Page 82 of Worship

My control is beginning to quake with the memories that keep rocking me as I sit here with him.

“She looks like your mother,” he says, and I look at his face again. “I remember her so vividly. Her mouth was a perfect red bow. I always thought it a gift for those lips to wrap around a man. Pity the crash mangled her beautiful face.”

I reach around to the holster around my waist and pull out my gun, setting it next to me discreetly, out of sight but directly in his view.

“Well, I guess I’ll dispense with the pleasantries,” he responds.

I nod, filled by a deep fury.

“Speak.”

He sneers, and his eyes go black.

“It’s time for you to walk away. All these years you’ve held that girl over my head, and now you’ll stop.”

I laugh.

“What makes you think I would stop, old fool?”

His mask falls, and his words hurl out.

“Because she wanted it. Just like your fucking wife. And if you aren’t careful, I’ll do the same to your precious Gretchen. Oh yes, that’s not all I know. I bet she likes it rough, and you know how I like it when they put up a fight. Makes it sweeter when I break them.”

“You sick bastard.”

I press the gun into his side and he flinches.

“If you think I would let any of that happen, you’re delusional. We both know how this shit ends.”

I want to shoot him here on this bench and watch him die. I’d gladly accept the consequence, but I can’t do that to Ella. And he knows that.

“You aren’t just taking me on, boy.”

He exhales as I pull the gun from his ribs.

I place the gun back against my back and stand.

“Then I’ll bring down the whole outfit. Life by filthy fucking life.”

“You think one man can do that? Dominic will never let you put his wife andchildin danger.”

He says child in a way to relay that he’s aware of Drew’s pregnancy.

“Mi divertirò a guardarti mentre fai gli ultimi respiri. Sarò lì per assicurarmi di vederti trascinato giù nella caverna dell’inferno.”I promise.I’ll enjoy watching you take your last breaths. I’ll stay to see you dragged into the pits of hell.

“Non vedo l’ora di prendere tutto ciò che hai sempre amato. Perché una volta fatto, non dovrò ucciderti. Il dolore della perdita lo farà per me.”I look forward to taking everything you’ve ever loved. Because once I do, I won’t have to kill you. The pain from the loss will do it for me.

His words etch into me, leaving marks.

He doesn’t want my life; he wants retribution for the power I stole from him. He clings to his need for vengeance, and I realize I’m not much different. He taught me this, gave me this gift, but I don’t want it anymore. I turn around and walk away.

“Nice to see you again, uncle.”

“And you, nephew,” he calls out.

I walk past the guard and back through the playground before I reach for my phone and call Dom.

“Gather everyone. We’ve come to the endgame. I need them to understand why I’m doing what I’m doing, and they need to sort out their loyalties.”