Sorrows and Lace by Bonnie R. Paulson, Brilee Editing

of nausea crawled over her. Devlyn paid back the whole family when one person did something to him. She clutched her hands together in a praying position. But did she pray? Who did she pray for? Devlyn could go after any of them – her parents, her brother, Ronan, any of the MacAllisters, hell, even Becky wasn’t safe.
    The things he did when he was just pissed off redefined atrocious.
    What would he do in his grief?
    Who would he hurt when he found his brother, dead?
     
     

Chapter 13
     
    There’s a first time for everything .
    What goes around comes around.
    Karma is a bitch.
    No matter how many clichés or sayings Ronan tried consoling himself with, the plain truth was, he’d killed a man. Okay, Slate had pulled the trigger, but Ronan had made the ultimate decision to leave him to rot.
    The ultimate death was on Ronan. They probably could’ve made it to Colby, asked for a Medevac. But the truth was, Ronan didn’t want to leave scum like Sonny Caracus lying around his county. Devlyn Caracus wouldn’t turn anyone in, either. Through investigation, Ronan had learned most members of the gang were wanted in multiple states. He figured he just did taxpayers a service.
    But the guilt still ate at him.
    And a large part of him wondered – okay, worried – that Kelsey had still had feelings for Sonny, even a small part, and would be upset that he was dead. She would rightfully blame Ronan. Although, how she could care about a man who treated her that way puzzled Ronan. As well as he’d always known Kelsey, she didn’t come across as the type to love her attacker. 
    Returning to Lacey Caverns in silence, Slate and Ronan ignored the elephant in the room, not speaking.
    Ronan tapped the steering wheel. The silence shrouded him. Slate was probably over in his damn seat, self-righteously condemning Ronan for the choice he’d made.
    Unable to hold it in any longer, Ronan slammed his bare palm on the center console between him and Slate. “I’m a damn coward. Just say it.”
    “What?” Slate turned from the window to watch Ronan, surprise widening his eyes.
    “I didn’t even stay to watch him die. I shoul d’ve tried to at least save him, right? We could’ve called Becky and had her come out. They might have been able to do something with a Medevac… Tim still isn’t back from delivering that baby, but I could’ve driven Caracus to town. I didn’t try . It was too damn easy.” Too many factors had nudged him into just giving up on the man. Yes, he’s a scumbag, and all that. But Ronan had always prided himself on upholding the law – to an extent.
    The conflicting emotions swarmed him. Number one on the list, the one drowning him was the way he worried about Kelsey’s feelings for him. He hadn’t been so uptight about what she thought since they were dating. 
    Slate rolled his eyes. “After all the shit you’ve pulled over the years, you’re seriously going to let that get to you?” He huffed in amusement but with more than a sense of derision.
    “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Tempted to jack the emergency brake, Ronan wanted to see Doctor Perfect fly through the windshield.
    Slate frowned. “Really? You mean that you’ve manipulated and lied all these years and you actually didn’t know you were doing it? I mean, really? You tore Robbie and Amelia apart, sent Kelsey away because her heritage offended your parents, you’ve alienated most of the small business owners in town, and you severed our friendship for who knows what reason. That’s just off the top of my head, too. If I had time, I’d probably have a longer list.” He shrugged. “You can be a true jackass, R.J.”
    He had a point. Ronan’s planning and plotting had always revolved around how it would benefit him, his family, or Lacey Caverns. Becoming a banker was a means to an end. Marrying Bethany had been the same thing. He’d taken so many steps for other purposes, he’d lost himself to the importance of the ranch.