Whining in pain, I watch as his eyes start to open, red thickness running down his legs. I smile hoping he is hurting.
“What you did to Melody can’t be undone.”
“The kill was for the guy. Bad fucking luck she stepped in front of him.” Breathing heavily, his lungs are starting to collapse, I cringe. Always too good for her own sake. Killed because of a gambling debt and hit gone wrong.
“Yeah, I’d say real bad.”
Unable to move, he stares and watches me pull out my knife. Opening the switchblade, I trace the cool steel along the side of his face, pressing in deep near his ear, drawing small amounts of blood.
“We killed the brothers.”
“Just get it over with. I knew my fate when I took the job.” The knife runs down the side of his neck, deep enough to cause a scar. But that won’t be a problem soon. Blood trickles out and his face scrunches in agony. The howl he lets out tells me the knife is having the desired effect. “You knew you’d be killed, so why? Why fucking do it?”
“I have my reasons. Fucking with someone close to Phoebe at the top of the list.” Swelling surrounds his eye, his voice quieter. I throw the knife and it lodges in his arm, my fist then slams into his face, rage taking over. My noise is drowned out by the screams coming from Colton.
“How the fuck is Phoebe from the same blood as you? She’s gracious and thoughtful, gentle and compassionate. Enduring hatred and evil by her own family didn’t squash her. It made her fucking strong, not weak like you, your mother, and your father.”
“She’s not.” He finds his voice through the wailing.
Scanning his disgusting face, I seek what the fuck he is trying to say. “She’s not fucking what?”
Moaning, his face turns purplish.
“Phoebe’s not your sister?”
Unable to say much, his breaths laboring, I hold his head back by his filthy hair. “No.”
Unlatching my hand, his head drops. “Tell me fucking everything.”
His shoulders heave, my fingers clench. “Colton, who the fuck is her mother and father?”
“Don’t know who the mother is.”
“Explain why, fast.” I’m ready to grab my gun and end this fucker’s life.
“She brought Phoebe to our place when she was tiny, and left. Had a quick fuck one day with the old man, resulting in her. She didn’t want it so left it with Dad and my mom.”
Rubbing my face, I shake my head. “So he’s still her father?”
“Don’t believe so. Dad ‘til this day denies he had an affair with the skank. He was an easy target, at the pub, drunk most nights, he could have been with anyone and not known it, so Mom once told me.”
“Damn. Phoebe should know this.”
“Fuck that spoiled brat. She ruined everything. Coming along, my mom couldn’t handle the fact the baby who she was left to care for was the result of an affair. She tried but the constant reminder was obviously too much. It drove her away. She left me because of Phoebe, fucking up my life.”
“You fucked your own life up.” Pulling out the knife, the flesh opens, and I dig it into his other arm, twisting it until the bone crunches under it.
“That’s for degrading and treating Phoebe like a slave all those years.”
Drawing it back out, I stab the fucker in the chest. A gurgle sounds, interrupts the screams of agony.
“That’s for the assaults on Phoebe.”
I take it out and liquid coats my hands. I plunge it deep into his heart. “That’s for taking everything from Phoebe.” His groans stop but his chest heaves.
Taking my gun, I pop a bullet into his useless brain. “That’s for Melody.”
Slumping to my knees, I look at the useless fucker who has taken so much.
But no more.
Colton Kearney is dead.
Another favor I’ve done for the world.
Phoebe should be elated with this new knowledge. But will she be? Abandoned by two women and the father she knows, who possibly isn’t. It’s a lot to take in.
Crap.
Rising up, I take the knife and gun and wipe my hands on a cloth sitting close by, and head for the door. My head is overloaded with the events of today.
I want to see Phoebe, but I have no clear words yet. Instead, I head to The Gem. I need alcohol to numb everything.
It’s too easy.
Killing someone can be over in a matter of seconds.
A life gone in the blink of an eye.
Downing my fifth double vodka, at least I think it’s my fifth, I watch the stage and the naked body rolling around it. There’s nothing. My body is numb, my head trying to work out how to stay upright.
“Hey darlin’, you need me to take your mind off it?” A younger girl, with a teeny waist and naked boobs leans across the table. Tanner must have hired this one.
Raising my glass, I slur, “This is doing a good job.”
“I could do it so much better though.”
“I bet you could.” Her bright red lips are glossy and plump, filled beyond normal. No doubt she’s wrapped them around cocks before, the way she’s licking them, it would be easy to take her behind the stage and fuck her mouth. My dick doesn’t stir. Nothing changes. One day Phoebe’s mouth will be wrapped around mine. Perfect and lush, hot and tight, sucking me off until I see stars.
My jeans tighten just thinking about her.
“Tawny, get your butt out of here.” Tanner sits his ass down and grabs himself a drink, the girl scuttles off. “Hector called through, told me you may need a hand getting upstairs.”
“I get it now.” Lighting a blunt, I drag in the smoke.
“Get what?”
“Why you guys want parts to go legit.” My head swirls like a whirlpool but I drag in another, handing it to T.
“Melody was an amazing woman. She’s going to be missed by all of us.”
“I should have listened to you all sooner.” The irony is hard to stomach. “Last one to get it and my sister is lying in a cold room, alone.”
“Come on. Let’s go.”
Swiping the table in anger, the bottle shatters across the floor. “She’s dead.”
Nodding his head, I know he has no words. None of us do.
Standing, my legs fail and T catches my sorry ass. His arm holding me up.
“It should have been me.”
“Kyle is the one he was aiming for. It should have been him.”
My legs hardly move making the elevator seem like it’s miles away. “Yeah, either way, someone was going to be mourning the loss of a relative. Fucking prick, all ‘cause Colton wanted to hurt his sister.”
“Revenge is a powerful trigger.” We know that more than most.
“He won’t be a problem from now on.” Staggering, my head pounding, I stumble.
“Fuck, O. You trying to break my arm?”
“Nothing can break through those tree trunks, man.” Chuckling, I fall against the wall while we wait for the elevator. “Was Phoebe okay?”
Nodding, he doesn’t say anything.
“I should have stayed but I couldn’t.” I’m slipping down the wall, but I steady my legs.
“She understands.”
Shaking my head, I’m not convinced.