I’m going to pull your goddamn eyes out with my bare fucking hands, old man. That kid is my people now.
I burst through the screen door, rushing toward Lucas, when I felt a crack on the back of my head that sent me flying, face first, off the porch and into the dirt. I’d been clocked by a baseball bat before. I knew what it felt like. Some motherfucker had been on the other side of the door, waiting for me, and I should have known that.
“Hope you don’t mind us showing up like this, Hunter, but you haven’t been exactly returning my calls lately.”
I could see him walking toward me as my vision started to fade in and out.
Get up, Hunter. Get the fuck up. Now.
I started to push myself off the ground and then I felt a boot come down hard between my shoulder blades, forcing my face back into the dirt.
All right, how many of you fuckers are there?
I felt the butt of a bat come down on the back of my skull and the warm sensation of blood running down the side of my face. The last thing I heard as I passed out was footsteps coming closer and Lucas screaming into the old man’s hand that covered his mouth.
Chapter 48
Hunter
“Hey. Easy, easy, we don’t want Hunter here dying on us already. I’ve got a few things I want to talk over with him first. You alive, boy? Hey! I’m talking to you, you piece of shit.”
I could hear the old man walking toward me as I started to come to. I opened my eyes just in time to see his brown dress shoe come flying at me and connect with my mouth, snapping my head back violently.
“Stand this ungrateful fuck up. Hunter, Hunter? You with me boy, or did we hit your dumb ass too hard with that fucking bat?”
I was suddenly being pulled to my knees by two sets of arms. I felt boots go down on the backs of my legs as I was held there. I spat blood and saw it mix with the dirt in front of me. I was used to blood being spilled, it just wasn’t generally mine.
I looked up and smiled at the old man. I could feel the blood on my teeth and taste it on my tongue. I spit more onto the ground.
“Hey there, pops,” I breathed out. “What took you so fucking long? You a Sunday driver now, old man?”
He just stood there and laughed, all the while keeping a hand on Lucas’s mouth and the tip of a blade against his skin. He looked around at the crew he had brought with him. I didn’t recognize any faces. Maybe he cleaned house trying to figure out if anyone had helped me or if I’d acted alone. He should have fucking known better.
“Am I fucking crazy, boys? I’m actually happy to see this fucking puke. Look at him. What a fucking beast. It’s a goddamn shame you’ve got to go out like this, Hunter, but you have no one to blame but yourself, son.”
I stared back at him as the two fucks behind me dug their heels into my hamstrings. He was pathetic. Thinning slicked back hair, doughy body, wearing a fucking overcoat and dress shoes in the middle of the mountains. I hated him before, and I wanted to carve his goddamned heart out now. He hadn’t been able to beat on me since I was Luke’s age, and I guess the fucker was happy to see me because now he finally got his chance. He had to bring a couple of goons to do the dirty work for him, but that was par for the course with the bastard. All the evil, none of the goddamn strength. I would have felt bad for him, if I wasn’t fantasizing about pulling his teeth out with a pair of pliers.
“So, Hunter. My wayward fucking son. You care to enlighten me on how we have landed ourselves in this horrendous fucking situation here?”
I stared back at him and laughed.
“Go fuck yourself. You’re not my fucking family. Enlightened enough for you?”
“Oh, see, now that’s not going to get us anywhere. Crying like a little bitch and bleeding. I’m going to kill you, Hunter. You fucking know that. You’re an ape, but you know how this aspect of my business works. I want to hear some sort of explanation as to why you fucking felt the need to smoke one of my employees and then bolt with a sizable amount of my money. If I get that, maybe I’ll just put a bullet in your little friend’s head here instead of slicing his throat and making you watch him bleed out.”
He shook Lucas and pressed the blade closer to his neck.
I lunged forward but the two cunts behind me dug their boots in deeper and I couldn’t move.
“Well? What the fuck, Hunter? Do I have to go get your little lady from inside as well? Do I have to get her before you’ll talk? What’s her name again? Now, isn’t that awful? I can’t even remember the name of the piece of pussy. What’s her name again, kid?”
