Page 19 of Mean One

“Until I have her heart in my hands,” I whispered over my shoulder, “I can’t love you.”

I foundthe brothel on the opposite end of the same street as the bar. It was old and towering, but nothing I couldn’t handle. With the axe in one hand, I raised the other and began to scale up the wall, using the rigid, uneven bricks to pull myself up. As I did so, I peeked into the rooms, searching for any sign of her. It wasn’t until I reached the highest level that I found her in her room—and she wasn’t alone. She was with Gus.

I leaned against the window with my axe in hand, watching and listening, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack, to finally get my revenge on them both.

“Why? Why would the Grouch’s whore try to kill you?” Hearing Gus call Max a whore made my grip tighten around the handle of my axe. If I didn’t already want to murder him, I sure as hell did now.

“You know why!” May screamed back, pressing a blood-soaked handkerchief to her nose. Fucking Max. “Him returning, Max killing Cindy and coming after me, the murders, it’s all happening because of us! It’s our fault Gus,ours. It was only a matter of time before the past caught up with us.” Gus rubbed his face, his temper rising.

“No. No, I’m not going to let some monster and crazy bitch come in here, after all these years, and take everything away from me! I fucking won’t let it happen!” He shot towards her, grabbing her neck. “None of this is my fault, you hear me!” He violently shook her. “This is all happening because ofyou. You’re the one who toyed with his heart, making him think he was worthy of being loved. You’re the one who led him on, and you’re the reason she died.”

“Gus—” She tried to hit him and make him stop, but it was no use. Part of me wanted to jump in and save her, but another wanted to watch as he strangled the life out of her.

“That night changed everything. Do you think he would’ve been welcomed in this town if it didn’t happen? Ha. The unfortunate tragedy merely set things straight.” May reached behind her into the small drawer of her nightstand, her fingers grasping something as Gus continued to choke her. “I didn’t know you two were sneaking around, that you would let him go. But here we are, because of your mistake. Maybe I should let them kill you. That is, if I don’t do it myself first.”

May swung her arm, a small knife ripping through his gut as he released her neck and stumbled back, bleeding out with a shocked look on his face. She gagged and stumbled as she eyed him, circling the room. Gus fell to his knees, trying to stop the bleeding as his guts spilled onto the floor.

“Don’t you fucking dare blame her death on me!” She picked up her sheer shawl, twisting it around her hands as she slowly approached him. “Youkilled her!” She wrapped it around his neck, groaning as she dragged him, tying it to the wooden poster of her bed, his body raised slightly from the ground in a mini noose, hovering an inch from the floor. She then crouched next to him, wiping her bloodied nose as she watched him panic, trying to free himself.

“I’ve spent years fearing you, letting you use me however you wanted because I was haunted by the past. But I’m done.” May spit in his face, falling back onto her backside as she hung her arms over her knees and exhaled. “If he wants to kill me, I’ll let him.” Gus strained, trying to free himself from the noose, his face turning purple. “My only regret is that I didn’t tell him the truth.”

The truth?

My hand opened her window, her head snapping as she stood, gasping at the sight of me. I crawled through the small space, stepping into the room, the ceiling inches from my head as my axe remained at my side.

“Crispin,” she breathed my name. It was the first time I’d heard it in years. Even Max didn’t know it.

We stood there, staring at one another, transfixed. My heart leaped uncontrollably at the realization that she was here, with me. After all this time… I tried to push those feelings aside, remembering why I was here, stepping past her as I kneeled next to Gus.

“Hello, old friend,” I grinned, his eyes bulging as he stared back at me. “Did you miss me? Did I grow into the monster you always claimed me to be?” He tried to speak but couldn't, thanks to May’s ingenuity. I examined him closely, scoffing at his appearance. “God, you really let yourself go.” I stood, gripping the axe. “Good thing I got here when I did. Any longer, and May would get to claim credit for your death. And that wouldn’t be fair, now would it?”

“Crispin, no!” I raised the weapon with both hands, grinning as I swung, chopping off his head. It rolled to the ground and stopped at May’s feet, blood pooling beneath it. She covered her mouth, screaming as his dead eyes looked up at her, his mouth twitching for a few seconds.

“Well, that was a bit anticlimactic. All these years of dreaming how this would happen, and a hack to the head is all it took. Pity. Now,” I sighed, twirling the axe in my hand, “I’m going to give you one chance to explain.” May quivered, her eyes watering as she watched me. “What truth?” She just stared, horrified by what I’d done. “What truth, May?”

“Y-you killed him,” she stuttered. “You killed Gustopher.” A tear fell down her cheek as I rolled my eyes.

“I did what I came here to do. I know you loved him, but?—”

“I didnotlove him.” The growled statement stopped me in my tracks, her jaw clenched as I looked at her, realizing she wasn't wearing his ring. “I have been abused by that man since the day you left!”

“Oh no,” I snarled as I charged her, lifting her chin with the blade. “Don’t you try and put this back on me. He tormentedme. And you…” I looked her up and down as she tried to hold her head high. “You used me.” I removed the axe and stepped back. “And for what you two did to me, what you took from me, I’m going to get my revenge.” My hands gripped the handle as she watched me raise it high, my nostrils flaring with rage.

“Wait!”

“I have waited! For years, May! I let you live your life, hiding away in that fucking cave after you stole mine from me!”

“I didn’t?—”

“Yes, you did!” I snarled. “You played me. You pretended to love me, to want me. We spent years sneaking around, making plans to run away from all this together. But when I needed you most, the truth came out.” Tears burned my eyes. “You never loved me. And when everything happened, you let her die!”

“I didn’t know!” May completely broke, falling to her knees. “Gus never told me what he was going to do! I knew he had something planned, but I didn’t think it wasthat! Crispin, please. I didn’t know your mother was inside!”

My fury and pent-up anger took control as I roared, grabbing her throat.

“Liar!” I yelled as May sobbed.

“Please,” she cried. “I only knew he was going to try and hurt you. That’s why I asked you to run away with me. I didn’t know he was going to set your house on fire!”

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