by Alex Grayson
“What in the fuck are you talking about?” I demand.
His teeth shine from the light in the room as his grin grows. “I’m not your brother.” Before I can order him to explain, he does so on his own, revealing my family is more fucked-up than I thought. “I’m your father.”
I can’t hide the shock from my face, and from the expression on his, that was his intention. I cast a glance at my mother and see dismay mixed with a hint of resignation. I look back to Trey.
“You’re fuckin’ lying,” I snarl.
He sits back against the cushions and throws an arm over the back, pulling my mother to his side. It turns my stomach when she actually lays her hand on his lower stomach and leans into him.
“Actually, I’m not,” he states, looking smug as fuck. He kisses the top of my mother’s head before continuing. “Due to an accident, dear old Dad couldn’t have any more kids and Mom was desperate for one more. Being the stand-up son that I was, I volunteered.”
“You people disgust me.”
As disturbing as this revelation is, some small part in the back of my mind suspected this. From the records Emo found, I knew Robert wasn’t my father. I also remembered a few times when I was little walking in on my mother and brother in a position that a mother and son should never be in. At that young age, I assumed it was them showing each other their “love”, like the adults did to the kids during Hell Night.
Even so, the thought is sickening to say the least. What in the fuck is wrong with these people?
Trey shrugs, like it’s every bit normal for a mother and son to have sex, have a child, and pretend to be husband and wife.
I look at my mother. “Why in the fuck wasn’t I ever told?”
She sniffs, her chin jutting up stubbornly. “Because The Council didn’t allow incest babies.”
Members of the same family are not permitted to create a child together.
Rule number six in the laws of The Gathering. No doubt, if anyone knew of their deception, the Council would find out and they would be punished. It wouldn’t matter that Robert and Annette were part of the Council.
“How many kids have you touched at the day care?” I ask, changing the subject.
My mother shifts uncomfortably and adverts her eyes away from mine. Trey just sits there, his expression still amused.
“The better question is, how many have we not touched. The older ones you have to be careful with because they may go blabbing. It’s the wee little ones who give the most satisfaction.”
One minute he’s sitting on the couch, and the next he’s dangling with my hand wrapped around his throat. My fist plows into his gut and he tries to double over, but I don’t let him go.
“Liam,” my mother screams, jumping up from the couch and grabbing my arm.
I look down at her hand with contempt then lift my eyes to hers. “Get your filthy fucking hands off me.” The growled words are deep and filled with hate.
Her eyes widen and she quickly releases me to take a step back. Judge steps forward to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere. Her eyes fill with tears as she clutches her chest.
“We loved you,” she whispers.
Trey begins to struggle in earnest in my grip, his air supply running low. I tighten my grip and bare my teeth at her. “I don’t want to hear that word come out of your fuckin’ mouth. You don’t know the meaning of love. When you love someone, you protect them with your life. You put their safety before your own. When they hurt, you hurt with them. You do whatever it takes to make them happy.”
She stays quiet after that. There’s not a damn thing she can say. When Trey goes lax in my grip, I release him. He falls to his hands and knees before me, gasping for breath.
“Judge, take my mother and tie her hands together. We’re leaving.”
“What?” she squeaks. “Where are we going? We can’t—”
“Mom? Dad?” A small feminine voice calls from the hallway.
I whip around and see a little girl about ten-years-old standing just inside the living room. She’s wearing a blue nightgown that falls to her mid-thighs, her long blonde hair is pleated so the braids hang over her shoulders, and she has her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her frightened eyes move to my mom, then down to Trey still on the floor, then up to me.
My throat tightens as I look the girl over. She looks like a female version of me when I was younger. I close my eyes and blow out a harsh breath. I silently gather every shred of control I have left and turn to the girl.
“Hey there, sweetie. What’s your name?” I keep my tone light and make sure my expression appears calm.
She keeps darting her eyes to my mom and Trey. Her bottom lip begins to wobble and her eyes turn glassy. The look breaks my fucking heart. I step in front of her, not too close to frighten her, but blocking her view of her parents, hoping with them out of sight, she’ll relax enough to talk.
“We won’t hurt you.” I gesture to Judge and me. Her eyes flash to Judge and they widen fractionally, like she just realized he was there. He offers her a kind smile. “My name’s JW, and my friend there is Judge.”
She tilts her head to the side and frowns. “Those are weird names.”
I smile and nod. “They are, but they’re not our real names. They’re just nicknames.”
“Oh.” She takes a step toward me. “What’re your real names?” she asks innocently.
I never give my real name to anyone; well, anyone except Eden that is, but I want this girl to trust me. I glance at Judge and he gives me a nod.
“I’m Liam and he’s Kayn.”
She licks her little pink lips and takes another step closer. “My name is Thea.”
I keep the smile on my face. “That’s a very pretty name. It’s nice to meet you, Thea.”
Feeling movement at my back, I subtly cast my eyes to Judge. He casually walks over to the couple behind me to make sure they don’t do anything stupid. I take a step closer to Thea, blocking more of her view of them in case Judge has to do something drastic.
“I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but I’m—”
“You’re my brother,” she finishes for me, her innocent eyes wide. Now it’s my turn to cock my head to the side.
