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15

ANGEL

EIGHT MONTHS LATER…

T he card game at the Palmer mansion was full tonight. Most were Ezra’s associates and friends, but little did they know we called in backup of our own. When you're part of a team, you fuck with one of us; you fuck with all of us. After hearing what Nick had to say, the team was more than happy to carry out the request. The plan really being coach’s idea.

Ezra’s new wife was a sweet submissive thing, but the black eye she sported under the terrible makeup placement showed, and I clenched my jaw, anger rising within me. Nodding my head toward the door, I signaled Nick, who rose and slowly followed them out.

Knocking at the table, I wet my lip and a low whistle sounded. “Well, well, well, gentlemen. Looks like a full house. Anyone?”

They remained silent, throwing down their cards and my face flushed with heat, locking eyes with the one he pointed out. The one he saw on top of her that night.

“Well, now we can really play. What do you think, boys?”

A few of our guys rose and stalked closer, ripping him out of the chair and holding him down on the poker table, each extremity pulled taut and bound down. He wasn’t going anywhere. One locked the door, and our captain had the pleasure of bringing the bucket over.

My eyes scanned the room of men, and sadly some were innocent, but they were all guilty in my eyes.

We need to make it look like an accident…

But did we really? They didn’t have any remorse when they raped women and made them face their abusers as a sick joke. Why should they be shown any form of mercy?

“As you all know, this piece of garbage is a rapist, as are some others in the room. Rapists that you continue to cover for.”

I paced around the table slowly, grabbing the dirty bucket and opened the top with a smile. This would be amazing and perfect for my…unique capabilities. The room smelled of gasoline and I reached inside the bucket to pull out the rats, placing them intricately over his abdomen.

“The system failed Chloe Whitlock, failed all of them. Ezra almost took out his own brother over it. Sad, isn’t it?”

In a flash, the bucket was on top of his abdomen. A rope circled around the mouth and secured at two areas on the table. He screamed, and you could see the shadows. The small creatures already squirmed, looking for a way out.

“I asked a question!” I boomed out against the room and a few nodded, but nobody dared answer. Calling for the blowtorch, I stood quiet and at attention as it ignited and moved around the bucket. By now it had to have been a hundred degrees in there and if his screams were any indication, it would only be a matter of time.

Reaching into my pocket with a sigh, I grabbed a pack of smokes and tapped it a few times against my hand before taking one out to give it a light. I know, totally unhealthy, but I only smoke when I’m taking out the trash now. Among his screams were tiny squeaks and chewing sounds as the rats burrowed through all seven layers of skin. Gnawing at the organs, trying to find a way out through his back.

His screams quieted, blood pooling from the bottom of the bucket in a twisted justice. “Lift it. Show everyone what happens when you touch what isn’t yours.”

It didn’t phase me. I’d seen way too much in my short life already. Pretty much immune at this point. Hopefully, this would cut out the echo in Nick’s head. All the times he was powerless to help Chloe.

Returning the pack of smokes into my suit pocket, I headed for the secret entry that Nick and I always used to sneak into the house after a wild ass party. The rest of the team left as if nothing happened, ready to become an alibi at any moment.

Striking the match against the box in the telltale way I did, a smirk graced my features, knowing that even by some miracle, I was caught. I’d happily sit in prison knowing not only Chloe was okay, but everyone else that never received justice due to the disgusting number of cover-ups for the rich in this city would be alright as well.

“You all get to die today. You should have spoken up, done something…then you would be walking out of here today.”

The unmistakable sound of doors locking and windows closing in from the outside sent a rush straight to my dick. I dropped the match and was quick to light another and another until flames licked the room and I stepped out, locking the door behind me.

Nicholas

My ears perked up at the yelling coming from the kitchen. I hated this fucking house and every single memory in it. He wouldn’t get away with what he did to her. All the horrible abuses she had gone through. No matter what revenge was taken tonight, it would never be enough.

She’d be a Palmer all right, and she wouldn’t be ashamed of the person she shared that name with.

I kicked the door in, splinters of wood flew across the threshold of the kitchen. I stepped through calmly, looking for my brother. Letting the guys take care of the rest was a piece of cake, as long as Ezra was mine. After this, I could go back to my quaint drama free-ish life.

The screams rounded the corner, swirling and thrumming at my skull, reminding me of all the times I had to pull my parents apart as he watched, smirking. I’d be doing the world a favor tonight. Nobody would miss Ezra Palmer.

A pained scream sounded, and I moved fast. Flashbacks knocked at the door in my head, and I pushed them down swiftly. History wouldn’t be repeating itself ever again.

Holding my stick against my chest, slow steps brought me right where I needed to be. There he was, across the kitchen near the stove, holding his wife’s hand over it with an intention to harm her. The coils were alive and red with heat, and I fumed.

Charging toward him, I grabbed his wife and screamed before jumping out of the way. The acrid smell of the fire burned my nostrils and smoke started to billow in from under the door. He started to laugh, reaching for his drink and taking a sip.

“Get out of here!”

“After all this time, you come back. Excuse me for my less than flattering appearance,” he chided, taunting me. “Again, you stick your nose where it’s not supposed to be. Why is that?”

“I just thought you should see something,” I teased, fishing my phone out of my pocket and opening the gallery to a video of Chloe tied down and begging to be filled. She looked beautiful like this, but that wasn’t supposed to be on my mind right now.

Her moans for me threatened to turn me feral, even in this serious situation, and I had to swallow it down with a smirk.

