My head spins from the whisky I sank last night in the hope I could sleep through this entire day, but I knew it was wishful thinking. I knew I’d be standing right here, watching this car crash play out.
The others only started their party at dawn, celebrating the demise of another of our enemies, but I couldn’t bring myself to see the joy on their faces. And plus, they didn’t deserve to have me dampening the mood with my misery.
All of them have been through too much recently to be brought down by me and my bullshit.
It shouldn’t be this hard.
We’re free from that sick son of a bitch. I should be able to turn my back on him and walk away.
But I can’t.
It’s why I still turn up to visit him most days of the week to sate my inner monster so that I can rest a little at night, knowing he’s getting exactly what he deserves for the way he treated my mum all these years.
I should be at home spending time with the sister I never knew I had, or my actual biological father. But I can’t. Not while he’s taking up all my headspace.
Until he’s hurting like he’s hurt those I love, I can’t do anything else. I can’t see anything else.
I might not be his son, I might not share his vindictive blood, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned from him over the years, or from the training he enforced on me in his quest to make me his perfect protégé.
And just like he taught me, I’m not going to back down until the job is done, until I’ve destroyed every single inch of my enemy, he who did me wrong. And then, and only then, will I look forward to what our lives can be like without such a poisonous snake living among us, controlling us.
A large black hearse comes to a stop at the end of the path that leads to the church, and my heart leaps in my chest.
Is there even a person in that coffin? How much effort has Damien really put into this farce?
It’s a joke, a fucking joke that he even considered doing this for a second, but as much as I don’t understand, doing this has brought me one step closer to my goal.
A second funeral car pulls up and I wait, my heart racing and my skin prickling with anticipation as the driver gets out and pulls open the door for the people sitting inside.
I lean forward, more than ready to get my eyes on the one person I’ve come here for.
An older lady emerges first, followed by another young woman I recognise from all the research I’ve done.
My teeth grind, thinking that she’s not with them. But then a black shoe and a smooth calf emerges.
My heart jumps into my throat as I wait for the rest of her to be revealed.
My new target.
My new enemy.
My ultimate vengeance.