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“You had me followed in Georgia; don't lie to me, we both know it. Did you pay the guy who assaulted me, too?” My father inhales sharply, shaking his head in short, quick repetitions. His guilt is beyond obvious to anyone around. I almost lurch forward with the next bout of nausea swarming over me.
When more darkness from the video than light cascades over my face, I turn to look at what’s changed. “Your key allows you to save a life. Will you choose to use it?” Those eerie words from before are displayed on the wall behind me, only serving to verify our suspicions of my grandfather being involved in the society.
“So, now I get to decide whether to save you or not. Tell me, Father, why should I spare you when you didn’t give the same respect to my mother? In fact, you took her life from her… ripping my happiness from me time and time again.” My options are rolling through my thoughts, none of them close to the perfect answer, but my face must change when I eventually decide, because my father’s cries escalate.
What kind of man kills his wife and has his daughter assaulted? What was his motive and how could either of those be forgiven?
I look to both Beau and Kingston, their focus on me, giving me this gift of revenge to take as I wish. My father’s continued slurred words of nonsense gain him zero sympathy with any of us.He knows his fate.And I knowIhave to do it. Still not trusting my grandfather after his exposed lies coming to light, I refuse to let Beau and Kingston go down for a set up I can feel happening. The only way to prevent them from that possibility is for me to do it myself.
I pop the key on my wrist, the elastic band stinging enough to remind me of the other option of releasing him. Shaking myhead, I quickly come to the realization there are only two people in my life I’d use this key for and this worthless excuse of a father sitting in front of me isnotone of them.
“Please. Please listen to me.” My father’s words are finally clear enough to comprehend, even though I ignore them just the same as the blabbering he managed earlier.
It’s the rope I choose from the torture table after gazing over all of my options. The hatred I feel inside is disgustingly ugly and although the thought of killing anyone repulses me, I step next to Beau and twist the rope in my hands. He reaches out a hand, silently asking for me to allow him to do this, but him handling my father isn’t an option for me. Shaking my head, Beau steps back, not enjoying the fact I’m choosing to do this myself, but still giving me his support by standing close enough I can sense his strong, comforting presence.
I wrap the rope around my father’s neck and meet Kingston’s intense stare while adrenaline and pure hatred drive me on to strangle my father to death.
It’s not easy, gripping and twisting with all my might. The choking and gasping sounds send chills over my flesh as the blackness inside me fuels my need forvengeance. My father stole the life from my mother, by taking her air…it’s only fitting I return the favor. My wrists ache, my hands tired and my fingers burning from the hold, keeping steady long enough to watch his face change colors. It turns pink first, then a deeper red, and eventually it morphs into a pop of purple. In the end, it’s blue that finally takes him, his eyes glassy while staring at everything and nothing both at once.
When his head falls forward, I swear I see Kingston smirk with pride.
Chapter 18
IRIS
The crash of exhaustion from the adrenaline coming down hits me almost immediately. When I’m sure he’s dead, I drop the rope and watch it dangle down his back. Beau grabs my hands and pulls me to his chest, sensing the mental anguish that’s no doubt about to hit. I watch Kingston slide his knife back in place and then pull the rope from my father’s body, tucking part of it into his pocket.
The sound of footsteps behind us has me turning. My grandfather strides toward me, two of his beefy goons at his sides and someone else behind him. I feel like I’m finally seeing him for the person he truly is, the same way my father has shown his stripes. I shift to the right to catch a good enough glimpse of the person.
With a stunned gasp, I do a triple take.
This can’t be right.
I’m imagining things.
I have to be.
I swear it’s…my mother.
Confusion steals my breath away, making me stumble a few steps closer to get a clearer, unobstructed look.
“Mom?” I say through a cry before falling limp into the darkness, where strong arms envelop me and protect me from danger.
My brain is foggy, my mind feeling like it’s been in a freaking washing machine. This can’t be right… how is it even possible? I saw the evidence. I watched the damn video where my father killed her with his bare hands!I killed my father for killing her, so how can she be here now? Or is it the guilt of killing him that’s got me seeing things?
My fingers clench my hair as I shake my head. I have one hell of a headache. “None of this can really be happening.”
“Sweetheart?” Kingston attempts to soothe me, but I’m too much of a hot mess to succumb to the calm timbre of his voice like I usually do. His hand lands on the back of my neck, his nimble fingers working my sore, stressed muscles. “Talk to us, baby. Let us help you work this shit out.” Fuck, this man is good to me. Always willing to put up with whatever I throw at him and all it takes is me accepting his brand of psychopath.
“The sad part is, I don’t know where to even begin.” I finally flick my eyes to him, meeting his concerned gaze. He still has blood on his shirt. I hope he’s at least washed his hands; the last thing we need is more evidence against him or Beau for anything with all these fucked up bits of information coming forward.
“You can’t let them overwhelm you so much, Iris. I wanted to fucking strangle them for pulling that shit with you back there. The only thing keeping me in control was helping Beau get you out of there and giving you some space.”
“How long was I out?”
“Not long. Enough time for me to scrub my hands and Beau’s doing the same now.”
Releasing my hair, my hands drop to my lap and I nod. “So it was all true, then?”
