Chapter 74 Cole #2
“I-If I give you a name, will you let me go?”
“Yes, I’ll let you go.”
Vander Veer wiped his sweaty brow. “I-I don’t really know his true name. He is very beautiful. He has gifts. Unimaginable gifts. He can see the future.”
I rolled my eyes at that. These guys had been eating too many scrambled brains. I heard eating human flesh could fuck up your head. This was proof of that.
“Name,” Enzo demanded.
“Uh, Sy-Sy…Seth? Sylar? Silas? He-He isn’t well in his head. He hears voices and uses different names.”
“Multiple personalities?” Enzo asked.
Vander Veer nodded. “Y-Yes. Many. He is strange, but so beautiful.”
“Who is his father?” I asked.
“I-I don’t know. I only know he is a De Santis somewhere along the line.
Not a higher one, but one just the same.
His mother is also sick. Has the same illness that plagues him.
So I’ve heard.” He wiped at his forehead again.
“T-The boy cut out his stepfather’s eyes and fed them to him.
He does a lot of Everett’s torturing in the underground. Uses a fork to carve out eyes.”
I wrinkled my nose at that information. What the fuck?
“H-He is Everett’s eyes. He sees all. Knows all. H-He probably even knows you’re holding me captive. I am under Everett’s protection, you know.”
“Good. I hope Everett comes,” Enzo said easily. “I want to talk to him anyway. Since we’re here, where is that prick?”
“I-I told you what you wanted to know. I haven’t seen him since that meeting. We’re done here, right?”
“Oh, we’re far from done.” Enzo let out a soft, sinister laugh.
“He raped my two best friends. He let your daughter rape E. That doesn’t sit well with me.
You are responsible for all the shit wrong in my life.
For my parents’ deaths because you helped arrange the attack, didn’t you?
For Fox’s death. For E’s suffering. For my suffering?
” Enzo pounded his chest, snarling through his teeth.
“I had to give up my entire fucking world just to tear yours down.”
“I-I only wanted you to see,” Vander Veer pleaded. “The commoner wasn’t good for you—”
“She was no fucking commoner, you old fuck! She was a Russian heiress. Her marrying me would have fucked up a lot of things in this world. You knew it. Everett knew it. Fucking Sergio knew it. And now, I know it.” Enzo stood.
“I-I’m sorry. I was only looking out for my daughter—”
“You’re whore monster of a daughter is now my wife,” Enzo said softly. “And she will be dealt with soon.” Enzo exhaled as Vander Veer shook in his seat, weeping softly.
“I want to thank you for being a fool,” Enzo continued as I kept my gun trained on Vander Veer. “For signing your company over to me in order to marry your daughter. I loved how you didn’t even bother to read any of it.”
“I knew what was in it. You know it was approved by my attorneys! The seer said… he said it was the only way to the top,” Vander Veer choked out. “That’s what he said!”
“You old fool,” Enzo whispered, getting near his face. I took a step closer so I could hear him. “Maybe he wasn’t talking about you. Maybe… he was talking about me.”
Vander Veer wept harder, his entire body shaking. “Please. Please don’t kill me. I’m begging you. My daughter. Please.” He slid out of his chair and onto his knees in front of us. “I am begging you, please spare my daughter.”
“Tell you what,” Enzo said. “Kill yourself, and I’ll keep your daughter alive.”
He cried harder.
“Do you love her?” Enzo whispered. “Celeste?”
“Yes.”
“Then do this for her.”
We watched him sob on his knees for a long time before he finally spoke again.
“Yes. I-I’ll do it. For her. My sweet angel.”
This guy was delusional. Celeste was not a fucking angel. She was lower than demon shit on a hot Sunday afternoon in hell.
Of course, it appeared the old demon turd didn’t fall far from the demon ass.
Or what-the-fuck-ever.
I lowered my gun and pulled out the vial E had made all those months ago. A killer. Untraceable. Just sweet death.
“No. Please,” Vander Veer cried out, trying to shift away from me.
Enzo grabbed him, fisting his hair and yanking his head back, helping to open his jaws. I lunged forward and forced his mouth open further. He struggled, but he wasn’t strong enough.
I got the liquid into his mouth quickly, making him sputter and garble as it burned its way down his throat.
Enzo released him as Vander Veer reached for his throat, sputtering and begging for help. We stepped away from him and let him collapse on the floor. His breathing turned labored. His face was going from red to purple. His body twitched now and then until he stopped moving altogether.
I knelt and checked his pulse.
“He’s dead,” I said, looking up to Enzo.
Enzo said nothing as he moved the chair he’d been in back to its spot. That was the cleanest murder I’d ever been part of. It looked like the old fuck simply died of a heart attack on the floor of his room.
Too good a death for him after what he’d done to our family.
Quietly, we left the house, locking it. Enzo turned the videos back on and set the security system again before we jogged through the woods to where we’d left the Escalade.
We got in, and I started the engine and just sat there, breathing hard.
Enzo’s soft sobs sounded out, and I looked over at him, my tears silent.
“He deserved it,” I said softly. Fiercely. “One down, brother.” I reached out and gripped Enzo’s hand.
“One down,” he whispered, his hand trembling in mine.
“You’re now the new owner of Rustic Rifles. Chicago’s newest billionaire,” I said, squeezing his hand. “To the top.”
“To the top,” he rasped, gripping my hand tightly. “All the fucking way, brother.”