Page 43 of Hell's Fear

“Because I require help,” he replied.

“You need my help? After what you assholes did to McKenna? Hawthorne will gut you with a blunt knife, and I’ll cheer Dylan on,” I snarled.

“Phoenix, I really need help,” he insisted.

“Not likely. I’m aware of who you are,” I stated, keeping the gun locked on him. “Volcano, Fury’s last living son, and the rapist of a dear friend of mine.”

“Phoe, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Volcano said, looking puzzled.

“McKenna!” I screamed. “The woman you raped in the Escape Rooms.”

“Nobody was to be raped, that was my order!” Volcano snapped.

“Liar!”

“Phoe, I’m being honest. I ordered that nobody was to be harmed and certainly not raped. I knew I was going to make a run for it at the Escape Rooms. Why the fuck would I risk upsetting anyone? If I allowed a rape to happen, then you’d not help me and I need Rage and your help. All the staff were to be locked up safe and sound,” Volcano insisted.

“McKenna was gang raped. Tell me why the fuck should I believe you? You killed your siblings.”

“That’s not quite true,” Volcano answered calmly.

“Which bit?”

Was I really standing here having a conversation with a guy acknowledged to be a psychopath? This wanker was one of McKenna’s rapists.

“I’m not Fury’s last son. My two brothers are alive, as are my three sisters. No way would I condone the assault of a woman. I honestly ordered nobody be hurt,” Volcano replied.

“Yeah, I don’t quite trust any of that,” I snarled.

“It’s true. Dad set us against one another the moment we were born. But we weren’t like Dad. When I was twelve, I witnessed Dad rape an eight-year-old child and guessed my sisters weren’t safe. And at twelve, Phoenix, you had better understand I was a man. Quietly, I arranged for my eldest two sisters and Mom to disappear, and they did so successfully. Before they did, I made them drain some blood and smear it over the house. Dad thought they’d been killed.”

“This is a pretty story.”

“Next, I saved my youngest sister the following year, and, over time, I got my brothers out. I stayed to take Dad down, but he’s never alone now. Dad’s too fuckin’ paranoid, and he knew I was going to make a move. He put a hit on me first, and I ran.”

“What proof do you have, Volcano?”

“I’m reaching for my phone, Phoenix. Don’t shoot,” Volcano said.

“Slowly,” I ordered.

Volcano yanked his phone out and flicked it on. He pulled up pictures, placed it on the car and moved away.

“Take a look.”

Cautiously, I stepped forward, snatched the phone, and glanced back and forth between it and him as I checked out the images. The photos depicted two men who bore a strong resemblance to Volcano, suggesting they were family. But there was one photo that made me pause.

“Is that…?” I asked and peered closer.

“Yup. That is.”

“Drake thought he was dead.”

“Nope. The man protected my family. He’s still as crazy as fuck,” Volcano stated with a slight chuckle. That sounded odd, like he was unused to laughing.

“What do you want, Volcano?” I asked.

“To protect them—and one other. Help to bring Dad down. He’s insane.”

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