I just glared back at the old man with daggers flying from my eyes.
“I have no idea what you’re fucking talking about.”
He clenched his teeth and pushed the blade closer to Lucas’s neck.
“Don’t you fucking lie to me, you little puke. I know that bitch is up there. I know she’s this kid’s fucking sister. I know you’ve been playing house in this goddamn town. I know she’s in there, Hunter. Now call her out or I go in and bring her out by her fucking tits.”
I looked back at him and just smiled.
“I think this is the most I’ve ever seen you smile, Hunter. She must suck your dick pretty fucking good, hey?”
I kept smiling at him, trying to piss him off, trying to buy myself some time as I racked my brain for a way to get to the blade on my leg. The old fuck kept rambling.
“I know this house has been used for diddling kids for many a year now. The old fuck who lived here, he had a partner in crime. The partner is dead now too, but he was the worst of all. He even locked his own kid in the basement with a pack of pit bulls. Funniest shit I ever heard of. Fucking locked the kid up with fighting dogs. I don’t remember how that turned out, but I’d bet it didn’t go too well for the fucking boy.”
I just spat on the ground in front of his feet.
“Now where is your fucking bitch, Hunter? If you think for two fucking seconds that I believe that you are out here alone with this kid, you’re even dumber than I thought. Now, I’m going to ask one more time, where is your piece of pussy?”
Hearing him refer to her like that, the words sliding between his greasy fucking lips, made me lose it. I was seeing red and I ripped one of my arms away from the grip behind me. Before I could launch myself after the old man, I felt a pair of brass knuckles come crashing down on my jaw, making my entire body go limp. As I lifted my head I saw a thick string of my blood drop to the dirt.
“Where’s that whore of yours, Kelly?” the old man said.
How in the fuck did he know her name? How did he know that Lucas was her kid brother?
I barely found this shit out until yesterday and now he was fucking standing there knowing everything I did. Worse than that, he had a goddamn leg up on me.
“I’m going to kill you slow, pop. I’m going to make you watch as I pull your fucking guts out. Then I’m going to let you bleed. You’ll bleed slow, you miserable old prick.”
I spit toward him and watched it spray in front of my face. I was going to kill the old fucker. I didn’t know how, but I was going to watch him bleed. I looked into his black eyes and could tell that he knew too. He had me. He had us. But he was fucking afraid.
You should be, you cocksucker. Enjoy this moment. The last minutes of your miserable life are going to be brutal agony and you are going to have to look me in the eye as you take your last breath. You are going to know that I am ending you.
He shook himself away from my stare and laughed his sick, phony laugh.
“Well, Hunter, normally I would bet on you, son. But those days are over. You aren’t worth the fucking dirt I’m about to slaughter you and your little friends on. All right, boys. Bring out the bitch.”
Some of his henchmen entered the house, and I could hear Kelly scream and fight as she was carried down the porch steps.
“Let me go. Let me go. Stop. Just let go. Hunter. Hunter, help.”
I could hear her pain as she called my name. I felt her f
ear as I had to kneel there, fucking bleeding, as she got manhandled. My body started to shake uncontrollably and I felt a mixture of saliva and blood spraying from my mouth with every labored exhalation of my breath. I ripped my arms back and forth, throwing the bodies that held them from side to side. I was getting out of this and I was going to murder each and every one of these motherfuckers, leaving the old man for last. This was it. My vision trembled and all sound around me cut in and out as I swung and twisted my way free.
And that’s when I felt it.
The cool blade sunk into my shoulder and the painful heat came as the blood began to flow out and down my back. I let out a primal scream that goddamn should have been heard the next town over. I lost my momentum and felt the two pukes behind me get their grip again. The old man just laughed.
I was going to fucking feed him his heart.
