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“You killed our mother and you smiled about it! Because she dared to talk back! Because she dared to stand up and try to course correct you. Because she saw you turning into this monster and wanted to save you. You killed that woman for loving you. And you’ll never be my father because of it!”
My father’s nostrils flared. I felt my knees weakening as my anger eroded at the rest of the strength I had left. I balled up my fists, ignoring the guns pointed at me. And with every sniffle that came from Dani, the need to rescue her grew inside me. My head swirled with pain. I swallowed down every single bit o
f bile that crept up the back of my throat. My adrenaline spiked again, dimming the pain. Dimming it just enough for me to focus back on my father.
Whose smile grew even wider.
“Then maybe you should learn from her mistakes,” he said.
I shook my head. “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to slaughter you. And then, I’m going to hang you from the highest building in this fucking town as a reminder to what happens when you fuck with the people I love.”
Dad wiped at his face. “Really, Max. You should learn a few manners while you’re at it.”
I held my head high. “You’re worthless. You’re worth nothing to anyone if they don’t fear you. You’re nothing but a middleman. And a middleman can always be easily cut out. John? He’s a starter. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. That turf war? The one that fucked him up? He started it because he knew we had nothing without a space to call our own. We struck before they saw us coming and it’s the only reason we survived. Even when you abandoned us.”
He chuckled. “And what are you, Maxwell?”
I got in his face. “I’m a finisher, Dad. I might not always start shit. But I sure as hell end it.”
“Which is why you’ve made my decision very easy.”
“Yeah? And what decision is that?”
All of my muscles tensed. I saw something flicker behind my father’s eyes and I knew I had to prepare myself. My eyes tunneled. The only thing I saw was the face I wanted to pound into the pavement. I wanted to curb-stomp my father’s head until his brains were splattered against the perfect grass of his lawn. I wanted nothing more than to see the evil light in his eyes fade into nothingness before throwing him into that fucking kiln he had in his basement.
“Well? You gonna fill your son in on what you’ve got planned?”
Dad grinned. “I think you know what comes next.”
And as my father turned his back, I heard the darkened men scrambling around me.
“Max, no!”
39
Dani
I watched the fight unfold before me. I saw the five men jump Max as his father started making his way for me. The violence was unlike anything I’d ever witnessed. I screamed for Max. I screamed until my voice went hoarse. Could no one hear us? Did no one understand the insanity unfolding right now? I watched Max spring up from the throng of men. They went flying to the ground, and I couldn't peel my eyes away. He roared like a wild beast. He picked them up with his bare hands and slammed them against the ground. Every move he made was to hurt. To maim. To block.
To kill.
Every time his fist connected, blood splattered. Every time his boots connected, men groaned. Every time he tossed them over his shoulders, bones cracked. Broke. Shattered, for my ears to cringe upon. The animal within him raged, and I watched with fearful awe as he tore through those men like paper fucking sacks.
My blood ran cold as Max unleashed a roar that left me uncontrollably trembling.
“Max! Behind you!”
His eyes found mine before he whipped around. But the guy behind him was already slamming the butt of the gun into his chest. They both went down, and my blood ran cold as I craned my neck to try and see them. Men were piled on top of one another, creating a wall I couldn't see over. And as my heart fluttered in my chest, I drew in another deep breath.
“I wouldn't, if I were you.”
His father stepped in front of me, blocking my view. The sounds of my yells were swallowed as my eyes cased up his body. He hovered over me with his hands clasped behind his back. He smiled down at me with a twinkle in his eye that made me want to slap him the way he’d slapped me. My stomach felt sick. I felt like I was going to throw up again. But when that man grabbed my chin, it shocked me back to reality.
And anger filled my chest once more.
I waited with baited breath for him to stay something. As he held my head up, gazing into my eyes, I wondered what other horrors he’d done to people. I’d never forget those evil eyes so long as I lived. They’d haunt me. Forever. They’d define the word ‘Satan’ for me. Forever.
I thought about all the people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time with this man. People who said the wrong thing. Or said ‘hello’ to the wrong person. Who made a bad deal in exchange for their soul. Just like Satan himself did. I thought about Max’s mother. What she must’ve gone through before she was so disgustingly killed by this man.
