Epilogue
Ash
For the next few weeks, we settled into a comfortable routine. The house had become our home, with our own possessions mingled among the things already here for my prepper family’s obsession with readiness.
There were clothes, there was food, and there was furniture. What more did we need?
Ren had decided he wanted to be an artist, and it turned out the kid had talent, so Em was spending time with him, giving him pointers, and promising to teach him how to tattoo skin as soon as he wanted.
Ethan was trying to fill the gaps in his schooling, and trying to get him on a learning schedule that’d tie in with school curriculum for when we looked into enrolling him somewhere.
And now we were making a visit to Ren’s parents’ place, but not to kill them.
We were going there purely to pick up some things he’d left there when he was sent away, things he couldn’t bear to live without.
Things like a gold watch from his grandfather, that was all he had left of the guy.
At least there’d been one good person in his life before we saved him.
It was weird as hell, but we had things that needed to be settled, and this was the only way.
“Ready, kid?” We both turned to look at Ren in the back seat of the car, and he shook his head. He looked terrified, like just being here was diminishing his sense of self by the second. He’d been growing in confidence over the last month, but he was slipping backward inch by agonising inch.
“Ren, you don’t need to go in. Give us a list, and we’ll get your stuff for you. You never have to see them again.”
He shook his head again. “No, I have to do this. I have to draw a line under things, so I can move on. Just like you did.”
Cal groaned, raising a finger in the air.
“We are NOT killing them. That’s the last time I’m saying this.
Look around us, it’s daylight, there are people in their gardens, mowing lawns and shit.
We’ve already been spotted by god knows how many nosy neighbours.
Look at the signs on lampposts. It’s a neighbourhood watch area.
That means, eyes everywhere. It means this car and its registration are already noted somewhere.
We don’t take risks that we can’t get away with. ”
Wow. Spoken like a true Cross, right? We don’t commit crimes we haven’t thought through, or won’t be able to escape justice for.
“So proud of you, baby.”
They both rolled their eyes at me.
“What say we do this, then we’ll go get you that new laptop of your very own? You wanted those design programs to run, right?”
Ren nodded eagerly, and I knew one of the reasons Cal wanted a new one for him was to lock that fucker down, so he couldn’t access ‘harmful content’, but it was also important for Ren to have his own things, so he could feel like his own person again, or maybe for the first time.
“What are their names?” I asked, getting out of the car, and waiting for Ren to join me.
Damn, he looked so small and fragile as he gazed fearfully at their house.
I was starting to wonder if they’d done more than neglect him, and send him away.
Not that those things weren’t terrible enough, but still.
“Dennis and Tracy.”
“Wow, what boring names,” I said, leading the way to their door, while Cal walked behind Ren.
All we could do was try to bolster him, and make him feel safe and seen.
Neither of them knew about the knife in my pocket, but a Cross never walks into a situation without a backup plan, and that was mine.
Hopefully I wouldn’t need it, but if so, I also had that creepy bastard Sharpie’s card in my other pocket.
I could feel the card’s presence more than the knife, but that’s not important right now.
“Yes, can I help you?”
The dad answered the door, and I smiled at him, hopefully hiding all my evil intent behind it.
“Are you Dennis?”
He nodded, trying to peer around me at Cal and Ren, who he probably couldn’t see yet.
“We’re here to pick up your son’s things.”
His mouth dropped open and he stepped back. “You’re from the Church?”
I know I grimaced, and the two behind me probably gagged, but I just shrugged.
“Sure. Can we come in?”
He let us in. The dumb fucker let us in, and it was only then that he noticed our boy with us, standing with his head hanging, cowed and afraid in this house that should have been his safe place.
“Renfield? Is that you, boy?”
Renfield? He never told us that! No fucking wonder why he went by Ren.
“You won’t speak to him unless he addresses you,” I said firmly, turning to Ren and grasping his shoulder.
“Go get your things, kid. We’ll make it fast, okay?” He nodded, still keeping his eyes down as he practically tiptoed down the hall.
“I thought the process was that he’d come home after.”
I turned to his dad now that our son was out of earshot. Time to scare the living hell out of this motherfucker.
My hand shot out, grabbing Dennis’ throat as I pushed him against the living room wall with a dull thud. Cal was right beside me, ready to back me up, but I knew I had this under control. This part was really fucking easy.
“Ren belongs to us now. Do you understand what that means?”
