Page 103 of Kill Me

Eric screams as Bones pours the remainder of the petrol all over him.

He cries out, and I remove his gag. “What’s that, Little Brother?”

“I said, I’ll fuck you in Hell, big sister.”

Bones strikes the match, checking if it's still okay for him to throw it down. I nod at him, and just as he lets go of the match, I turn the compressor up to full throttle. Eric bursts into flames in front of my eyes, and from the opposite side of the garage, I watch them dance in the eyes of the man I love.

“Not if I fuck you first, Little Brother.”

Chapter Fifty-Six

Quinn - Six Months Later

Betrayal - Warren Zeiders

Today is one of the final steps in my road to recovery. Visiting my childhood home and having a conversation with my dad. There’s been no communication since the day he dropped me at the hospital. Since then, he’s lost everything. But he has a chance to redeem himself and maybe recreate a life with his only remaining daughter. He has no idea I was involved in what happened with my mum and Eric; there was no evidence I was a part of it anyway.

I lift my hand to knock on the door and listen for the sounds on the other side of it.

“Who is it?” A muffled voice from the other side of the door asks.

“It’s me. Quinn.”

The door is quickly unlatched, and I’m met with the face of my dad. He looks healthy.

“Pumpkin?”

The sound of my favourite childhood nickname on his tongue has my feet almost giving way, and he runs to catch me. We collapse in a heap on the doorstep with Bones behind me, watching and waiting for any hint of my father upsetting me. I cry into the shoulder of my dad. The man who always promised to protect me.

Since that night with Eric, he’s been more hands-on with Lulu and the shop. I think it awoke something inside of him that sees me in every person he saves. Since figuring out we were each other's childhood sweethearts, we’ve learnt more and more about each of our pasts.

It’s been a rough ride of heartbreak, trauma and healing. But I can honestly say for the first time in my life, I feel almost healed. This is the last piece to my fucked-up puzzle.

After a few minutes, my cries have become sniffles, and he pulls away. “I think it’s time for me and you to have a chat, don’t you?” I nod.

“Before I come in, I need to introduce you to someone. This is—”

“Harley, yes, I know who he is.”

“How?”

“Once Eric had died, Keelan came round. He’s kept me up-to-date on things he felt like I should know, but nothing that would betray a boundary of anything you’ve confided in him.”

I got back in touch with Keelan in between my mum and Eric dying. I wanted to see where his loyalties lay in regard to his friends. It turns out, I needn’t have worried, because if I hadn’t done it, he was already planning to.

He’s since come on board at The Trident and is earning his keep helping us put the abusers away. Whether that be in prison or otherwise.

“I figured he may do that. I know I wrote to you after Mum died, but I just haven’t been ready to see you. I had things I had to deal with first. Things that you now need to know about.” He nods glumly.

“I’ve waited for this day for so long. I have no expectations from you. I will listen to what you have to say; the only thing I ask is that, in return, you listen to what I have to say, too.”

“I think that’s a fair trade. Harley must be present, though. I don’t feel comfortable being alone with you yet.”

Shame covers his face, and I feel bad. “I’m sorry, Dad. It’s not you. I’ve just worked really hard to get to where I’m at, and he knows I’ll put myself in situations I’m not comfortable with in order to get answers. If he’s around, he knows I’ll use my safe word when I need to.”

“That makes sense.” He reaches out a hand for Harley to shake and for a second, I’m not sure if it’s going to be welcomed. He has a preconceived notion of my father. He believes he was also a victim, but suspicion, where I’m concerned, will always be his go-to reaction. He lost me once. He’s not prepared to lose me again.

He shakes my dad’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. I’ve heard a lot about you.”