Page 135 of Killing Mind

He shrugged. ‘They didn’t stay for you, did they? No one stayed for you.’

The tears were now running fast over Britney’s cheeks. Tiffany gazed at her with concern and then turned her head to Kim.

Kim shook her head. Jake was still holding the knife and neither of them was close enough to get up and wrestle it from him before he could do any damage.

‘I told you everything, about my father and…’

‘Yes, you told me how you arranged to meet him at the lake and that you killed him. We talked about that. You were sorry for what you’d done. How could I know that you had it in you to do it again?’

He’d known exactly which buttons to press to get this girl to do his bidding, Kim realised. All she wanted, had ever wanted, was a family and he had given her that, in return for hurting the people he felt had betrayed him. Everything came at a price.

He knew full well that Sammy had been snatched. His problem had been that she hadn’t returned; however slowly and steadily, Sammy had been trying to make normal life work. Something either Kane or her parents had said had registered in her brain.

This man had destroyed countless lives through manipulation and coercion. He had destroyed this girl and was continuing to do it now.

‘What about your last Farm, Jake?’ Kim asked, to get his attention away from Britney. ‘People died there too, didn’t they?’

He turned towards her, as though surprised that she was still there.

‘Accidents happen,’ he said, without emotion.

‘Graham Deavers falling from the roof was an accident, and Christopher Brook really did kill himself?’ she pushed.

‘So the inquests said,’ he offered with a smugness that crept into his eyes. It was the expression of a man who knew he had got away with murder. He would never admit to what he’d done.

‘Did you know Christopher was a police officer?’

He shrugged leaving her in no doubt. ‘No good ever comes to snoops.’

‘Did Graham want to leave you?’ she asked. ‘Did he hurt your pride and your ego?’

His expression darkened.

‘You’re no different to Britney. You build a family and people leave. That hurts Britney because of her past, but it only hurts your ego not your feelings; it’s proof that you failed. How could anyone want to leave you and what you’ve created?’

She saw a muscle jump in his cheek as he turned towards her.

‘You use vulnerable people to get revenge,’ she spat, knowing that Britney was going to have to pay a high price for the things she’d done, for him.

If she could just get him to move a couple of steps away from Britney, she could take her chances and rush him for the knife.

‘You use people to build your empire. You seek out vulnerable people and take everything you can: their money, their families, their free will and you call that a family. It’s not a family,’ she taunted. ‘It’s a dictatorship and you’re going to lose everything you’ve built.’

He laughed out loud and took a step towards her. ‘You think anyone is going to believe a word she says?’ he asked, waving the knife towards Britney. ‘I have a hundred people back there who will…’

‘Yes, a hundred people who also knew Sammy, who also knew Tyler and have known Britney. You really think you can convince them all that you had no part in this? Do you really think your intelligence is superior to everyone back there, that not even one of them will doubt you? All it takes is one person, Jake, and your house of cards…’

He took another step towards her.

Britney sprang from her seated position and grabbed the knife from Jake’s hand. She turned it and thrust it into his stomach.

‘Noooo…’ both she and Tiff screamed running towards her.

In her frenzied state the girl landed another two wounds. Blood stained his white shirt immediately as he stared at Britney in shock.

‘He has to die,’ Britney screamed, as Jake fell to the ground.

Kim grabbed the knife and threw it as Tiff pulled Britney away.