Page 89 of Die for You

Danny’s attention bounces between the guard and me. He trusts neither, and he shouldn’t.

After a minute or so, the gates open, and Danny sarcastically gives the guard a thumbs-up. He drives toward the house. Three men stand guard on the porch, their large guns in hand.

Danny cracks his neck from side to side, clearly ready for a fight.

I detach myself from any emotion when Danny parks the car and turns it off. I slowly get out of the van, hands raised in surrender. The heavy downpour has now turned to a drizzle. The men instantly point their guns at me, their fingers on the triggers as I slide open the side door.

The floral blanket is an insult to Lewis. I wish I could have wrapped him in something a little more dignified. But I step away from the van, suggesting to the men that I have something for them to see. They descend the front steps with caution, one man’s gun trained on Danny, and the other two on me.

The man with ginger in his goatee steps forward and carefully pulls back the blanket. “Motherfucker…” he curses under his breath, before pressing a button connected to his earpiece. “Sir, please come outside.”

I’m shivering, but not from the cold.

The front door opens.

I hold my breath.

Lenny appears, stone-faced, ignoring me, ensuring not to make eye contact.

Raindrops stick to my lashes, curbing my vision. But I don’t need to see, for I know how the next thirty seconds are about to pan out.

Lenny slowly takes the stairs and walks to the van. His men step aside in a sign of respect. Or perhaps they don’t want to be close when he sees what’s in the back. He pulls back the blanket, and suddenly, it feels as if the world stands still.

He doesn’t move a muscle.

He simply stares at Lewis’s corpse.

The rain begins to pick up once again.

“Sir—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Lenny roars, never taking his eyes off Lewis.

He needs time to process this as real. I understand. When something so traumatic occurs, it’s your body’s natural response to go into self-preservation mode. It wants to protect your mind and your heart.

I was the same when I walked into my home and was greeted with smears of blood. And when I saw Nico, beaten and bloody, I didn’t want to believe this nightmare was real.

But as your mind processes what’s happening, a flood of emotion hits you, and that’s when you spiral.

I’m drenched, but don’t seek shelter.

I stand with Lenny, mourning his brother.

He turns over his shoulder, finally meeting my eyes.

His beautiful blue-gray eyes are now swarming with black.

I want to console him.

I want to beg for forgiveness.

But I can’t.

I am nothing but akin to a cat, bringing their beloved a dead bird as a gift. “Take my family…and I take yours.”

Lenny’s mask slips for a nanosecond. He understands loud and clear that I was the one who killed Lewis. I see hatred, real hatred, and this is what Gianna wanted.

Danny watches on, no doubt eager to recount all the horror to Gianna. At least we’ve provided a stellar performance.