Nila #3
“You’re not stupid, child. You know you’ll pay for this the moment Clarity returns. There are worse things than death. Haven’t you learned that yet?”
“I know.”
“Then get off me and I’ll make sure they don’t maim you too much.” Her smile was evil personified. “However, wait another moment longer, and I’ll personally tear you limb from fucking limb.”
The curse fell from her red painted lips.
I smiled, cocking my head. “Not yet. I want answers first.”
“I’ve given you plenty of answers.”
“No, that was convoluted history seen through your twisted eyes.”
She snorted.
“I want to know why you are the way you are. Why you’re ludicrously set on an ancient vendetta. Are you just mad and passed that defective gene onto your son or did you grow into this despicable creature?”
“You stupid, stupid girl. I’ve helped keep this family together. There is nothing wrong with loving blood over others.”
“Even murder?”
She grinned, showing yellowing death and bad breath. “Especially murder.” She raised her head off the ground, bringing our eyes closer together. “Especially your bloodline’s murder. You owe us.”
“What did we ever do to you to deserve such barbaric treatment?”
“You know what!”
“No, I don’t. I will never understand because there is nothing rational to understand. It’s just a sickness inside you that needs to end.”
She coughed, her ancient lungs rattling. “You don’t know a thing about me.”
“Tell me. I’m giving you the opportunity, right now.” I glared. “I want to know. This is your last chance.” A contorted smile spread my lips. “Call it your last confession. Purge your sins, Bonnie, because I’m sending you to your grave—secrets told or not.”
No fear shone on her face, only black rebellion. “I have nothing to confess.”
“Bullshit.”
I don’t have time for this.
I wanted to know Bonnie’s tale. I wanted to try and understand why someone would go to such lengths. But I wouldn’t sacrifice my only opportunity to kill her.
“You don’t want to talk? Fine. I changed my mind.
” Gritting my teeth against another influx of pain, I grabbed her scarf—the pretty silk decoration to match her despicable outfit—and tugged it tighter around her neck.
“Want to know what I promised myself when I first came to your home and was told what would become of me?”
She pushed at my hands, sending a shard of agony down my break as I slowly tightened the scarf. Her eyes bugged wider and wider.
“I made an oath to be the last Weaver stolen. At times, I didn’t know how I would honour that vow. But now...I do.”
She begged for air, her lips gasping. I wasn’t throttling her...yet, but the fear of strangulation sent droplets of panic across her overly powdered face.
The stench of rose water and summery perfume gave me a headache, but nothing would stop me doing this.
I lessened my hold a little. “Now, before I go too far. Do you want to know what I know or would you rather die clueless?”
Are you sure this is wise?
My arm throbbed as I doubted my actions.
Daniel’s death wasn’t only my secret. Jethro would be implicated, too. I couldn’t risk his life if Bonnie told—
Told!
I laughed out loud. Who is she going to tell? She’ll be dead within moments...
Something corrupted inside me. Something I didn’t want to acknowledge. Straddling Bonnie, I was cold-hearted and focused—more Hawk than Weaver and ready to bloody my hands for revenge.
“No, you have nothing of value to tell me. Get off me, you heathen.” Bonnie tried to buck me off, but her ninety-plus years meant it was like pinning down a fluttering leaf.
I bent further. “I know where Daniel is.”
She went deathly still.
“Do you understand?” I bared my teeth. “Do you get what I’m telling you?”
Her gaze narrowed, disbelief shadowing them. “You’re saying you killed my grandbaby?”
“I’m saying he hurt me and paid the price.”
Bonnie shifted, trying to kick beneath me. The grey tinge staining her face slowly spread over her cheeks and throat. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” I laughed softly. “What if I explained a bit more? What if I told you a bed-time—? No, a kill-time story. And prove I’m telling the truth?”
No reply.
Digging my knees, imprisoning her skirt tighter, I wrapped her scarf around my fist. “He won the coin toss against Cut. He got first right to rape me. Rape. A word so abhorrent, a family should disown any offspring who would ever do such a thing. And yet, you encourage them. You like your sons and grandsons to take what isn’t theirs to take.
“Well, Daniel would’ve made you proud that night. He hurt me. Kicked me. Knocked me out for a few moments. But he didn’t understand how powerful the will to live is, or the single-minded determination sheer hate can deliver.
“He did take me—just a little—and I let him. Does that shock you? That I didn’t fight the final part when he invaded my body just enough to taint my soul?”
