Chapter 17 #2
Tony Brennan’s house was easy to find. Blue with a white fence, just like Eddie said.
I parked down the street and watched. It was late afternoon now, and the scene in front of me was almost painfully normal.
A man in his thirties playing in the yard with three young kids.
A little girl, maybe six, and two boys who looked like twins, probably four.
They were laughing, running around, completely carefree.
Through the window, I could see a woman in the kitchen.
His wife, presumably. I watched for over an hour.
Watched Tony throw a ball with his sons.
Watched him push his daughter on a swing set.
Watched him scoop his daughter up and carry her inside while the boys ran in front of him, their giggles carrying on the air.
Something in my chest tightened. I thought about my own biological father. He was Olek's father too, though he'd never acknowledged me. Never claimed me. I'd been the bastard son, the reminder of an affair, someone to be hidden away. We didn’t have a relationship at all.
My mother got married when I was sixteen to a good man named Viktor who'd treated me like his own son. Who'd taught me how to fix cars, throw a punch, and be a man. It was his last name that I took. Borisov. My mother adopted it as well. He'd died three years later. Heart attack. Sudden and brutal.
Losing him had been worse than never having a father at all.
Because I'd known, briefly, what it was like to be wanted. To be loved by a father figure. To have that and lose it had nearly destroyed me. I’d found my way eventually and because of him.
I’d even been able to accept Olek as my brother when he came looking for me, something that I wouldn’t have been able to do before my Viktor came into my life.
My true father. Fuck the man who’s seed I came from.
I looked at Tony Brennan's house. To those kids who adored their father.
At the life they had and I couldn't do it.
Couldn't take their father away and make those children feel the loss I'd felt.
But I also couldn't leave loose ends. So I waited.
Watched as the lights in the kids' rooms went out one by one.
Watched as Tony and his wife settled on the couch to watch TV.
Then, around ten, Tony came outside and his wife was upstairs in bed. Alone. Probably to smoke or just get some air. I made my move. He didn't see me until I was right behind him, my gun pressed to his spine.
"Inside," I said quietly. "Don't make a sound. Don't wake your family."
He stiffened but obeyed, moving back into the house. I guided him to the kitchen, and stayed at an angle that allowed me to see both into the house and outside.
"Sit," I commanded.
He sat at the kitchen table, his hands shaking. "Please, I have kids. I have a wife. Please don’t kill me." He had the good sense to keep his voice low. Maybe he was the smart one like Eddie had said.
"I know you didn't talk to the cops about that murder that went down." I pulled out the gun and knife I'd used on Marcus. Placed them on the table between us. "But your friend Eddie did. And now he's dead."
Tony’s face went white. “And now it’s my turn?”
"You have a choice, Tony." I leaned against the counter. "You can die tonight. Quick, painless. Your family will think it was a home invasion. Tragic, but they'll move on eventually."
"Please—"
"Or," I continued, "you can live. But here's the deal.
You're going to pick up that gun and that knife.
Put your fingerprints all over them. And if any information about Marcus's murder ever surfaces, these weapons are going to turn up.
With your prints on them. You'll go to jail for two murders, actually, since this is also the gun I used on Eddie. "
Tony stared at the weapons, then at me. "You're giving me a choice?"
"I'm giving you a chance. More than Eddie got.
" I straightened. "Your kids need their father, Tony.
I'm not going to take that away from them.
But you need to understand that your silence isn't optional.
It's mandatory. And if you break it, you'll spend the rest of your life in prison while your kids grow up thinking you're a monster. "
He picked up the gun with shaking hands, then the knife. Held them for a moment, making sure his prints were clear.
"I won't say anything," he whispered. "I swear to God, I won't say anything."
"Good." I took the weapons back, wrapping them carefully. "A cop will be by tomorrow to interview you about Eddie’s statement. You tell him you don't know anything about any murder. That Eddie must have been confused or lying. You haven't seen him in days. Understand?"
"Yes."
"And Tony?" I leaned in close. "If you ever change your mind, if you ever grow a conscience, remember what's at stake. Not just your freedom. Your family. Your kids' future. Everything you love. Gone."
He nodded, tears streaming down his face. He swallowed and then looked me in the eye. “I don’t even know what murder you’re talking about.”
“Exactly.”
I left through the back door, taking the weapons with me. Mission accomplished.
The next morning, I listened in over the phone as our cop, Sam, interviewed Tony Brennan. The conversation went exactly as planned. Tony claimed ignorance. Said he had no idea what Eddie was talking about. Hadn't seen any murder. Didn't know where Eddie was now.
Sam, playing his part perfectly, leaned back in his chair. "If anything changes about what you remember, Tony, you call me first. I'll handle it. I'll be checking back."
Sam couldn’t say too much because he was wearing a body cam, making the entire thing look legit to anybody looking for information.
"I understand," Tony said quietly.
The interview ended, and I hung up the phone. It was done. The threat was neutralized. For now. If Tony talked, if anything went wrong, I knew what I'd have to do. Kids or not. But I'd given him a chance and given his kids a chance to keep their father.
Maybe that made me soft or weak. But I'd looked at that family and seen what I'd never had. And I couldn't bring myself to destroy it. I didn’t regret that.
I drove back to the hotel to Shanice, and the life I was building. When I walked into our room, she was reading in bed. She looked up, and her expression softened when she saw me.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Everything's fine." I stripped off my clothes and climbed into bed beside her, pulling her into my arms. "Just work. It's handled."
She settled against my chest, her fingers tracing patterns on my skin. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, baby." I kissed the top of her head. "But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere."
She tilted her head back to look at me. "Promise?"
"Promise."
I held her close, breathing in her scent, letting the tension of the last day of events drain away. Shanice was safe and our life together could officially begin.
And for now, that was enough.