“Shut up.” Matthew says, growing irritated by Victor’s lame attempts to save his own life. The big man puts his gun away in his pocket and reaches over to grab Victor’s arms so he can’t struggle. I open the bottle and pull out a handful of tablets, and with Matthew holding Victor still, I squeeze the dealer’s jaw tightly to force it open and push the handful of drugs in. I close his jaw and stroke his throat to get him to swallow. He gags and tries not to, but it’s futile.
I take another handful and push them into his mouth again.
“Ironic. Death by your own vice.” My emotion disappears, and I allow revenge to take over.
It’s the first time I’ve welcomed it into my blood for a long time. The darkness that swirled within me for so long pushes back to the surface and spurs me on to rid the world of this man. I force another handful of tablets down. The full bottle is gone in a matter of moments. It will rip his stomach apart and leave him in agony in a short while. I’ll watch every second of it with glee. He got the woman I love hooked. I move away from him and sit on a chair in the corner of the room. Time to wait. My gaze is intent, focused on watching Victor die in pain.
The silence is broken when Matthew places his gun against Victor’s head, once again, and pulls the trigger.
“What the fuck?” I get to my feet and storm over to where Victor lays dead on the floor. His eyes glassed over and blood pouring from the hole in the side of his head.
“I’m not letting you go down that path again,” Matthew states flatly.
“What path?”
“Revenge. I’ve got a good mate in you now. You’re the only person who’s shot me I actually like.”
I look at him blankly and then blink a few times as what he’s saying sinks in.
“Thank you.” I hold my hand out to him, and he shakes it.
“You and James head off. I’ll get this cleared up and then head back to Elena,” Matthew instructs, and I nod my agreement.
Taking one last look at Victor’s body, I can’t help being thankful that the world is rid of another monster. I’m just glad I didn’t administer the final blow.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elena
I’m in so much pain.
I think I’m going to die.
Why won’t it stop?
I need a painkiller.
Just one.
One to take the edge away.
Please.
I’m curled up in the bed in my room at the rehab center. It’s been only a few days, but they’ve been the worst. When I first came here, my body wasn’t strong enough to detox so they left me with prescribed pills for a little while, but now the hard work of ridding me of my addiction has started.
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
I don’t think I can do it.
“Please.”
I get up and bang on the door to my room. There’s very little furniture in here.
“Please.”
A nurse walks by to check on me.
Compassion lights her eyes, but I know underneath is a harsh resolve to help me clear the drugs from my system.