Chapter Fifty-One
Grant
“I still can’t believe I’m driving my children to an execution,” Uncle Ant mumbled as he navigated the SUV through the rain.
Mud swallowed the tires as he drove past the gate.
Rain tapped steadily against the windshield, in a soothing drum.
The wipers dragged back and forth, clearing a view of the barn across the glass.
It didn’t take anything to convince Burgess to let us use his pig farm. He was thrilled to be of service and promised Branson would be disposed of properly.
I’d only been to the farm once before as a teenager, and I promised myself I’d never step foot on the property again, but here I was, and I felt like a kid at Disneyland.
Casey climbed out first with determination etched on his face.
He said many times that he felt partially responsible for what happened to Kiyah, and for him?
This was redemption. Kieran followed, jaw set, and movements clipped and efficient.
Ronan’s boots hit the ground, heavy and pronounced.
He squared his shoulders and scanned the perimeter.
Uncle Ant stayed behind the wheel with his hands loose on the steering wheel.
He was the same man who’d taught us how to drive stick, made homestyle breakfasts, and allowed us all to pile into bed and watch cartoons.
Now, he waited in the van like this was just a weekend errand.
I left the SUV and rounded the back, opening the hatch. I unlatched the black industrial cases and lifted the lids, revealing rows of high-powered weapons. Each of my brothers lined up and made their selection before I settled on a double-action revolver.
My chest felt tight, like the air had doubled in volume somewhere between the hospital and here. When I closed my eyes, I could still see Kiyah’s sallow, bruised face.
I cleared my throat and tugged on the collar of my vest.
“Alright. Kieran, you’re in the barn loft. Casey and Ronan, you’re sticking with me. Casey, keep your eye out, and Ronan, you’re checking the trail cams. Branson is mine.”
They nodded. Uncle Ant killed the engine, Ronan closed the hatch after checking his rifle again, and Kieran adjusted his jacket, staring off in the distance with dead eyes.
Casey approached me. “You good?”
“I am,” I lied, drawing in a slow breath before stepping forward.
They followed me, and the smells of the farm assaulted me.
It was a mixture of soil, wet hay, and pig shit—the kind of smell that clung to your clothes and didn’t leave without maximum effort.
Somewhere nearby, pigs shifted and snorted, rooting around for something to nibble on.
We got into position and waited for what we were owed—justice, revenge, peace that had to be taken, not earned. We weren’t leaving the farm the same version of ourselves, but each of us already made peace with that.
“Incoming,” Ronan announced. “Singular vehicle, two bodies,” he confirmed.
“Anyone else?” I asked.
“Negative.”
Waiting felt like a lifetime, but in reality, it only took five minutes for Desi to park and drag Branson into the barn. A black bag was over Branson’s head, but that did little to muffle his shouts of protest. He crumpled to the dirt floor when Desi shoved him down.
“Grant,” Desi said, focusing his attention on me. I nodded. He reached inside his jacket and Ronan and Casey didn’t hesitate to lift their weapons. “It’s an envelope, not a weapon.”
“Pat him down, Ro,” I instructed.
“All clear,” Ronan confirmed after patting down Desi and Branson. He snatched the manila envelope from Desi and tossed it to me. I opened it with relief.
“Those are all of Pete’s essential documents.
His passport, birth certificate, immunization and health records, Mr. Branson’s will, life insurance policy, and financials.
There is an encrypted hard drive that should only be opened on a secure line.
The password is Pete’s birthday, backwards.
I’ll be satisfied if we never hear from each other again. ”
I nodded and handed the envelope to Casey. “Agreed.”
“For what it’s worth, I regret my involvement.”
“I’m sure. You’re free to go. I’ll never forget this,” I said, lighting a cigarette.
Desi nodded and left the barn. He nearly arrived at the SUV when a crack echoed through the air, masking the sound of his body hitting the ground.
I could’ve spared him. I actually forgave Desi, but I couldn’t have any loose ends.
I crouched and peeled off the hood, revealing Branson’s bloodied face.
“You son of a—” He yelped when I pressed the cigarette into the side of his face, burning away flesh.
He curled into the fetal position and coughed repeatedly when Casey kicked him in the stomach.
I smirked when Ronan decided to get his lick and smashed the butt of his gun into Branson’s head, splitting the flesh and knocking him out.
Fresh blood trickled into a pool in the dirt.
“Hang him,” I said, lighting another cigarette.
The little pool of blood was about to become much larger.
* * *
I sat on a stool in front of Branson’s swaying body, patiently waiting for him to wake. In the meantime, I called to check on Kiyah.
“She’s resting peacefully. She woke up briefly and asked for you. I told her that you were taking care of business and would be back as soon as possible. Child services came by. They took Pete, but I let them know we were available for placement if they couldn’t locate extended family.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, finishing my third cigarette. I perked up when Branson groaned back to life. “I have to go. Love you. Bye.”
Branson squinted before his eyes widened in fear at the predicament he found himself in—dangling upside down over a metal basin. I shoved him and paced around the tub, watching him sway from side to side.
“I’m gonna make this quick because I’ve already wasted too much time and energy on you and I need to get back to my wife.”
“Just let me go, Grant.”
I stopped in my tracks. “I can’t let you go. At least not yet,” I said before continuing to pace. “You made a fatal mistake by underestimating my family. You thought your wealth and power would protect you, and that you were smarter than everyone else in the room.
Branson’s mouth twitched like he was trying to hold back a smile. I didn’t care because he wouldn’t be smiling in a minute.
