Chapter 13 - JULIAN COLE FINALLY LOST CONTROL
“You saw that?”
Julian laughed.
Nobody moved.
“She left me.”
Ortiz kept her weapon trained on him.
“Julian, let Emma go.”
He pressed the gun tighter.
“All my life, she told me family survives together.”
“Put the gun down.”
“She built me.”
Emma felt his breathing against her hair.
“She taught me how this works.”
His voice cracked.
“And she just left.”
Emma spoke quietly.
“Then stop protecting her.”
Julian went still.
Ortiz immediately understood what Emma was doing.
“Emma,” she warned.
But Emma continued.
“Your mother used you too.”
“Shut up.”
“She let you marry me even after she knew who I was.”
“Shut up.”
“She wanted to see what I had.”
“I SAID SHUT UP!”
His grip tightened.
Emma kept her voice calm.
“She knew this could happen.”
Julian stared at the empty garage exit where Victoria’s limousine had disappeared.
“She wouldn’t…”
“She did.”
“No.”
“She made sure you would take the blame.”
Julian’s breathing changed.
Emma felt it.
Panic becoming comprehension.
“She controls Bellweather.”
Emma continued.
“She handled Warren.”
“No.”
“She took Sarah’s journal.”
“Stop.”
“She arranged the medical records.”
“Stop!”
“And what did you do?”
Julian’s voice weakened.
Emma whispered, “Exactly what she trained you to do.”
The gun lowered half an inch.
Ortiz took a step.
“Julian.”
He looked at her.
“Put it down.”
His hand shook.
Emma moved.
Fast.
She trapped his gun wrist with both hands.
Drove it away from her body.
Ortiz rushed forward.
A shot exploded into the concrete ceiling.
Emma turned under Julian’s arm.
Ortiz tackled him from the side.
The gun skidded beneath a parked car.
Three officers piled onto Julian.
He screamed.
Not in pain.
In rage.
“My mother did it!”
Handcuffs clicked around his wrists.
“My mother ordered everything!”
Ortiz stared down at him.
“Keep talking.”
Julian looked at Emma.
“She killed Sarah.”
Emma stopped breathing.
“What?”
“My mother ordered Warren to increase the dose.”
Ortiz grabbed Julian’s shoulder.
“Are you confessing that Victoria Cole ordered Sarah Reeves’s death?”
Julian suddenly realized what he had said.
His mouth closed.
Emma stepped closer.
“Look at me.”
He did.
“Did your mother kill my sister?”
Julian’s face crumpled.
For the first time, the billionaire didn’t look powerful.
He looked small.
Terrified.
“Yes.”
Emma’s eyes burned.
“Did you know?”
Silence.
“Julian.”
His answer was barely audible.
“Yes.”
Emma turned away.
Her knees almost gave out.
Ortiz caught her elbow.
“We got him.”
Emma stared toward the garage exit.
“No.”
Ortiz followed her gaze.
“We got half.”
Her radio crackled.
“All units, suspect vehicle located abandoned on East 61st.”
Ortiz grabbed it.
“Victoria?”
“Negative.”
Emma looked at Julian.
He started laughing.
“You’ll never find her.”
Ortiz hauled him to his feet.
“Where did she go?”
Julian smiled through a split lip.
“My mother has been preparing to disappear longer than Emma has been preparing to catch me.”
Then Ortiz’s phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
Emma stepped closer.
“What happened?”
Ortiz lowered the phone.
“Victoria Cole just entered Bellweather Psychiatric Center.”
Emma stared.
May you like
Ortiz continued.
“And she has Rachel with her.”
