My head felt heavy. With my hands tied behind my back, I struggled to keep it steady as the rapid pulse of pain throbbed though my skull.
Damien sat across from me. The lighting was so dim it was hard for me to focus. “Where is she?”
He smiled sadistically. “Funny thing happened when we checked her ID. Juliana Callahan…” His smile disappeared. He leaned into my face, his hands gripping the armrests. “She’s the little bitch I told you to get rid of.” I turned my head away, straining my neck to gain as much distance as possible. “Maybe it’s time I finished the job you didn’t have the balls to do.”
“Leave her out of this.”
“She’s already in.”
The door swung open, and a tall man shoved Juliana into the room, causing her to fall to her knees. He dragged her across the floor and tossed her onto a chair. Damien kept his gaze on me—waiting for a reaction. I remained unemotional except for the constant twitch of my left eye. My fearful heartbeat pounded in sync with the slight flutter of my eyelid.
Damien shook his head as the glint in his eyes changed. It was a familiar shift I should be personally knowledgeable of, but it wasn’t as easy to see it in myself, even if I spent hours staring in the mirror waiting and searching for it. Damien’s schizophrenia was more severe, and you could almost witness the moment he started to have an episode and feel the scary shift in the atmosphere as it intertwined with his madness.
“Juliana Callahan. Same girl you let free years ago.” He leaned into me again. “Were you and Callahan working together? Is that why he was so fucking sure I wouldn’t hurt his daughter?”
Our eyes met for a brief second, but I quickly dismissed him, looking over his shoulder to where one of his men was securing Juliana to the chair. She looked at me with hopeful eyes. And I wasn’t a religious man by any means, but I prayed she didn’t see the fear in my eyes.
I was so engrossed with her that when Damien’s fist connected with my face, it almost knocked me unconscious. Almost.
Shit! I’d spent years readying myself for Damien’s beatings, but I was out of practice. His second blow hammered my jaw. I glared at him through the painful haze and spat the metallic tasting blood that filled my mouth into his face.
Damien grabbed at the front of my shirt. His alcohol and smoke scent brought on a sick recollection that caused my gut to churn. His head collided with mine in a head butt that could only have caused him equal injury. White-hot flashes of pain danced behind my eyelids.
“You’re just as useless as your mother.”
The rope loosened enough that I pulled one, then the other hand free.
My left eye was swollen, but I didn’t miss Damien pulling out his gun or the sound as he cocked it. I glanced at Juliana. She shook her head vigorously, biting against the cloth meant to gag her.
End this. End it... End him. My mother stood across the room next to Juliana. The stains on the wall behind her gave me pause. I hesitated. And in that moment of hesitation, Damien turned the gun toward my mom. Her terrified expression spurred me into action. I charged Damien. I hit him full force. His arm jerked, and the blast of the gun going off shattered the vision of my mother.
We hit the floor, wrestling for control of the weapon. Even with age, he was strong and worst... determined. I had my hand wrapped around his hand, yet he still managed to slightly turn the muzzle. The second gunshot rang out just before I slammed his hand against the concrete floor. The gun slid out of his hand, and I dived for it. A burning pain shot through my shoulder as I stretched. I ignored it as my back hit the ground, and I raised the gun. I pulled the trigger as Damien came for me. I pulled and pulled. It seemed Damien was as invincible as I’d always thought, but finally, he fell, and I had to slide quickly across the floor to avoid being crushed by him.
My fingers shook. My shoulder ached, and blood dripped down my fingers. As the shock wore off, I realized I’d been shot, but still, I pushed it on the back burner as I stumbled over to Juliana. The splatter on the wall was different. The pattern was all wrong and when I reached her side, I knew why. Juliana was gasping for breath, blood oozing from a gaping hole at her neck. I pulled off the cloth that covered her mouth and pressed it against the wound.
“Fuck... No... No...”
She gurgled as she tried to talk to me. Blood dripped from her mouth. Everything was in fucking slow motion. Her lips moved in freeze frames as she tried so hard to convey anything to me. Tears pooled in her eyes and slowly drizzled down her face. Blood ran down my arm to the hand that was pressed against Juliana’s neck. There was so much blood. Hers and mine. My legs weakened as I began to lose consciousness. She took two sharp, wheezing breaths, then her stare became empty.