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Chapter Twenty-Three

RED

W e tie up our horses in the woods and creep onto the property from the east side of the cabin.

Jeremiah’s shiny electric sports car gleams in the moonlight.

“Cutting power in two minutes,” Cannibal says into an earpiece he handed me right before we left.

I glance at Pa and Clay, who are to the right of me as we make our approach. Knight and his three men are on my left. We left the others with the horses as backup while Cannibal and King stayed back at the bar.

We watch in silence as the porch light goes out.

A few minutes pass, and Elijah comes out the back door to start the generator. I’m ready for him when he bends over to pull the cord.

I give him a maniacal grin when he sees my face.

“What are you doing?” He stumbles back from me.

“You took something that belongs to me. Something that wasn’t given freely.” I growl as I swing good ole Bertha high and let the bat clip his chin so hard he flies up in the air and falls a few feet ahead of me.

Jeremiah comes out to see what’s going on, and Clayton tackles him to the ground, pinning him down by his neck.

“Now, hold on.” The grumble comes out muffled, I’m sure, from the branches and leaves he’s probably choking on.

“Did you stop when she was begging you?” I kick his head like I’m trying out for the Texans.

Then Cyrus comes rushing out. The moment he sees me, he pales.

“Justice, please!” He puts his arms out in front of him as if that’ll stop me.

“Justices aren’t merciful, especially to men who hurt women. So start praying to whatever Lord you believe in ‘cause you’re about to meet him.” I raise the bat as he stumbles on the back steps and falls pathetically.

“Wait, I can make this right!” Pa lets out a loud, humorless laugh at his words.

“Can you now? You got a time machine? How are you going to change the fact that you raped my wife?!” My echo rings out around us, and I dare any man here to correct my statement.

Cause sure, as the devil himself will be collecting the souls of these three assholes tonight, Camila Greystone will be my wife.

Sooner rather than later.

“No, it’s an eye for an eye on my ranch, and I’m taking back what you stole.” I hiss as I swing the bat down between his legs.

It breaks into splinters inches away from his useless balls.

“I warned you not to touch what was mine.” I nod at Pa, who grabs the rope off his shoulders and tosses it up through the rafters of the porch trestle.

“We hanging these fuckers?” Knight says with a humorous tone in his voice as I shake my head.

“That lacks imagination. No, I promised my girl I’d make it hurt.” I stroke the bat carefully so as not to get any splinters.

“I want them all strung up and stripped.” I take out a mason jar full of alcohol and my hunting knife.

“Knight, get the house ready.” He smiles and gleefully takes his boys to spread the fuel from the generator to the overgrown garden.

“It’s a shame that you didn’t winterize your property well.

The snow melted around, causing an electrical fire that made it all the way to the house.

You were all in bed asleep. Damn fucking shame, really.

The coroner won’t have any cause to look further, meaning no one will ever know that you died from blood loss and not the fire.

” I get real close to Cyrus and whisper in his ear.

“I promised I’d make it hurt.” Pa and Clay have them all hanging now.

Jeremiah and Elijah are gagged, but Cyrus?

I want to hear him scream. I walk around him while he wiggles and waits. When he’s used up his energy from crying and screaming for help that will never come, I take the jagged tip of the bat and shove it up his ass.

I twist it to make sure every little piece of wood splinters inside him. I shove until it won’t go any further, and then I rip it out. Then I swing on him like he’s a fucking pinata.

He’s a lumpy bloody mess when Pa finally stops me.

“That’s enough, son.” I turn on him with a snarl.

“HE WILL NEVER PAY ENOUGH FOR WHAT HE DID TO HER!” I take a breath and step back, knowing my anger and rage aren’t for him.

I drop the bat and pick up the jar and knife.

I cut his balls off and watched them plop into the liquid. He whimpers in pain as I lean in to whisper in his ear the last words he’ll ever hear.

“The fires of hell are too good for you, but I hope you burn in them for eternity.” I step away and nod at Knight.

The guys cut them down and take them into the house while I stand outside with the jar in my hands.

Knight comes out and places a lighter near the generator to spark the flames. When it falls onto the gas-soaked grass, it catches instantly. The house goes up in minutes, and even though I know we need to leave because the smoke will attract attention, I stand and watch.

“Come on. It’s done,” Pa says the words slowly.

I raise my head with a sad smile.

“Nah, Pa. It’s just starting.” It’s going to be a long, hard road to climb out of this.

I’m just praying Cami will want to put in the work with me to do it.

We hurry back to the horses and get our asses back to Justice Ranch. When we arrive, the plume of smoke can be seen for miles. Ma is sitting on the porch drinking lemonade like it’s a normal night. She has a blanket over her legs as she rocks and hums, crocheting under the porch light.

“Bunny? What ya making?” My head spins at how normal of a conversation this is after what we just did.

It makes me question the things Pa did when he was still with the Saints.

“Booties. I reckon I may have grandbabies soon.” Her eyes flip up over her glasses to stare at me.

“I’m heading to the hospital in the morning.” It’s a not-too-subtle remainder of the ring I put on Cami’s finger before she woke up, but I couldn’t exactly ask then.

One, cause she wasn’t awake, and two, because I needed to slay her monsters. I smile at her before bending down to kiss her cheek.

“I’m gonna wash up and head over now.” She clucks her tongue.

“You do that.”