Chapter 14 - BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER
Julian’s hand shook violently, the barrel of the revolver wobbling between Nathan's chest and the floor.
"Nate... please, just give me the drive," Julian wept, sweat mixing with rain on his face. "If I give Vance the encrypted files you took from the survey, he’ll let me walk away! We can both put this behind us!"
"Look at yourself, Julian," Nathan said, taking a slow, deliberate step forward. "You let them drug me. You watched them put me in a casket while my daughter wept over my chest. Was three-quarters of a million dollars worth my life?"
"I didn't know you were still alive!" Julian cried out. "Dr. Reed said you were dead! I thought... I thought it was just paper management!"
"You knew," Nathan said coldly, taking another step. "You knew the moment Ellie climbed into that casket and felt my hand move."
"STAY BACK!" Julian panicked, tightening his finger on the trigger.
Before Julian could pull it, Nathan lunged forward with explosive speed. He grabbed Julian’s wrists, twisting the gun upward toward the ceiling.
BANG!
A deafening gunshot echoed through the kitchen, plaster showering down from the ceiling.
Nathan slammed Julian back against the kitchen counter, knocking the revolver from his grip. The gun skittered across the floor, where Clara immediately kicked it out of reach. Nathan wrestled his brother down to the tile floor, pinning Julian’s arms behind his back.
Tires screeched outside as Detective Miller’s unmarked unit pulled into the driveway, sirens blaring.
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Julian lay face down on the cold kitchen floor, sobbing uncontrollably into his arms. Nathan stood over him, breathing heavily, looking down at his younger brother with a mixture of profound heartbreak and absolute disgust.
"It's over, Julian," Nathan said softly. "You're going to tell the police everything Vance made you do."