The man spluttered a bit, and Cal tapped my shoulder.
“Maybe let him breathe enough to answer?”
“Aw that’s the boring way,” I replied, grinning back at him. I swear this fucker didn’t even try fighting. He just let me hold him there, trembling in my grip. What a pussy.
“Did you beat him?” The man’s eyes widened and he mouthed the word no. I wasn’t sure I believed the fucker, but I pushed my original point again.
“He’s ours now. Do you get that? You don’t look for him, you don’t talk about him, you don’t even think about him. He’s no longer part of your life. You’ll never see him again after today.”
The man gagged, and I loosened my grip just a touch, but suddenly the knife was in my hand and brandished firmly in front of him. Whoa, I never even realised I’d reached for it, but there it was.
“Jesus, Ash!”
I glared at Cal over my shoulder, because rule fucking one, we don’t tell people our names! Had he learned nothing?
“As I was saying. You’ll forget about Ren, right?”
The man nodded. “Is… you’re not really from the church, are you?”
Cal snorted. “The ‘church’ as you call it is gone, and their evil deeds are finished. Ren’s safe now with us. You’re going to retrieve his birth certificate, and any other official papers you have relating to him. Ash, you’ll have to release the fucker to do that though.”
I hadn’t even thought of this stuff, but it was wicked smart of my baby, wasn’t it? Of course Ren would need all that shit if he wanted to do anything legally. I mean, we could probably forge a whole bunch of shit, but why work so hard, if there’s an easy way?
“I’ll release him, but if he tries to run, or call for help, he’ll be doing it from a head that’s no longer connected to his body.”
Dennis gasped, shuddering in my grip as he tried shaking his head, begging me to release him.
“Do you trust him?” I asked Cal, who shook his head.
“Shall I stab him a bit, just to keep him compliant?”
“No! Please,” Dennis gasped, and I tightened my grip again. It was nowhere near as much fun doing this to someone I didn’t want to fuck. Later I’d do it to Cal, so I could relive this sense of power, and get off at the same time.
“What’s happening?” We both looked over our shoulders at Ren, who held a small backpack, and cradled the gold watch in both hands with reverence. Thank fuck this grandfather hadn’t been a shithead like his own child.
“We’re just getting to know your dad, kid.”
“I thought we weren’t killing them.” Them. Them? Fuck. The wife! What if she’d seen us and legged it? How did I forget about her?
“Where’s your wife?” I asked Dennis the dick, and he released a ragged breath that turned into a cough. Ugh.
“Shopping. Uh… the supermarket.”
Good. We’d be gone before she returned, and save Ren the pain of seeing her too.
“Get the papers now. Take too long, and I’ll show you how this knife feels when it’s shoved up your ass.”
Dennis practically wailed with panic, and ran from the room, and I watched Cal follow him, just to make sure he wasn’t calling for help. I turned to Ren, crouching down in front of him.
“We’re just making sure they stay away from you, and don’t give us any trouble, kid. You’re our family now.”
Ren’s lip trembled as he stared back at me. “What if you get tired of me?”
Jesus fuck. I dragged the kid into a tight hug. “That’s never gonna fucking happen, you hear me? Cross family is for life.”
I wanted him out of here, and fast. It was undoing all the good we’d done so far for the boy’s confidence and comfort. He was as subdued and afraid now as the day we’d rescued him. I pulled back and cupped his chin lightly.
“This is the end of your old life, so you can be happy and continue healing, okay? We’re your family now, and we’re not going anywhere. We’re yours, Ren. You’ll never be alone, never want for anything, never have to be afraid. We’ve got your back.”
I hugged him again as he released a choked sob, sounding every bit the child he was right now, when it was so easy to forget his age most of the time, because the poor thing had had to grow up way too fast.
A heavy thud upstairs made us pull apart, staring at the ceiling like it held the answers.
“CAL?? You okay?” I yelled, hesitating just long enough to hear his reply.
“Yeah. This prick just uh… fell…”
“And he says I’m the unhinged one.”
There. Finally, a little smile on our kid’s face. He was still in there, and we’d draw him back out again. It was a gift all Cross family members had.
Cal
The guy was a prick. Did he really think I was the weak one out of the two of us? I mean, maybe he wasn’t completely wrong, but trying to push me down the stairs was a pathetic attempt at freeing himself. I mean, one punch and he was on his knees, with terror on his face.
“Are you always such a pussy? Get the fucking papers.”