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“Over here, Boss,” Harris calls out to me. Jacob stands side by side with him, trying to figure something out. “We have a problem.”
“What seems to be the fucking issue?” I ask, already annoyed that there is one.
“Um… I think he’s dead,” Jacob states. His eyes travel to mine before falling to the man in the chair.
“You think?” I yell as I come to stand beside them, running my hand over my hair. “What the fuck happened?”
The man in question is sitting in a chair, naked, his arms and legs bound. His body is peppered with bruises and caked with dried blood. Fingernails scatter the floor below him, and blood still drips from the wounds.
“Someone better talk before they end up in the same chair with the same punishment.” I look at both my men, their faces furrowed with confusion. “NOW!” I bellow.
“He was fine. Just fine. A couple of minutes ago, he just… died. I don’t know what happened, boss,” Jacob confesses. His voice seems puzzled.
“What do you mean ‘just died’? How? What did you two fucks do to him?”
“Nothing, boss. Nothing other than what you can see. I don’t get it either,” Harris replies.
“Check his mouth,” I tell them.
Harris takes a step forward and pries his mouth open. Sure as shit, there’s foam inside. He takes a step back, dropping his hands to his side.
Jacob looks at me, still puzzled. “What the fuck does that mean?”
I slap him upside the head. “It means he killed himself. Neither of you checked his mouth for anything. Did you?”
Both men shake their heads no as I turn around and hug my hands to the back of my neck. I sigh loudly, “Brilliant work. He was our only lead, and he killed himself… right in front of both of you. Run the tests and find out who he is and who he used to belong to. I have other problems to deal with. Take care of this,” I wave my hand to the man in the chair. “And try not to fuck anything else up.”
Chapter 27
Atlis
“Why? Why would you kill him? He was your fucking brother, Atlis! Why are you always so simple-minded? I didn’t fucking raise you to be this way!” My father screams at me from his chair behind his desk. He looks as if he’s aged years in a matter of days from stress alone. His hair is stringy and unkempt, the bags under his eyes are almost purple, and his frown lines are etched even further into his face. He pulls at the loose strands, angry with me, and waiting for a reply.
I sit in the small chair across from him. I nonchalantly look at my fingernails, the dirt ingrained into my nail beds holding all of my attention.
I don’t even look at him when I speak. “You did, in fact, raise me this way, Father. You raised me to be a murderer, a vile creature of the world you created just for me. Is this not what you planned for Kias?” I started to laugh and sing The Hearse Song by Harley Poe. “The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. The worms play Pinochle on your snout. They eat your eyes; they eat your nose. They eat the jelly between your toes.”
“ENOUGH, son! You always take things too far!”
I stand up and throw my palms down onto the wooden desk. Laughing maniacally, I add, “Far?! Too fucking far? You don’t get to tell me what is and isn’t too far! You, Father, are the problem. You’ve always been the problem. Can you not see why I did this? You have sat in this same study for years and years, bitching about me.” I mock my father’s voice, “Oh, Atlis, why can’t you be like your brother?’ ‘Atlis, why won’t you stop torturing people?’” I stop mocking him. “You order me to kill people, order me to do your dirty work, and then what? Expect me not to do anything? This isn’t a game, Rudy Moon, this is my fucking life! You created the monster that I have become. You are the reason I do the things I do!
“I’ve been trying to please you my entire life! Ever since Mom died, you have turned to your own demons, hiding behind this desk like a scared little child. Praising Kias for absolutely nothing. Do I get any praise? Do I ever get a ‘Thank you’ or a ‘Well done, Atlis. Clever work’? NO! I get NOTHING! I get absolutely nothing but dirty looks and scolding! If you didn’t want me to be this person, then why did you make me this way?” I turn and walk towards the door.
“Atlis. Sit down,” my father demands. His face is so flushed in anger– it’s the same shade as a red delicious apple.
“No, I’m done listening to you. I’m done being your plaything. You can’t try to keep the monster caged anymore. Nothing can stop me now. Fuck you. Fuck this house. Fuck this goddamned family!” I open the door and walk out, slamming it behind me.
I may have overreacted, but I’m tired of this. Tired of the games he plays, tired of the way he treats me. I’m just fucking tired. I want to go home, get Zolina into bed and lay there for the rest of our lives.
Chapter 28
Atlis
Unfortunately, when I walk in the double doors, about to pull my key card out, I’m interrupted.
“Um, Boss?” The blonde at the front desk asks for my attention. “Mrs. Moon isn’t at home. She, uh…”
“Well, Shelly, spit it out. I don’t have the entire night to waste on your stuttering,” I spit venomously.
