Ghostface Killer(93)

"Stevie," Desmond takes a step toward me then hit the ground.

Regina screams again, an enraged, pained, heartbreaking shriek ripping from her throat. "Desmond, no!"

Blood oozes from his temple onto the smooth cement ground, staining it red. "Desmond." She drops to her knees and weeps. I look out into the distant trees, but I can't make out Bull or Gun. That was a retribution kill.

I watch Regina curiously. That's the most emotion I've ever seen her display. If she wasn't such a cunt, I might actually feel sorry for her.

"Are you happy now, you fucking bitch!" She turns her head and screeches so high the pitch could shatter glass.

"You started it, G, when you lied to me about everything. When you sent me after Baz. When you tried to finish what Benny started. When you sent Desmond to kill my family. My infant fucking daughter," I remind her of every single heinous act.

"You don't know shit, Stevie! I don't give two fucks about your family. About power, about any of it! All I ever wanted was him." Tears roll down her cheeks like a tsunami.

I stare down at Regina, a broken mess of a woman. She intimidated me once. Her poise, her beauty, her bitchy fucking attitude. But as I look at her now, all I feel is sorry for her. She's pathetic. Weak. A waste.

"Tell Benny I say hi." I hug the trigger

"Tell him your fucking self," she sneers.

I fire, blowing a three-inch hole in the center of her forehead.

Romeo and Juliet have finally gotten what was coming to them. I lower my gun and sigh. It's heavy. It's burdensome and a relief all at the same time.

Someone abruptly starts clapping from behind me, and I swing around, pointing my gun in the air. Then I nearly drop it.

"My sly, little fox." Benny smiles proudly, walking slowly toward me.

Did I die? Nothing hurts. I want to look down. I want to inspect my body, but I can't peel my eyes away from the man standing before me.

"You're dead," I accuse. "I went to your funeral. I saw you in the casket. I touched your cold hand." I ramble incoherently from shock.

"Nah," he waves me off. "You touched a corpse, it just wasn't mine. It's amazing what twenty grand and a special effects guy from Hollywood can do."

I scrutinize the man who miraculously resurrected from the dead. Dressed in all black, like The Grim Reaper himself.

"Is said special effects guy still alive?"

He snorts. "Of course not. Couldn't risk him telling my secret."




 

 

"I didn't think so." I shake my head incredulously. Benny in the fucking flesh. "Why? Why fake your own death?"

The lively expression on Benny's face evaporates. In its place a stern, cold, malevolent one appears. "Because I was passed over. Not given what was rightfully mine." He slams his fist against his chest.

"And what was that?"

"C'mon, Stevie, don't play up the dumb blonde act. You know how this family works. The new boss is appointed, not elected. It's no friggin' democracy. And who were the fuckin' keys to the kingdom handed to? My reject son, Baz the spaz."

"Benny!" I snap. "Don't say that. You know nothing about him." His green eyes reflect like two razor blades in response to my statement. He moves closer. One step. Two steps. Three steps, and he's near enough now that I can smell his strong aftershave. I used to like it, but now it only burns my nose. A sadness I've never felt before overcomes me. It's heavy, and wet and laced with disappointment. This is the man who made me who I am, and he's a monster. I always knew Benny wasn't right, but I never realized how deep his evil truly ran. "It was you, wasn't it? Pulling the strings the whole time. Regina was just a cover. She never wanted any of it." I glance down at her and Desmond lying dead on the ground. "She was innocent."

"She was weak. So was he." Benny looks at them, disgusted.

"They just wanted to be together. And you manipulated them. You manipulated me. For ten fucking years. You lied about everything. You're the black sheep. The outcast."

"Careful, fox, remember who you're talking to," he warns, but I ignore his threat.

"I killed her because of you. I killed so many innocent people because of you." Rage races through me.

"You were the perfect pawn. And the most unassuming scapegoat. No one knew about you. My plan was poetry in motion."

"Yeah, send me to do all your dirty work, then assume the throne once I moved all the obstacles out of your way."

"It was genius. But then you went and fell in love with my son. I'll admit, I didn't see that coming." He looks at Regina. "She did, though. She tried to warn me. She didn't want to send you. But I thought your love and loyalty was too great."