“Yes, but how did you know?”
She twists her gown in her tight grip. “Because Mama said I had a brother named Liam and you sorta look like me.”
“You’re right. We do sorta look like each other.”
She gives me a tentative smile.
“Have you ever been to Texas, Thea?” She shakes her head. “How would you like to visit there?”
I move a step closer when I hear a gasp and a thump behind me.
“Will Mama and Daddy be there?” she asks in a trembling voice.
I turn her around gently by her shoulders so her back is to our mother and Trey and get to a knee.
“Do you want them there?”
She drops her eyes, but there’s no mistaking the fear and troubling look that comes across her face.
I lift her chin with my finger. “Have they hurt you, Thea?”
Seeing the tears sliding down her chubby cheeks crushes my heart. I blink away the red haze clouding my vision. She doesn’t need to answer for me to know they have. It’s written all over her face.
Tears drip from her chin when she nods, confirming what I already know. “I don’t want them to go. I don’t want them to hurt me anymore.”
Throwing caution to the wind, and hope like fuck I don’t scare her, I pull her into my arms. I close my eyes and suck in a labored breath when her tiny arms move around my neck and squeeze me tight, as if she’s afraid I’ll let her go.
“I promise they’ll never hurt you again. I swear, Thea, no one will ever hurt you again.”
“You won’t hurt me, will you?” Her whispered words send a pain so sharp to my chest it nearly steals my breath.
I pull back and look deeply into her eyes. “I swear on my life, I’ll never hurt you.” I
vow.
She looks at me for a minute, and I don’t know if it’s because she truly does believe me or she just desperately wants to, but she nods.
As soon as I pull her back into my arms, I open my eyes and lock them on the two people I hate most in the world. My mom is sitting on the couch, her hand at her mouth, alarm making her eyes appear bigger than they are. Trey’s still on the floor, but he’s up on his knees with Judge standing behind him. His eyes are defiant.
I kneel there with my baby sister in my arms, a sister I didn’t know I had, but already love, and glare every bit of hate I feel for the two people.
Thea won’t know it, but our mother and father will be coming to Texas with us.
TWO DAYS LATER, I stop at the back of Judge’s car, pull the keys from my pocket, and pop the trunk. Two people stare back at me, the light they haven’t seen for days making their eyes squint from the sudden brightness. One set of eyes are filled with terror and the other set filled with hatred. I don’t give a shit what either of them feel.
We made it back to Malus yesterday afternoon. While I was helping Thea pack some clothes for our trip, Judge was loading a gagged, bound, and an unconscious Trey and my mother into the trunk of his car. Trouble sent me with a concoction that would knock the two out for the trip to avoid any trouble along the way. Except for a few pit stops, we drove straight through.
When we first arrived, I took Thea straight home. She was still scared and timid because of the sudden change in her life, but being around Eden for only thirty minutes had loosened my sister up a bit. I have no doubt what she went through by Trey and my mother’s hands was terrifying, and it’ll stay with her forever, but I hope living in Malus, surrounded by family and friends who will protect and care for her, will help her heal. She has a long road ahead of her. I’m just glad I found her and was able to take her away from the nightmare she had been living.
During one of our gas stops, I called Eden to warn her. She met us outside as soon as I pulled into the driveway, as if she were anxiously waiting for our arrival. As soon as she laid eyes on Thea, I saw the same thing I felt when I first saw her. Instant love and profound pain. Eden let the love shine through and worked her best to hide the pain.
Trouble appears beside me, and I feel the rage radiate off him as he glares down at the two huddled in the trunk.
“How is this going down?” he bites out.
“I figured The Finishing would be appropriate for them.”
The Finishing is normally reserved for citizens of Malus, but since Trey and my mother used to be part of what Malus used to be, I think it’s poetic justice. It’s not what I originally had planned for them—I wanted them to suffer more—but I have more important things to do than to spend any more time on these two. Like get to know my sister. And ask Eden to marry me.
My mom whimpers behind her gag when I reach inside for Trey. Their hands and feet are bound, so I’m forced to carry him over my shoulder. Trouble follows with my mother over his. Emo and Judge are already out in the field waiting for us by two freshly dug graves.
I dump Trey on the ground, satisfaction hitting me when I hear his grunt of pain. Trouble drops my mother beside him, only slightly less haphazardly. We both prop them up on their knees.
I stare down at the woman who gave birth to me and feel nothing but loathing, disgust, and hatred. Remembering the many times she watched as Trey raped my small body—not just raped, but viciously abused—while her and the man who I thought was my father did the same to another child filters through my mind. There were times she would stop with her own actions and touched herself as she watched Trey with me. Hatred isn’t a strong enough word for what I feel for the woman.
“Last words?” Judge asks, bringing me back to the moment.
“They don’t deserve them. There’s not a damn thing either can say that I want to hear.” A thought comes to mind, and I hold up my hand when Judge pulls out his gun. “Actually—” I walk over to Trey and rip off the tape over his mouth, “—there is something I want to know.” I glare down at him. “Why? If I was your son, why did you hate me so much? Why volunteer to get our mother pregnant if you were only going to detest your offspring?”
