes. Anything that indicates who else might be involved.”
She nodded sharply and departed without question..
I walked to a small coffee kiosk at the edge of the park, needing a moment to think. This was coordinated–Dylan’s suicide attempt timed perfectly with the attack on Rebecca’s family. But why kill Jason specifically? As a message? A warning?
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9:11 Fri, Sep 26 B…
Chapter 155
First, I contacted our cleanup team to handle the situation at the park and manage any potential witnesses. Then I encrypted a message to Raymond, who was with Rebecca at the lake house: [Threat neutralized. Maintain security Returning by nightfall.]
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