Page 147 of Slaughter

Tristan comes out from underneath the TV and turns to watch it. Kayn stands from his seat and we all stare as a man shoves a woman into view. Victor grabs her hair and shoves her down to her knees. She looks up at the camera, and my stomach drops when I see it’s Bunny’s mother. There are no tears in her eyes. Just madness. I’m surprised she hasn’t given in. Twelve years is a long time to endure torture. I saw girls turn to nothing within days, even hours under my father’s ruthless soul. She’s strong. Just like my Bunny.

Damon walks out of sight for a second only to return with a knife. The same kind that I removed Bunny’s brand with. He lifts it and spins it around. “Final chance, Avery. Give me Presleigh or watch her mother die.”

My eyes go to the woman, and I watch her fight her restraints. I can’t see her hands, so they must be tied behind her back. She’s naked. Her body covered in fresh bruises and what seem to be old scars from the many beatings she has taken over the years. Her bones protrude due to starvation, and her skin is pale. In a way, I feel I may be doing her a favor. Because her torture is about to end. She stops fighting for a brief second and gives her head the slightest shake. She doesn’t want me to trade her daughter’s life for hers. She’s ready to face her fate. Hell, she’s probably wished for it for years now.

My eyes meet Damon’s. “Do it.”

He glares at me and bares his teeth. My father yanks her head back, and Damon slices the knife against her neck, one end to the other, cutting her open like a fish. Her body jerks, and she makes a gurgling sound before the blood starts to run and cover the front of her. Victor shoves her forward, and her lifeless body hits the floor with a thud.

I watch Damon clean the blade off on his dark gray slacks. My father looks at me. “You know, Avery, we could be great friends. There is so much I know that you don’t.” Victor laughs at his words. “Have you ever stopped to think about how you got in this situation to begin with?”

I don’t respond. Still too numb. I killed her mother. I did it to save her, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.

“You blamed Darrell for what happened to Presleigh, but you never stopped to ask how he got involved.” My father reaches over taking the knife from Damon and holds it up. He looks over it as if it has some secret message scribbled on it. “You’re smarter than this, Avery.” His eyes meet mine again. “I raised you better than this.” Then the screen goes black.

Silence fills my brother’s study. My heart pounds, and my breathing is erratic. He’s fucking with me. He has to be. He doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does. If so, then that means I have another rat. But who could it be? Should I just kill them all?

“Son of a fucking bitch!” Tristan yells, interrupting the deafening silence. He then picks up a glass jar that sits on a shelf and chunks it at the TV, shattering it into millions of pieces. “Fuck!” he roars and spins around. “What the fuck was that?” he asks me as if I know. “He killed her …”

“She’s been dead for a long time,” Kayn says roughly.

“You didn’t do anything.” He glares at me.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

“You just stood there!”

With my mouth still open, I have nothing to say to that. I can’t argue the fact that her mother’s death is on my hands.

“What did you want him to do?” Kayn asks Tristan.

“Fucking something,” he snaps. “Offer money …”

“He wouldn’t have taken it.” I’m finally able to whisper.

“You don’t know that!” he screams.

“I know that he wanted Bunny!” I find my voice. “And I’m not going to give her up for anything. It was your fucking idea to call him!” I add.

“For you to make a deal. We have a job to get done.”

“There was no deal to be made!”

He rushes over to me and bumps his chest into mine. “Don’t, Tristan. You won’t win this fight,” I warn. I could kill a million men right now.

“Guys!” Kayn steps between us and shoves us apart. The back of my legs hits the desk. Tristan falls into a chair and bows his head, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “You’re looking at this wrong. There is someone out there we need to take care of.”

“Damon,” my brother snaps.

Kayn ignores him and looks at me. “Who knew that you had Presleigh?”

“My men and Tristan.” I point at him. “Maybe you’re the one who is fucking me over. You wanted me to kill her, after all.”

He jumps up and storms over to me like he’s gonna hit me but Kayn grabs him and shoves him back again. “Fuck you, Avery!”

“Someone else had to have known,” Kayn insists.

I shake my head. “No. I had you and the guys pick her up …” My words trail off.

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