“You were right about her. She will fuck anyone who gives her a mild amount of attention.” I pushed down the anger and guilt that rose within me for even speaking something like that out-loud.

“I told you about her. Too bad you ran that night. I would have let you have a piece once things cooled down between us. She needed to be punished. Learned quickly after that.”

He shrugged his shoulders, and I clenched my jaw tight. “Well, are you going to invite me to eat? It smells delicious and I’m starving.”

Handing me a plate, he gestured for me to follow him and stirred the thick red sauce in the steel pot. He was onto me. His frame tensed as it towered over me. At least, it’s how it felt.

Suddenly, his presence was intimidating, and fear gripped me. Flashes of each and every time he beat me rose to the surface. Every person he hurt, simply because he thought he was above the law. I couldn’t stop here. Chloe needed me, and I knew she wouldn’t be safe around him if I kept him alive.

Without thinking, I grabbed a fistful of this hair and shoved him into the pot of boiling hot sauce and watched in satisfaction and the bubbles emerged, signifying his loss of oxygen and melting face.

His hands braced against the counter and he kicked off, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the floor. He grabbed a fistful of my hoodie and laid into my face, getting a few good hits in. Crimson lined his bruised knuckles, and I closed my eyes, imagining everything I worked for and who I had waiting on me. Different memories flashed with each hit I received.

Before I could pry him off my body, my stick came down hard, hitting him repeatedly as Chloe beat the piss out of him. Why is she here?

Her blazing eyes followed his every movement as his body shook under her. I should help him, but what kind of man would I be to stop female rage?

I smiled, rising slowly to my feet in awe, watching her exact her revenge. Although I winced inwardly when the stick snapped in half.

Bile rose in my throat as she pulled his pants down and readied the splintered wood. Lurching forward, I grabbed her wrist and gently placed enough pressure to make her drop it.

“Why’d you do that!” Her proximity forced the yell to hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew she was angry, but I had to stop her.

In no way, shape or form was I letting her live with the burden of having blood on her hands. Rageful tears pricked at her eyes and I moved toward her.

I caressed her face gently before wiping the tears away with a sigh. “This is on me, baby. If you stick that up his ass, then you are no better than him. Do you want to live with that?”

Her bloodied hand rested atop of mine, and she sighed. Her beautiful doe eyes pleaded with mine to let her stay. “Go find Angel and get out of here before the place burns to the ground.”

She nodded and backed away as I bent down and grabbed his wrinkly suit collar. A soft whisper sounded from the doorway.

“I Love you.”

“Huh?” My eyes shot toward her as she disappeared from my sight. She said it. A triumphant smile spread across my lips, and I leaned down to his ear.

“Did you hear that…she loves me.” I chuckled menacingly.

Heaving him up quickly, I dragged him toward the sink with the little fight he had left, ignoring his pleas. This needed to be finished. My lungs burned as the smoke billowed into the kitchen.

“She loves me.” I repeated almost giddy. Stuffing his head into the dirty sink water and holding it there while he fought desperately for air.

Jokes on him. The pain drove me to keep going, my cock straining against my pants as I imagined they were the manicured hand of my girl.

The ones I pay for with the money made entirely by my skills, and the way I saved for the future, whether she would’ve been in it or not. He had nothing on me other than a fortune that was handed to him carelessly.

He could have it. He could have it all, and when I was finished, there would be nothing left. Just crisp, shriveled up bodies. She would get her justice and so would I.

Although I hated him, family is family, and I opted to make it quick. Grabbing the meat tenderizer off the counter, it met the back of his head, his skull giving away at the blunt force.

“This is for Chloe.”

Blood sprayed over my face and on my sweater as I beat his head in repeatedly, refusing to stop until the repeated screams of Angel brought me back to reality. I felt numb. It was over and we could all move on.

“Ooh chicken cutlets,” Angel piped up, and I snorted. He helped himself as he spread the gasoline, making sure to touch every surface as he stuffed his face.

“You had to let her through? Did she get out okay?” I wanted to make sure she was safe before he burned the rest of the place down.

“No idea what you’re talking about. Ready to light this place up?”

“It’s overdue, isn’t it?”

Nodding, he pulled the matchbook out of his pocket and ignited one, throwing it down in haste, then another, and we took off.

I stood on the edge of the grass with Chloe in my arms, watching my childhood home burn to the ground. There was no making it look like an accident.

It was arson through and through. Satisfaction warmed my body as a few burning arms tried to wave for help over the bars that he placed. Now their souls can stay trapped in that prison. My eyes glazed over, emotionless as the flames licked at the house.

“And this is for me.”

No home.

No family.

No inherited fortune.

But I did have everything I needed.

A career.

Money.

My best girl.

A home I’d been building from scratch, including our own rink. In my off season, I planned to coax Chloe back onto the ice where she belonged. Hoping it would reignite her passion.

“Are you coming with me this time?” I asked her in a serious tone.

She tapped her chin a few times and smiled. The snow landed on her glowing face. Melting over her glasses and highlighting her dark hair. Sitting in various spots as it covered her in a fluffy blanket of white.

“I have nowhere better to be, so I guess you’re stuck with me.”

“Ouch.” Kissing her forehead with a huge smile, I pulled the seat of Angel's car forward and held my hand out.

It was time to start over and play out life the way it should have been the first time. He would never abuse me, her, or anyone ever again.

None of them would.

Locking eyes with her in the rearview mirror, she smiled, and I melted, gaining the courage to say what I should have had a long time ago.

“I love you too.”