Kong swallows, stuck in the past.
“Each of these are for your friends.” I point at the green diamond, which was the stone in Damian’s championship ring. “This is for the asshole who stole from my brother. Breaking his wrist wasn’t enough. He had to steal from him as well.” I move onto the lion. “This is for the fucking coward who had the chance to save my brother, but he didn’t. A lion is brave, loyal, something this asshole wasn’t.”
Kong realizes I’ve spoken about him in the past tense.
“Which is why”—I smile—“I ended his pathetic life. Hero, or should I say Lachlan, didn’t die a hero. He died crying, begging for his life as he pissed his pants.”
“You killed Hero?” he asks, eyes wide. One of the terms of my plea agreement was that my identity was never released.
“Yes,” I reply without pause. “You see this cross here?” I point at the small black cross where the suit should be. “I got this after he dropped to his knees and then I shot him straight through the fucking heart.”
Kong shakes his head wildly. “You motherfucker! No! You played me!”
Thriving on his pain, I continue. “I found him, just as I found you. I didn’t show him any mercy when he begged. Why should I? He didn’t show any to my brother. And that leaves the last member of your little gang.”
The blue shark has been a permanent reminder of what was always destined.
“This is self-explanatory. Jaws was the fucker who took that rock and split my brother’s head open. Yes, you all played a part in his death, but Jaws was the one who delivered the final blow,” I spit with nothing but hatred.
“So now, you’re going to tell me where he and Scrooge are.”
Kong hasn’t uttered a single word. His surprise is clear. Did he think we were actual friends? “I’m not telling you jack shit,” he snarls. “You’re going to kill me anyway, so why would I tell you anything?”
Sighing, I don’t know whether I’m happy or annoyed he’s decided to be difficult because now I’ll be forced—and I use that word lightly—to hurt him.
Ambling forward, I stand just out of reach, glaring down at Kong. “Tell me why,” I demand. When he remains tightlipped, I stomp down on his knee. “Tell me why us?”
His howls feed the demons, and I reach for my knife. Without hesitation, I lunge forward and stab him in the flank. It’s just a scratch, but I know it hurts like a bitch. His white shirt begins to stain a bright red.
“When I shot your friend, I went to prison, and during that time, I learned from the best,” I reveal, watching him flail madly, trying to break free. “I know how to torture you for hours. I know where to cut, where to hurt you to keep you alive. I can do this all night.”
Just as I lunge forward, once again, he shakes his head frantically. “Okay, okay, fine!” he cries, yanking at his restraints. “I’ll tell you what I know!”
A part of me is sad he submitted so easily.
“Jaws is he-here. In Detroit. He owns the fucking city, man! Stevie and he are rivals.”
His admission has me arching a brow. “Then why the fuck are you working with Stevie?”
He licks his bloody lips. “Because Jaws didn’t need me anymore. He and Scrooge are big league now and won’t let anyone stand in their way. When I couldn’t do a job they wanted me to do, I was tossed out like trash. It didn’t matter that we’ve been friends since we were kids. I offered to work for Stevie because I needed his protection.
“Jaws wouldn’t start shit with him because he wants to fly under the radar. As long as Stevie doesn’t interfere with his business, there isn’t a problem.”
I curl my lip, disgusted. I thought he was the muscle. It seems I was mistaken because he’s a fucking pussy.
“That’s all I know. I swear! I’m not in their inner circle anymore.”
“What job did they want you to do?”
“Jaws wanted me to kill his nephew,” he reveals, which has me wondering why. “He has this weird…fascination with his sister.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means what you think it means!” he exclaims. “Jaws is one sick motherfucker. He doesn’t care who the fuck you are…if he wants you, he takes you.”
“And what about Scrooge? What’s his deal?”
“He’s the money. He’s untouchable. Jaws is the brains. Together, they’re an unstoppable, deadly force. Forget this vendetta. You won’t win,” he says, flinching when he tries to move.
“Give me names.” I ignore his advice.
He shakes his head. “That’s all I’m telling you! They may have dogged me, but I’m not about to rat them out.”
Usually, I would applaud his loyalty. No one likes a snitch. But now, his silence is pissing me off. Violence hasn’t seemed to work, so I decide to try another method. “You’ll protect those assholes after the way they treated you? No wonder they had no use for you. You’re weak. But I know what’ll make you talk.”
Dropping to one knee, I level him with nothing but pure hatred. “What will your son and daughter think when I do to them what you should have done to Jaws’s nephew?”
This is the only time I get a response from Kong. “You motherfucker! Don’t you touch them!” He violently tries to break free.
“Give me their names, and I won’t be forced to.” I point the knife in his direction, indicating the choice is his.
“I can’t.” He begins to cry. The sight unnerves me.
“Can’t is going to determine the fate of your kids.” I go to stand, giving Kong credit as he tries to kick me. “All I want is their names. I will take care of the rest.”
“Man, please. I was good to you,” he has the audacity to say.
Laughing sinisterly, I begin to pace in front of him. “Good to me? I was of use to you. That’s all this was. A business transaction on both ends.”
“No, it wasn’t for me! I thought we were friends.”
“Friends?” I snicker, still pacing. “I don’t want to be your friend. The friends you kept are the reason you’re here, begging for your life. Why did they do it?”
“I don’t know!” he screams. The air begins to blister. A storm is coming. “There is no reason. It just happened! We were bored kids.”
His response is like spitting on Damian’s grave. Storming over, I punch him in the jaw. His head snaps back, connecting with the pole.
“Bored?” I exclaim, kicking him in the stomach. “If you were bored, you could have done a million other things! But instead, you chose to kill someone who didn’t deserve to die!”
Kong is wheezing for air as I’m pretty sure a rib has ruptured his lung. But we’re not done.
“You said to me…”
But Kong doesn’t allow me to finish. He fills in the blanks, sealing his fate for good. “It’s time you became a man,” he pants, repeating the words he said to me fourteen years ago. “That’s what I said. And it looks like you did. Their names are…”
His head lolls to the side. He’s on the cusp of passing out. “No, you don’t!” I grip him around the neck, forcing him to stay awake. “Tell me!”