Chapter 32
SKYLAR
Tonight has been one of the most exhausting nights of bartending I’ve ever had.
The news about the Kings taking over the club has brought in a whole new slew of customers.
These men really are the most popular people in this town.
They’re respected and envied by most men and fawned over and desired by the women.
As the night starts dying down, I begin my closing shift chores to get a head start on closing the bar.
When two in the morning rolls around, all the customers have gone as well as Chastity, who wasn’t feeling the best, so I insisted I could close the bar by myself.
The club is quiet, and I’m the only one upstairs while the downstairs bartenders quickly wrap up their last touches and bring their register up to the office for counting.
“You need some help up here, love?” Giovanni asks me while tapping his knuckles on the bar top. I give him a smile, my hands elbow deep in the sink.
“Oh no, I’m good. This is the last of the dishes, and I’ll be set as well. How was your night down there?” I ask as I continue washing.
“Best damn night of tips we’ve had in a while. But I’m beat to shit now. My bed is screaming my name from here.” We both laugh as he gives me a wave goodnight and heads down the hall. Just as I set the last glass on the shelf, Saxon’s voice filters down the bar.
“Hey, beautiful. We have a surprise for you in the basement.” I straighten my back and brush my hair over my shoulder. There’s only one reason a surprise would be in the basement. I quickly toss my rag into the bin beside the register and head around the bar, where he waits for me.
“Who’s down there?” I ask him immediately.
“Patience, tesoro.” Kissing the top of my head, he leads me to the stairs. I can’t wait for the elevator and take the stairs two at a time. When I burst through the door, I can’t believe what I’m seeing. A warm hand lands on my lower back, ushering me through the doorway.
“You seem surprised.”
“You have both of them? How did you do—?” I can’t finish my sentence. I’m so shocked at the sight of both men tied to chairs I can’t find the right words.
“Remember our new friends? They practically delivered them with a big red bow for you.” I glance up towards Saxon, who’s looking down at me, waiting for me to react.
I don’t know what to say, so I just hug him.
I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze, whispering my thanks in his ear.
Not many women would ever thank their boyfriend for hand delivering their enemies for them to torture and murder, but this is the life we live.
Knowing that my list is rapidly reaching its end, a feeling of utter satisfaction and bliss fills me up like an overfilling glass of water.
So long. I’ve been doing this for so long, and without the help of the Kings, I don’t know if this would have been possible.
Sure, I would have tracked all the names down eventually, but the sheer speed at which Saxon and the guys delivered is astonishing.
They’re like a well-oiled machine. Everyone has a part, and they all perform their roles with such fluidity.
I can almost feel the weight of my trauma evaporating from my shoulders. I’ve craved healing for years. Needed to wash away all the evil monsters of my past, so I can finally breathe and move past this cage I’ve placed myself in.
While Damien’s death didn’t feel as if my soul was healing, I hope by the end of my list, everything will fall into place like a puzzle.
I’ve yearned for closure and prayed to every higher being that this venture I’ve started will lead me to the finish line of healing.
I need this. I’ve needed this for so long, and if I don’t get an overwhelming feeling of success to wash over me by the end of this kill list, I fear I will forever be a broken, tortured soul.
A soul that’s forever chained down by her trauma, and I’ve never wanted to be so wrong.
I want to be happy; I want to be in a constant state of bliss and joy.
I want to be like Sage and the girls who go on about their lives with not a single care in the world.
So free and content with who they are. It’s a dream I hope becomes my reality.
I’m just a girl in the end. A girl who wants what every person on this planet wants: to be loved and cherished and live a life worth waking up to.
That’s why I started this list. That’s why I’ve devoted my life thus far to eliminating the scum of this earth.
A job I’ve bestowed upon myself for the happiness of others, but also for me.
So, as I stand here, staring at two names on the list, I send up a prayer to whoever’s listening that I find this in the end.
That I find contentment so I can live. I can finally live.
Time to get to work.