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Grim
Blood sprayed as my fist met his face. Everything blurred while I pounded out my anger. I grabbed him by the collar and sent one into his chest and quickly repeated it with one to the gut. Darkness filled me as I grabbed his hand and broke all the small bones. His screams seemed to come from a distance and were like a salve to my insides, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing could soothe the pain or heal the scars left from Leo’s death. I was no longer human; I was a machine designed to kill anyone who had a hand in my brother’s murder.
“That all you got?” his pulp of a face asked as he spat. His blood-lined teeth morphed into a grin. “You better finish me off, Gates, because I’ll be coming for ya.”
I switched hands and drilled my knee into his stomach, and when he buckled, I drove a knee into his face. A little voice told me to keep going with the promise of peace at the end. That wasa lie. There would never be peace for me; that would mean Leo came back from the dead.
“Grim! No!” my mother yelled from the doorway, and someone yanked at my arm throwing me off balance. I whirled around to take a swing when Knox’s face appeared. He wore a crazed expression. He grabbed my arm and held on.
“Not him,” Knox shouted. “No, Grim, not like this!”
I glared at the asshole who had managed to slither over to the wall. He propped his battered body upright.
“Yeah, not like this.” Sonny laughed, and I lunged at him, only to be pulled away from him again. I was yanked backward, and my father’s voice boomed through the chaos in my head.
“No!” Dad wouldn’t let go, even when I ripped my arm away from Knox. “Son, no.”
“Snap out of it,” Knox yelled. “You’re gonna hurt Dad!”
“Yeah, listen to your brother, Grim.” Sonny coughed. “You only have one left.”
Dad tightened his grip on me as I went in for a third time.
“Enough! All of you, enough!” Mom’s voice got through, and I tried to force myself to focus on her.
“Sonny Conti,” if she could breathe fire she would have in that moment, “one more word out of your mouth and I’ll put a bullet through your heartless chest myself.”
“Yes, ma'am.” He snickered, and Dad reached for his gun.
“Jim,” Mom warned, and like me, he knew to step back. Mom rarely used that voice, and we all knew to listen. “Knox,” she kept her eyes on me, “get your brother out of here.”
I slapped Knox’s hand away and spun toward the door. I grabbed the handle and slammed the door into the wall as I stomped out. I could hear the glass smash as I left.
“Conference room,” Dad ordered from behind me. “Jesse, look after this, will you?” Dad waved at the mess against the wall.
“Of course, sir. Sorry I wasn’t here sooner.” He glanced at me. We both knew what he’d done had given me a head start.
Once inside, Dad shut the door behind us, and the only sound I could hear was my own gasping breath. I forced myself to take a moment to breathe. I was too amped to sit, so I grabbed one of the high-back chairs and clenched the top of it with my fists. I desperately needed something to anchor me.
Knox was the first to speak. “What do you know?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t ready to tell them yet; I wanted to end his fucking life first.
“Laurel?” Dad turned to Mom. “How did this all happen?” I appreciated him giving me a moment to gather myself.
“I was up talking to Gavin up in the security room when I saw Grim race through the lobby, then he went to the restaurant where the Tames normally have their family dinner. When he headed up to this floor, it didn’t take much to see he was looking for Cameron.” She smoothed out her hair as she settled in a chair.
“So, why Sonny?” Knox pushed.
“Because…” I felt everything rush to the surface, and I could tell I was going to blow.
Knox took a step toward me, and I raised my hand to stop him. “Because?”
“Because they’re all fucking in on it!” I screamed, and Mom jumped. “It wasn’t supposed to be Leo. I was the mark. Me!” I jabbed a finger at my chest. “Cameron ordered a hit to take me out, but Leo had my jacket on, and the stupid hired fuckers thought he was me.”
Silence.
Fuck!
