Page 116 of Sinner

“Of course not. A company leak. How is that going?” Zach wore a scowl much like I’d had the last few days.

“Christopher is working hard to find it.” Wilder seemed so certain.

“Are you so sure about that?” The conversation I’d had with Christopher had been lackluster at best. I glanced from one brother to the other. “I suggest you dig deep on the man.”

“Wow. You’re suspecting one of our own.” Zach finally stood, giving me a hard look.

“Yes, I am.” I adjusted my jacket before taking a couple of steps toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Wilder asked, although he wore an expression that stated he knew exactly what I was thinking. “We still have countermeasures we need to continue working on.”

“Perhaps I’ll pay a visit to Dorn and see what he has to say.”

“I don’t think ruffling any additional feathers right now is good for us.” Zach eyed me as I walked by.

“Stop worrying, Zach. I do know what I’m doing. Don’t worry. No bloodshed.”

“That means no fun,” Wilder teased, forced to move out of the way when I headed to the door.

“It’s obvious you don’t know me very well. I can create a world of magic and splendor anywhere and at any time.”

With that I walked out.

CHAPTER 33

“If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness.”

—Victor Hugo

Sinner

“What the… Fuck. Who the fuck are you? Get out of my shed!”

His voice had been shaky, a typical reaction to seeing someone standing in dark attire while wearing a mask and holding a sharp blade in his hand. Only I wasn’t an intruder. I also wasn’t flesh and blood, although my foster mother had attempted to provide me with a home. There were things she didn’t know, horrific acts of violence that had gone on in her absence.

Or so I’d chosen to believe.

She’d been as much of a victim as I’d been.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Then I’m calling the police.”

The fucker had dared jerk his phone into his shaking hand, acting as if his attempt at dialing 9-1-1 would prevent the inevitable. Perhaps he’d known by then who’d cornered him inside the darkened shed, a beloved location that only he’d been allowed to enter.

Except when dragging me into the dark confines.

With a single drive of my fist, I’d not only knocked the bastard to the ground, I’d also dislodged the phone from his hand. While he’d still been writhing, I’d crushed his phone under my boot, grinding the shattered components into the dirt. The place had stunk of piss and gasoline, a combination I’d once loathed but had grown to appreciate.

The fucker hadn’t been any match for me physically, my recent growth spurt and the time I’d spent using weights creating a marked difference from the young boy he’d easily been able to manipulate. As I thought about how I’d easily locked the leather bands around his wrists, hoisting him several feet into the air, I pulled the Harley to a stop on the road perpendicular to her house.

That night had been the first time I’d worn a mask. The foray into anonymity had excited me. I’d been able to be the man I’d envisioned myself to be for months. Choosing the motherfucker who’d pretended he cared about me for social services had been an easy and natural choice. My very first victim.

I got off the bike, taking a few deep breaths of the night air as I scanned the street.

I would never forget the joyful sounds as the fucker had screamed, begging to be spared. As if I’d cared. After shovingthe gag into his mouth, I’d taken my time introducing him to the same methods of torture he’d used on me.

In the end, I’d been covered in the man’s blood, feeling more joy than I’d ever felt.

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