Chapter 49
Kelly
“No,” I cried, as they sunk the blade into Hunter’s shoulder.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was down on his knees, bleeding, with two gigantic men holding him there. They were actually holding him there. He couldn’t move and I realized in that moment that I had never felt fear in my entire life like I was feeling just then. True and hopeless fear.
“Well, Hunter. I must say, boy, I knew she would have to be something else to reign you in, but that is a grade-A piece of pussy you found yourself. No wonder you wanted to hunker down here for a while. Do the pretend family thing. Bravo, kid. Bravo.”
I looked over to see who was saying these things about me and saw an old, bloated man with a knife to Lucas’s throat.
“Luke,” I cried. “Luke. Are you okay? Why are you doing this? Why?”
I tried to fight free, but there was no escaping the huge arms that were holding onto me. I just watched my legs flail in the air as my screams went silent and I fell limp.
“God damn you,” I cried. “Why are you doing this? Why are you?” I trailed off and closed my eyes, just hoping this would all go away. But it didn’t. I opened my eyes on the same horror. Lucas with a knife to his throat, Hunter beaten and bloodied in front of me, and nothing I could do. What could I do?
“Oh, easy now, little lady, did Hunter not tell you we were coming?”
The man holding Luke looked over at Hunter, shaking his head in disapproval.
“Hunter, I’m upset. Did you not tell your girlfriend that your old man was coming for a visit?”
I could see the fire in Hunter’s eyes as he stared back. I could see the hatred pouring out of him. This was his father. The time had come. I couldn’t believe that everything he had talked about was actually coming true. I was so caught up in the bliss of being with him that the reality of who he was had barely had a chance to sink in. That all changed now. Now, I was staring at all the evil in Hunter’s life as he, Luke, and I were held there, helpless.
“How the fuck did you find us, pop?” Hunter finally said, as he lifted his head so his nose was toward the sky. He wasn’t going down yet, but I had no idea how long he could last, how long we could last.
Hunter’s father chuckled as he held the knife to Lucas’s neck.
“Come on, Hunter. Give me some credit here. I do run a hell of a business, you know? I did it long before you ever arrived, and I’ll do it long after I dispose of your sorry ass. We had you tracked for a while, kid. Just took me a bit to get myself organized is all.”
Hunter just stared back at him and laughed.
“You mean it took you a while to grow the balls? That’s what you mean isn’t it? You fucking coward.”
“Easy, Hunter. Don’t go running that mouth or I’ll make this slow and painful on you and your little family here.” He paused and then shook his head in sarcastic embarrassment. “What am I thinking? I forgot we had one more member of this lovely crew to bring out.”
He waved one of the men off me and motioned to the trunk of his car.
Who could he be talking about? No. Please, God, no.
Sure enough, as I felt a sick scream start in my stomach and pour out of my mouth, they pulled Grace out of the trunk.
I dropped as she was hauled out in front of Hunter like some sort of animal. He fought and he struggled and he screamed, but he couldn’t break free. Grace was bleeding and bruised. They had roughed her up. I was screaming, but I couldn’t hear a sound. I just watched while Grace wept as she was paraded out in front of us. I had never cried harder in my life. The sweetest and most innocent woman in my life had been beaten and degraded and it was all because of me.
“Kelly. Kelly, I’m so sorry dear. I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”
Grace was shaking as she was led toward me.
“Grace. Grace. Are you okay? I’m so sorry.” I turned to Hunter’s father and screamed at him. “How could you do this? What’s wrong with you? You’re a monster.”
I could see rage boiling in his eyes as he lifted the blade from Lucas’s neck and pointed it at me.
“Now, see here, cunt,” he seethed. “You little ladies can make apologies to each other and hate me all you want, but there’s one person, and one person only, to blame for this little predicament we all find ourselves in.”
He brought the blade down and aimed it at Hunter.