Bonnie swallowed, her breathing erratic, her chest lurching beneath my hold.
“I let him think he’d won, but really, I guided him to his death. I’d come prepared and I had my weapon of choice within my grasp. While he focused on rape and pleasure, I turned cold and ruthless.”
I tugged the scarf. “I hugged him, you’ll be glad to know that. I hugged your grandson as I jammed my metal knitting needle through his heart.”
Bonnie sucked in a noisy breath. “No...”
“Oh, yes. I took great satisfaction driving that needle through Daniel’s soulless chest. He didn’t see it coming. He was too arrogant to notice until it was too late.” My mind skipped back to the tent, recalling the last breath, the final topple of his corpse. “It was over so fast.”
Bonnie spluttered, “But, they—they haven’t found his body. You’re lying. He’s alive. I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to believe me. It’s the truth.” I smiled brutally. “Only you know what really happened. Cut suspects me, but he has no proof.”
“But how...” The muscles in her neck stood out, straining against translucent skin. “How did you hide his body?”
Even on her back, with death hovering over her, Bonnie remained frosty and aloof. If I didn’t hate her, I might’ve respected her. She was the same formidable force Mabel Hawk had been. The same invincible dowager.
I stroked her papery cheek. “I didn’t.”
She glowered. “Then it can’t be—”
“A Hawk did.” I twisted her scarf a little more.
More sweat dotted her forehead. Her fingers scrabbled at the obstruction.
“The Hawk who’s in love with me and is fully on my side.”
Her eyes popped wide, then glared with the hate of a thousand hells. “Jethro.”
“Yes, Jethro...Kite. The man I agreed to marry.”
Sharing my secrets even to a gnarly old cow lightened my heart. In two breaths, I’d admitted to murder and marriage. Not exactly two subjects that went hand in hand.
But they do in this case.
Without murder, Jethro and I would never be allowed to get married. We’d never be allowed to live.
The deadline of my own demise tried to shred my confidence. I might be the killer currently, but soon, I would be back to being the prey.
Spittle flew from Bonnie’s lips. “Impossible. Jethro is loyal. He knows his responsibilities—”
“Responsibilities?” I laughed in her face. “Your son shot him. That loyalty died the moment you had him killed in cold blood. We’re together. Against all of you.”
Bonnie shuddered. “Never. A Hawk would never work with a Weaver.”
“Lies. I know more of your history now. I know that Hawks gave Weavers leniencies throughout the years. I also know there was more than one generation who tried to stop this ludicrous debt.”
“You know nothing, you insolent child.”
My heart raced as I shook my head. Short black hair curtained my cheeks, giving the illusion we were already in a coffin, blocked off from the world.
“I know Jethro walked in and saw his brother dead. I know he helped me clean up. I know he—”
“How that boy is still alive is beyond me.” Bonnie interrupted me as if she couldn’t stand to hear more. Perhaps she did care, after all. “It’s an abomination of nature.”
My fingers tightened. “No, I’ll tell you what’s the abomination. That’s you. You’re the abomination. You twisted your family into criminals.”
I waved at the room, the majestic Hall, the entire Hawksridge estate. “This is more than most people will have in their entire lives. You have everything, yet you seek to destroy everyone.”
I rushed my parting words. “Once Jethro arrived, he helped me dispose of Daniel. We took him outside the fence of Almasi Kipanga. We left him on the plains...”
Understanding etched Bonnie’s grey-washed face.
“You know, don’t you? You know what happened from there.”
Her pallor turned sickly, her lips tinting blue. “They ate him.”
I nodded. “They ate him. Piece by piece. Chunk by chunk. Daniel no longer exists. Just like you will no longer exist.”
My arm pushed harder, pressing her against the carpet. “I’ve killed your grandson, but I haven’t finished.”
Bonnie tried to yell.
I clamped a hand over her lips. “Ah, no bringing attention to us. I haven’t told you the best part yet.”
She shook her head, trying to free her mouth.
“I’m going to kill your son. I’m going to ensure your mad family tree dies. Only sane Hawks will continue. I’m going to kill Cut. I don’t know how, but I will. The only one who will pay the Debt Inheritance is him.”
Her struggles became frantic.
I held her down, riding her like she was a bucking bronco. I waited for her to tire herself out so I could look her in the eye as I strangled her. Only...she never tired.