A lecherous look crosses his face.
“Because I wanted another hole to fuck. I wanted something tighter to force my dick into. To put it simply, son,” he sneers the word, “you were my new toy and fuck if I had a lot of fun playing with you.”
Emo emits a low growl and I glance up to see Judge holding him back. I ignore the distressed moans coming from my mother and look back at Trey. As disturbing as his words are, they’re nothing less than I suspected.
“And Thea? Was she the same?”
His eyes close and a lewd smile curves up his lips. “Thea is our little princess. We took care with her, because we didn’t want her to break too soon.”
An animalistic roar comes from behind Trey and the next moment he’s down on the ground with an enraged Emo on top of him. I hold my hand up to Trouble and Judge, warding them off, and let him get a few good punches in. My eyes flicker to my mother. She’s fallen on her side, sobbing as she watches her son-slash-husband get beaten.
Trey’s barely conscious by the time I pull Emo off him. Emo’s hands are covered in blood, some of which is from Trey’s face and some from the key he kept in his hand as he was pummeling him.
Trouble takes over holding Emo back until he’s calmed down. I pick Trey up so he’s on his knees again. Grabbing the front of his shirt, I rear back and put every single bit of fucking strength I have behind the punch I deliver to his face. It’s not nearly as satisfying as slowly killing the bastard, but it’ll do. After propping him back on his knees again, I take a step back and nod to the others.
Judge walks around until he’s to my left, about ten feet away from the couple. Trouble does the same on my right, making sure he’s not in a direct line across from Judge. Emo, who’s practically foaming at the mouth, mirrors my position behind them, but slightly to the side.
I pull out my gun from the holster on my side as my brothers do the same. Raising my arm, I aim at Trey first, the others following suite.
“May Lucifer welcome you with open arms,” Judge begins the dictum reserved for all Finishings.
“And deliver you to the darkest pits of Hell,” comes Emo’s growled words.
“To live out an eternity for the evil deeds you’ve bestowed,” I deliver my part, my voice filled with menace.
“Shall you not rest in peace.”
As the last word leaves Trouble’s mouth, four shots are fired. Before Trey’s body hits the ground, the same shots are delivered in the same locations to my mother. Between the eyes, the heart, base of the neck, and the groin.
My mother’s lifeless eyes are wide as her body falls on top of Trey’s. I holster my gun and walk over to them. I don’t spare them a glance as I kick their bodies into the two graves. Silently, we all shovel dirt over them.
Once we’re done, I toss my shovel to the side and wipe sweat from my brow with my arm. Something that feels like peace settles over me. The door to my past is finally closed.
“You good, brother?” Judge asks.
I look over at him. “More than good.”
My hands move to the small lump in my pants pocket. It may seem kind of twisted for me to kill two people the same day I plan to ask the woman I love to marry me, but to me it’s the perfect time.
What better way is there to shut the door on a past that was dark and painful by celebrating a future that’ll be bright and beautiful?
Eden and Thea are my future. One I plan to cherish, protect, and love for the rest of my days.
JW
Several Months Later…
I STAND AT THE FRONT OF THE church with my hands clasped together in front of me. Sweat beads my forehead and anxious nerves have me constantly shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Every person in Malus is crowded inside the church. Soft whispers and rustling of clothe
s can be heard throughout the room. I keep my eyes pinned on the back, waiting impatiently.
“Will you stand the fuck still? You’re starting to make me nervous.”
I shoot daggers at Judge. “I’m not nervous,” I bit out.
“Then why in the hell do you look like you’re getting ready to haul ass out of here?”
Ignoring his question, I grumble, “What in the hell is taking so long?”
“They’re women,” Trouble answers. “They always take a long time to get ready for shit like this.”
I look down at my watch and frown when I notice the time. Eden, Remi, and Millie should have been here ten minutes ago. What in the hell is going on? Has something happened to them? Did she change her mind? Did they get into a wreck on their way to the church? Are they lying in a mangled car on the side of the road? There’s no one in town who could come across them because they’re all fucking here.
“Check your phone, Trouble, to see if Remi’s messaged you.”
Before he has a chance to pull out his phone, music starts through the speakers and Thea appears at the end of the aisle. I let out a relieved sigh.
Thea is beautiful in a light blue dress with white bows around her waist. Her hair is done up in some fancy do and she looks happy. She still has a long way to go to mentally heal from her life with our parents, but she’s different from the quiet frightened girl when I first brought her here months ago. Despite the first eleven years of her life being anything but easy, she’s smart, caring, and very much loved by everyone in Malus.
My eyes move past her to Remi. I hear Trouble blow out a breath beside me. She has on the same dress as Thea’s, except hers show off her womanly curves. Trouble’s a lucky bastard to have her.
Millie is next in a matching gown, looking just as stunning as Remi and Thea.
My damn breath catches when I spot Eden step into the doorway, accompanied by her dad. The woman makes my heart pound heavily in my chest with her beauty. There are several things about this day I’ve been waiting on for months. Seeing her in her wedding dress, giving her my last name, cutting the cake and shoving it in each other’s faces, our first dance, the wedding night.