Chapter 36 – Two Weeks Later
ADRIEL
TWO WEEKS LATER
I hate being useless. Hate being unable to find Dr. Collins or whoever his accomplice is. It’s killing me. But the murders have stopped. So far, at least.
Maybe he left. Maybe he took his brutality somewhere else.
But what good is that? He’s just going to hurt others. I need to find him.
I’ve looked everywhere. Every traffic light in the state. Every fucking airport. He hasn’t been there. If he has, he’s heavily disguised. His car is still at the house, his phone undetectable. Probably tossed it somewhere. It’s what I’d do.
He may never be found, and I can’t live with that. He has to die. Until he does, she will always wonder if he’ll come after her. If his accomplice will. I won’t let that happen.
I’ve been keeping tabs on my brothers through the bugs I have planted at their places, and at Mother’s too.
They keep killing low-level scum traffickers, but they haven’t been able to locate the ringleader.
One of the men they killed said the boss keeps himself hidden.
Only a few know who he really is. They don’t have a name or description.
They report to someone higher than them, but not the actual top dog.
It’s a pyramid. And killing the leader is how we topple it.
Looking at my cell, I find Kayla out shopping with Elsie and Jade. I let her be. As long as I know she’s safe, I let her live her life. Elsie has two bodyguards on her, so I know they’ve got eyes there too. Michael would never let anything happen to his wife.
When Kayla gets home, I’ll have a surprise for her. I’ve had a feeling she was itching for it, though she hasn’t said anything, probably thinking I’ve wanted to stop. But my needs are still there, only now I have someone to share them with.
KAYLA
“We really need to figure out how to help them.” Elsie sighs as we sit around a smoothie place after a day of bonding and shopping.
“I hate that Michael and the guys are still upset about the whole thing with A.” She looks at me with melancholy.
“I’m sorry he’s been through all that. I feel so bad.
Thanks for trusting us with that. I’m gonna talk to Michael. Make him understand.”
I nod. “He’s been hurting for so long.” Tears lodge in my eyes, but I blink them back. “He’s been alone. Never had anyone love him or care or anything.” I swallow past the lump in my throat. “The first time he hugged me, he didn’t even know if he was doing it right.”
Jade’s face falls, a hand against the center of her chest. “That’s heartbreaking.”
Elsie shakes her head. “I’ll make Michael see that this family needs healing, not war or hate. My God, there’s already too much hate out there. We don’t need any more.”
I puff out an exhale. “He’s done so much. I don’t know if they’ll ever forgive him.”
“They’re gonna have to.” Elsie picks up her berry smoothie and sips. “Adriel is still their brother, and they have no idea what they would’ve done had they gone through what he has.”
“Thanks for saying that.” I squeeze her other hand.
“Of course.” She stares up at the ceiling for a moment, lowering her cup. “They have to do this for Sophia’s sake. She keeps asking questions.”
“Like what?” I stare curiously.
“She likes to eavesdrop.” Elsie laughs. “I think she heard some stuff Fernanda said when she was over at the house after it happened. Because Sophia asked if A was her uncle.”
“What did you say?”
“I told her the truth.” She shrugs. “I wasn’t gonna lie to her. Michael was pissed when he found out, but I told him he can’t deny who his family is. That it was time he accepted it, regardless of whether he’ll welcome Adriel into the family or not.”
“Did he say anything?” I ask.
“Nope.” She rolls her eyes. “I swear they’re so damn stubborn. I wish we could force them into an intervention or something.”
Jade laughs. “That would be something.”
“If only there was a reason for them to see eye to eye. Make them realize how much they actually have in common.”
“Wishful thinking.” Elsie drags in a long inhale. “But we won’t let this break us.” She gives me a hard stare. “Right?”
“Of course not.” I slant my head and smile. “Their problems are their own. We’ll never let them tear us apart.”
I hope…
After I got home, A made me dinner and had me for dessert, and now he apparently has a surprise for me.
“What is it?” I wonder as he leads me blindfolded.
“Okay. You can stop.” His hands languidly undo the blindfold.
Blinking back, I adjust to the light. When my vision focuses, I find us in the basement.
Two bodies are there.
Both are sitting on chairs, heads lolled forward like they’re dead. Gagged and hands tied behind them, they groan when he walks over and kicks them in the shins.
“Rise and shine,” he mocks.
“Who are they?” My heart races, the thrill of what this means feeding me in a way the club never did.
“Meet Gustavo and Hermit.”
They both groan in unison.
“Nice names.” I grin. “What did they do?”
His smirk sets me ablaze. “Very bad things. Right, boys?”
“I can’t believe you did this.” I eat away at the little distance between us and grab his hand, kissing the center of his palm.
“I didn’t know if you still wanted to.” He cups my face and brings his lips to mine.
“Of course I did,” I whisper, my mouth stroking his.
I was afraid he wouldn’t want this anymore, but part of me still needs this. Needs to end those who hurt others.
“I have another surprise for you.”
“Show me.” My eyes fill with delight.
He reaches inside a duffel by their feet and removes an intricate black and gold wolf mask.
“I thought we could each wear one.” He grabs his own from within the bag and slips it on. His is black and silver, made of the same hard material as mine.
My teeth trap my lower lip as my smile widens before I put mine on too.
“You ready?” he asks.
“Yes, just tell me what they did.”
He reaches back into the bag, retrieving a knife with a long, thin blade, handing it to me. “Child molesters. Both of them. Kids were all under ten.”
That’s what I need to hear before the knife enters Gustavo’s balls.
And when he screams and his eyes fill with terror, all I do is laugh, twisting the blade deeper and deeper until he passes out.
But I wake him up and start the nightmare all over again.