Marcus turned.
A man stood in the hallway holding a pistol with both hands.
Gray touched his beard.
A scar crossed his left cheek.
His eyes were wet.
“Hey, Rach.”
The box fell from my hands.
“Ryan?”
My brother smiled.
I don’t remember crossing the room.
I only remember hitting his chest and hearing him gasp as I wrapped my arms around him.
I screamed.
I cried.
I hit him.
Then hugged him again.
“You’re alive!”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re alive!”
Marcus moved.
Christopher shouted.
Ryan reacted instantly.
The gunshot blasted through the room.
Marcus fell.
His gun slid across the floor.
Police sirens sounded outside.
Ryan had contacted federal agents before coming.
Marcus survived.
And because he survived, he talked.
Within months, the full story became public.
Money laundering.
Bribery.
Witness intimidation.
Attempted murder.
Fraud.
Three unexplained deaths linked to Bennett companies.
Marcus was sentenced to decades in federal prison.