“If this ungrateful piece of garbage hadn’t turned his back on the only family his worthless ass ever knew, none of us would be here.” He turned his head and looked at Hunter. “So, Hunter boy. The man of the hour. How do you want this to go down? You’re going to die, that was decided the moment you took off in a car full of my money, but maybe, just maybe, I’ll show some mercy to the broads and this little punk if you beg me for your life. And, by mercy, I mean I’ll put bullets in their heads instead of letting the boys have their fun with them as you watch.”
Hunter stared back at him with all the anger inside him. I could see his chest heaving and all the muscles in his body tensing with every breath.
“I’m going to cut your fucking balls off, old man.”
As I stood there looking out on all the men and weapons scattered across the driveway, I felt like I was about to faint. This wasn’t real life. This sort of thing didn’t really happen to people.
“Hunter,” the old man laughed, “I’ve got to say, kid, the odds aren’t exactly stacked in your favor. One last chance, son, or I start by slitting this little fucker’s throat. Then I move on to the women.”
“Do what you’ve got to do, old man,” Hunter said flatly, condemning my brother to death. I couldn’t believe my ears.
“No. Please. Let him go. Hunter, what’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with all of you?” I was kicking and screaming and everything else seemed still.
“Will you control that bitch, please?” the old man shouted.
I looked over to where Hunter knelt with a blade in his shoulder and saw him staring at Lucas. They both had a calm about them and everything seemed to go quiet at once. I could see that Hunter’s breathing had slowed and Lucas had no tears streaming down his cheeks anymore.
I had no idea what was about to happen, but it was going to be a bloodbath. I just prayed we were the ones left standing after the dust settled.
Chapter 50
Hunter
“So,” who’s it going to be, Hunter? We going to waste you all at the same time, or do you want me to start one by one with these fucking civilians? Make a choice, lad. It will be your last.”
My vision was red. I didn’t know how I could get to him, but I knew I had to. He was five feet away, but it might as well have been five hundred. If I could just get to the blade on my ankle.
“I can start with the kid here if you want?” the old man continued.
That’s it, you sorry old prick. Keep rattling on. You’re all fucking talk and always have been. Never lifted a finger to do any dirty work in your whole miserable life. That’s why you brought this crew of punks with you. That, and you knew I’d cut you from your balls to your chin if you came alone. Keep talk
ing, coward. Give me some time to fucking think.
“Or maybe I’ll start with the old girl here? She is the one that got us here, after all.”
He motioned his head toward Grace.
“Imagine my surprise when we rolled into the only diner in town and this one just started pouring her guts out about one of her waitresses taking off with some tattooed drifter. I must have done something right in my fucking life to get that kind of luck dropped in my lap. Can’t fucking think what it might be, but I must have done something.”
Grace was weeping. She had led them right to me, right to Kelly. I couldn’t fucking blame her though. She had no reason to think the well dressed man sitting in her diner today was on the warpath. She had seen me beat the life out of two people and was afraid I was going to hurt the closest thing she had to children. She didn’t trust me, and of course she had reason not to. Every instinct she had about me was right, and now I had landed the whole lot of them in more trouble than any good person deserved. I had dragged them all down with me and now I had to get them all out.
Think, Hunter, fucking think.
My head was racing a mile a minute and getting nowhere. If I managed to get these fucks off me, the old man would slit Luke’s throat. If I got to Luke, Kelly or Grace would go down at the old man’s order. I was fucked. We were all completely fucked.
I looked over to Kelly and she stared back at me. She had the same look in her eye that she always had. The one begging me to save her.
I turned back toward Lucas and saw the look in his eye too. I went fucking silent and felt the blood slow in my veins. He wasn’t looking at me and he wasn’t looking at his sister. He was staring up at my old man with pure, burning hatred. I had given the old man that same look many times, but I had never seen it out of anyone else, especially a goddamn kid.
Luke, you’ve got to be fucking joking.
The little punk had a knife to his throat and all he was thinking was murder. He wanted to gut that old fucker as much as I did, and he was trying to figure out how he was going to do it. He saw nothing else. I knew that feeling. I knew it well and I couldn’t believe the fucking balls on this kid standing in front of me.
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