“And now those people are dead,” I state the damn obvious. Those people who killed my family, who thought they could get away with it so easily. I wasn’t going to let that happen. Roberto put his trust in the wrong people, or he didn’t really care. Either way, they didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as me.
“Yes, they are,” she says coldly.
I don’t understand her. She isn’t my grandmother anymore. This woman, standing in front of me, is a stranger. How can she be so cold about the people who killed her child? My parents.
“Roberto could have used them. He could have made us the name on everyone’s lips if you had let him. If you didn’t ruin what he was starting,” she screams.
I did. The minute I was old enough, I found out exactly who they were. And I did what any other person would do if they had the means. I killed them. It was easy. As easy as breathing. Thanks to Jasper, I found them. And within one hour, we were in their house with guns to their heads. Jasper and his men kept each one where they were while I walked around and put a bullet in each of them.
They were lucky that’s all they got.
I should have watched them burn as well.
“I don’t have time for this.” I shake my head, turning to leave.
“Gunner…” I turn back to look at her. “I hope he kills her.”
“I don’t ever want to see you again. Do you hear me?”
Her eyes go wide at my words.
“Do. You. Hear. Me?” I yell.
“You can’t cut me out.”
“I just did,” I say while walking out.
All that woman cares about is power. Honestly, it’s where Roberto gets it from. You would think she raised him instead of me.
Pulling up in this driveway hurts me in more ways then I care to admit. I loved my parents, and then lost them. And now I know who was at fault. I never thought it could be family who took away my life, and now wants to take it away again.
That can’t happen.
They can’t have her.
No matter what.
Getting out of the car and walking up to the front door, everything’s quiet. Only one car sits out front, and there’s no other signs of life. I hear the noise of a camera moving on its axis and watch as it turns to face me when I reach the front door.
He’s tried to change it, paint, a bit of restructuring here and there, but it still looks exactly the same. The whole place still smells like it should. Theirs.
I loved this place, it’s the only reason I’ve never sold it. This place is mine, and will always be mine because it belonged to my parents.
I knock on the door, knowing he wants to talk, knowing he wants to make me beg, knowing he wants what I have and his only way to get it is by using Everly.
For this, and this reason only, he will die.
“You were fast to get here. Tell me… how long until she told you I was here?”
“Immediately.”
He bites his lip as he holds his gun in one hand and a drink in the other. He steps back, opening the door wider for me to enter. When I do, I freeze on the spot. There she is, tied to the ceiling much like I had her in the garage. Her lips are bleeding and her clothes are torn to pieces. There’s barely enough left to cover her skin.
“I wouldn’t do anything drastic if I were you, Gunner. I’ll put a bullet in her brain before you can even try to help her.” He keeps the gun pointed directly at Everly. She can’t see me, but I know when she hears me because her back straightens.
“Gunner.”
“Oh, look, she knows you’re here.” He walks over and touches her bare stomach. “How sweet.” I watch in horror as he leans forward and bites her silky skin, marking it with his mouth. My feet can’t keep still, and before I know it, I’m walking to him, ready to put him in the ground. When he removes the safety on the gun and rests the end of the barrel against her temple, I freeze, just before I reach her. I want to touch her so she knows I’m here, but I keep my hands glued to my sides, afraid of what else he might do.
“You’re going to regret touching her. You know that, right?”
Everly doesn’t move, but I can hear her soft cries.
“No, I don’t think I will.” He walks back around to the front and touches her between her legs. She whimpers loudly. “I’ve never had this sweet of a pussy before. Tell me, Gunner… was it everything you had imagined?”
“Remove your hand, Roberto.” He pushes harder instead, making Everly cry out. Her mouth opening, which in turn causes Roberto to smile larger.