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Back Vortex Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

Kent clearly saw the moment Alex hit Serena’s head with his fist, remembered her falling down, remembered carrying her between them out to the Jag. He remembered the moment he realized she was dead and Alex had calmly tossed her into the trunk. If only Aolith hadn’t seen Alex put the roofie in her glass. If only— Kent shut it down, he couldn’t bear to hear her voice, see her face, her lifeless body. He took another drink, let himself relax into the whiskey’s pulsing warmth. Could Alex be right? Could it all be a bluff? He said nothing, leaned his head back against the sofa again, closed his eyes. It felt cold and expensive, smelled almost alive. He heard Alex get up, heard more whiskey splashing into his glass. Kent started to drink, realized he had to stop or he wouldn’t be able to think clearly. When he opened his eyes, he saw Alex was leaning against the mantelpiece, stark white Italian marble that cost a small fortune.

Kent got slowly to his feet. He eyed his lifelong friend. “I told you, they said an FBI agent was waiting outside. To make a deal with me. They wanted me to throw you under the bus.”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat. “Which, of course, you’d never do, right?”

“Of course not, but you’re making light of everything. The FBI is involved, Alex. Briscoe is relentless, and now they’ve got Juliet.” He looked around the living room. “And why did you let Pamela turn your living room into this soulless pit of hell?”

“What?” Alex took a step forward. “What did you say?”

Kent only shook his head. “Nothing, not important, it’s the whiskey, I guess. They said I’ve lived my life under your thumb, that I’ve done pretty much everything you’ve told me to do. That I’ve always been second to you.”

Of course you have, you pathetic piece of crap. Alex put humor in his voice. “Not a bad strategy, trying to set us against each other. They probably flipped a coin, and that’s why they came to you. But we’ve always been too close for that, nearly brothers.”

Kent said more to himself than to Alex, “I’m a successful, respected businessman in New York City. Our profits are up, and that’s because of me, no one else. I’m not second to anyone.”

Alex kept his voice soothing. “Of course not. Everyone knows what an excellent job you’ve done. And you’re my best friend. We’ve been together, done everything together, all our lives, two halves of a whole.