“You watched my family, studied us, inserted yourself, made threats, abducted one of us, broke your child’s fingers just to prove you could, and nearly ended my wife’s life like yours.
” I shook my head slowly and retrieved a blade from my pocket.
“And the worst part? You’re not even the biggest monster in the story…
I am. I became the monster the moment I discovered the burner phone and believed the texts.
Killing you will never erase that mistake, and burying you will never hide my shame. ”
I unsheathed the blade and showed it to Branson. The blade glinted under the glaring sodium lights and illuminated the fear in the dead man’s eyes.
“Not that you care, but Pete will be raised in a loving family, and he will never be the monster you planned to turn him into.”
I stabbed Branson in his side—the same side he stabbed Kiyah.
He shouted at the top of his lungs and flailed around on the chain like a flopping fish.
I kicked the metal pan aside and motioned for Casey to lower him.
Ronan unchained his ankles and Branson scrambled to his feet, holding his bleeding side.
“Go. Get out of here.”
Branson laughed manically and shook his head. “I’m not falling for that. You’re gonna put a bullet in the back of my head as soon as I turn my back.”
“You’re projecting. You’ll bleed out before you make it to the main road. Go.”
Branson broke out of the barn, stumbling as he made his getaway.
I gave him a two-minute head start before I pursued him.
I climbed into Desi’s vehicle, turned on the ignition, and followed the long driveway leading away from the farm.
It didn’t take me long to find Branson. He staggered down the muddy drive with his hand pressed into his side.
The SUV came to a silent halt, lights beaming down on the dead man’s back.
This was for the woman I loved, the sisters I endured, the woman I never knew, and the innocent children who fell victim to him.
My foot slammed on the gas pedal and the SUV lurched forward. It barreled over him, and the crunch of his body under all-terrain tires was music to my ears. I smirked and put it in reverse.
The truck idled, and the finality settled in.
Thaddeus Branson Jr. was gone. The threat had been eliminated, and my family was safe.
What followed was a clean-up that lasted well into the morning. Bodies were tossed into a corral of eager pigs, gasoline was poured over blood stains, shell casings were picked up, and our clothes and Desi’s vehicle were burned.
Exhausted, we piled into Uncle Ant’s SUV, waking the slumbering man up.
“Y’all good?” he asked through a yawn, raising his seat upright.
I looked at each of my brothers, and they nodded, all except Kieran.
“You good, Little Bro?”
The corner of his mouth tugged into a smile. “I’m good, Big Bro.”
“We’re good, Uncle Ant,” I confirmed.
He drove off the property, and I never looked back. I prayed I’d never have to return to the farm.
Kiyah
I woke and immediately felt the weight of exhaustion, trying to pull me back to sleep. My body felt sore in that all-over way that reminded me that I wasn’t a superhero, but somehow, I managed to survive.
My eyes trailed to the monitor before landing on Grant. He sat in the chair beside the bed with his elbows balanced on his knees and his hands clasped together like he was holding himself together. He looked… hollow—like a shell of his former self.
“Grant,” I whispered.
His head snapped up and the intensity of his bloodshot eyes stole my breath. “You’re awake,” he said roughly.
I swallowed. “What happened? What did you do?”
He didn’t answer right away and gathered my hand in his.
“Todd is gone.”
The beeping on the vital signs monitor rose for a few seconds before returning to baseline.
“He’s gone?”
“He’ll never bother you again,” Grant continued. “Or Pete, or anyone else in this family.”
Dizzying relief washed through me, and I closed my eyes for a second to let it sink in. Grant was still watching me when I opened them again.
“There’s something else,” he said.
My heart stuttered. “Okay.”
He inhaled slowly, like he was choosing each word with care. “Did you know that you’re pregnant?”
That caught my attention.
“I’m what?”
“Ten weeks,” he said softly. “The surgeon told me. I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t know if you already knew, or if—”
“I didn’t. I didn’t know. I mean, I guess I should’ve with the nausea, but I didn’t know,” I whispered.
Holy shit. I was pregnant… again.
“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, more to myself than to him. Grant nodded, tightening his hand around mine. I laughed—half disbelief and half awe. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know,” he said, voice cracking just slightly. “I couldn’t believe it either.”
“Is the baby healthy?”
“As far as they can tell. We’ll need to follow up with the OB/GYN as soon as you’re released.”
“C-can I see the baby?”
“I’ll call the nurse and see what we can do,” he said, bringing my hand to his lips. Tears spilled down our conjoined hands. “I’m so fucking sorry, Kiyah. I believed those messages, and I didn’t come for you when it mattered,” he apologized.
“It’s fine, Grant.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not.”
“You showed up when it mattered, and because of you, we won’t have to look over our shoulders anymore.”
A sudden thought came to me. “Where’s Pete?”
“He’s okay,” Grant answered quickly. “He’s safe. He’s in child services custody, but I’ve already spoken to the case worker about placement.”
“Placement?’
“With us,” he finished. “If you want. It would be temporary at first until we can obtain legal guardianship. But it’s an option, if you want it.”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I want him with us.”
He wiped away my tears and said, “Okay. Then that’s what we’ll do. I love you, Kiyah.”
“I love you, too.”
I lay back against the pillows with a renewed sense of purpose. Todd was gone. Pete was safe. Our family was growing, and I was staying.
I’d spent years running from Grant and accountability because it hurt, when I should’ve been running to him because even when it was painful, the hurt felt better when I was with him.