AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I buried the bodies somewhere no one will find them,” I continued. Each word carried the weight of the secrets I held, the grave acts I had committed. It was a necessary evil, a means to an end, and I had to see it through.
A glimmer of amusement danced in Hank’s eyes, a sadistic pleasure at the control he held over me. “Good,” he chuckled darkly. “You’ve done well, Declan. But this is just the beginning.”
I fought to keep the chaos within me hidden, the rising anger and desperation threatening to consume me. This man, Hank, he reveled in the pain he inflicted, in the power he wielded. But I couldn’t let my emotions betray me. I had to play his game, navigate the treacherous path laid before me.
“What’s next, Hank?” I asked, my voice tinged with a calmness. “You’ve got your proof. Now it’s time for you to hold up your end of the deal.”
Hank leaned back in his chair, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Oh, don’t you worry, Declan,” he sneered, relishing in the torment he inflicted. “I always keep my promises. But remember, the devil always collects his due. And you, my friend, are dancing with the devil himself.”
The weight of his words settled upon me, a chilling reminder of the game I had willingly stepped into. I had to tread carefully, maneuver through the darkness, and ensure that I emerged victorious. The lives of Clover and everyone else who had suffered were at stake.
As we continued our twisted conversation, I couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling of the impending disaster. The gas leak was a ticking time bomb, its presence a constant reminder of the risks.
The cruelty in Hank’s expression softened for just a moment, replaced by an emotion I couldn’t decipher. “Your vengeance is closer than you think, Declan,” he began. “The man you’re looking for is Jim Harlow.”
The name scratched my mind, sending a surge of shock through me. “Harlow . . . ,” I whispered, as if trying to summon a memory from a forgotten past. “He killed my mother?”
Hank nodded, a sinister seriousness casting a shadow over his usually gleeful countenance. “Indeed, he did. And I can tell you where to find him.”
The room seemed to spin as I grappled with the information. My mission, my vengeance, was right within my reach. “Where is he?”
His lips curled up into a smirk again, the temporary lapse of joviality replaced by his usual malicious grin. “Well, that’s the best part,” he sneered. “You know, Declan, the death of the trail guide wasn’t just business. It was my present to you.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. What was he playing at? My eyes narrowed as I leaned in, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Your mother,” Hank said, slowly, carefully, “was on a date with Clover’s father the night she was killed.”
The world stopped. The sounds of the room dulled as I focused on Hank’s words, the implications ripping through me like a bullet. “What?” I managed to choke out, the words barely a whisper. “Clover’s father?”
Hank nodded, his eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. “A tragic tale, isn’t it? Jim had a vendetta against Bill—that’s the trail guide’s father. Your mother was caught in the crossfire. As for Bill, he died in a rodeo accident years later. I figured killing his daughter was the next best thing for you. I’m a good leader. I like helping my hard workers.”
I sat in stunned silence, the information crashing over me like a tidal wave. I loved Clover and had been drawn to her resilience, her spirit, from the moment we’d met. Now, to learn our lives were so tragically intertwined . . . it was a revelation that threatened to drown me.
My heart pounded in my chest as I wrestled with my thoughts, my emotions. Anger. Betrayal. Love. Grief. They swirled within me, a whirlpool threatening to consume me. Yet, I had to remain composed, not let Hank see the distress ripping through me.
The knowledge of the gas leak became an afterthought, overshadowed by the revelations of the past. Hank was weaving a tale, revealing secrets that painted the world in shades of gray, obliterating the lines between friend and foe. It was a dangerous game, and the stakes were higher than ever before.
For Clover. For my mother. For myself. I had to stay in control. I had to win.
My thoughts spiraled, and just when I thought they couldn’t twist any further, Hank leaned forward, his mud brown eyes boring into mine. “But you didn’t finish the job, did you, Declan?” His voice was a razor-sharp whisper, cutting through the fog of my shock. “Clover is alive.”
The room spun. The frail thread holding my emotions together snapped. “She’s . . . dead.” Even saying it made my chest clench.
Hank leaned back, a deep, chilling laughter erupting from his throat. The sound echoed through the room, bouncing against the walls, and seemed to seep into my bones. His gaze never left mine as he fished his phone out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table, its screen glowing with an unread message.
“Then why did Jim just text me, saying he had her?” Hank drawled, his laughter subsiding into a cruel grin.
A gasp ripped through my throat, and my eyes locked onto the screen. A heavy silence filled the room, the gravity of his words hanging in the air. The taste of betrayal was bitter on my tongue, a deafening drum of despair in my chest. But within that turmoil, there was a glimmer of hope—Clover was alive. I just needed to hold onto that as I braced for the storm that was sure to come. The ticking time bomb of the gas leak had taken a back seat again; my focus was now saving Clover and defeating Jim Harlow. And Hank, too, if I could manage it.
Hank’s smirk widened, his eyes glinting with a malevolent delight. “I suppose you could save her, if she really means that much to you,” he taunted. “She’s where it all began. A few towns over. Poetic, really. She’ll die in the same spot your mother did.”
His words fell like a hammer onto my already shattered world. Hank had played us all like pieces on a chessboard, setting a deadly endgame into motion. But there was a fire burning in my veins now, a potent mix of anger, desperation, and determination.
“But I don’t like being disobeyed. And I don’t like loose ends. She knows too much. Jim is loyal. With any luck, he’ll kill you all. But you better hurry.”
Every fiber in my being screamed to lunge at him, to wipe that smug smile off his face, but I knew better. I had a greater mission, a higher purpose. Clover needed me.
Pushing back from the table, I picked up the worn silver lighter. My heart pounded a frenzied rhythm against my ribs, each beat an echoing affirmation of what I was about to do. Hank’s laughter still followed me, a haunting melody that filled the air, as I walked across the room. The worn wooden floorboards creaked under my weight, singing their own swan song.