Her body moved inhumanely, twitching like the undead, knocking me off her with super strength. Her gaze locked with mine; she stiffened and bowed. Her right arm flailed outward and the ire in her gaze changed to terror.
My stomach tangled as her entire body scrunched up in agony.
Shit.
Four-hundred and five.
Four-hundred and six.
Four-hundred...and seven...heartbeats.
She’s having a heart attack.
Seconds whizzed past as the knowledge sank deep.
No!
Fate stole her death away from me.
I wanted to take it.
Her heart.
Her life.
She owed me.
But the very thing I’d stabbed in Daniel was now failing in Bonnie.
Thump—thump. Thump...
“Damn you, Bonnie.” I climbed to my feet, standing over her with the flower shears. I’d wanted to capture her soul as it escaped her body but destiny hadn’t judged me worthy. Perhaps claiming Daniel’s soul was all I was allowed. Bonnie’s belonged to more powerful entities.
The ghosts of my ancestor’s filled her chest cavity, slipping into heart chambers, blocking veins and arteries.
Her back arched as if an exorcism was performed. She reached for me. The greyness of her face slipped straight into starch white. “He—hel—help...”
“No...”
I backed away.
I wasn’t worthy enough to take her life, but I would watch every moment. I would stand vigil as she passed away at my feet and would cherish the moment when she existed no more.
But then the door swung in.
The fucking door swung and Cut entered.
He stormed into the room. Summoned by deep family bond, his posture switched from confident and assured to frozen in shock.
His eyes bounced between me standing over his mother with sharp scissors and Bonnie convulsing on the floor.
His eyes glittered, his face arranging into symptoms of disbelief, shock, and outrage.
How long did it take someone to die of cardiac arrest?
Die, Bonnie. Die.
The mantra repeated from when I’d killed Daniel.
Die, Hawk. Die.
“Fuck!” Cut launched into action, sprinting across the boudoir and slamming to his knees beside his mother.
She rattled and chortled, breathless and wheezing. Her eyes begged for help while her heart suffocated.
“Hold on. Hold on.” Raising his voice, he screamed, “Someone call a fucking ambulance!”
No one replied. No Diamond Brothers spilled into the room. No one to take orders.
I just stood there.
A morbid spectator as Bonnie faded from this world.
“Call a fucking helicopter!” Cut didn’t seem to notice his orders fell on deaf ears. I’d never seen him so normal. So afraid and lost.
I paced back and forth, hugging my smarting arm, hoping no one heard his commands. An ambulance would be too slow...but a helicopter? That might be too fast.
Die faster, Bonnie. Faster.
And fate listened.
Life chose its victor.
Me.
Thump...thump-thump—thump.
Heartbeats failing.
Heartbeats ceasing.
Cut cradled his mother as she quickly lost the elderly crone persona and tumbled into an emaciated corpse.
My secrets dying with her.
My sins silencing with her.
However, Bonnie didn’t go quietly. She gave a parting gift, granting her final breath to me, sending me straight to damnation.
“She—” Bonnie gasped. “Dan—Dan—Daniel. She—”
Cut wiped her forehead, pushing away soaked strands of white hair. “Shush, save your strength. The doctors are coming.”
Bonnie spread her lips, lipstick staining her teeth. She knew as well as I did she wouldn’t be living another day. Gathering every last remaining strength, she raised her quaking arm, pointed her finger, and hissed, “She kil—killed hi—him.”
And that was it.
Last heartbeat.
Last breath.
Her eyes latched smugly onto mine, then closed forever.
I’d killed my second Hawk.
But she’d delivered me into terrible torture.
Her arm tumbled to her side, bouncing off her dead flesh, coming to rest awkwardly by her side.
For a moment, the room mourned its owner. Flower petals drooped and curtains twitched with a non-existent breeze.
Then Cut raised his head, eyes glittering with unshed tears, face swelling with unadulterated hatred. “You...”
I raised my scissors, backing away.
He didn’t move, hugging his dead mother, my second victim—stolen, not at my hand, but by the poltergeists of my ancestors.
“You killed Daniel.”
Two choices.
One future.
I was so sick of running. So sick of hiding. So sick of being weak.
I didn’t run.
I didn’t deny it.
Instead, I held my chin high and claimed all that I’d achieved.
I’d won; they’d lost. So be it if my life was now over.
“Yes. Yes, I killed him. I took his life, I disposed of his body, and I enjoyed every damn second of it.”
Cut gasped.
I smiled.
We didn’t move as the next battle was drawn.