Page 81 of Demise

Carson smirks, looking back at Johnny. “Who the hell is this guy?”

I step up, quickly grabbing the boy by his throat and shoving him against the wall. I snatch the gun from his hand, putting it against his throat. “I’m Danny. And I’ll break every little bone in your face if you disrespect me again.”

Carson holds his hands up in surrender.

I let go of his throat. He coughs. “Jesus.”

“What happened here?” Johnny asks.

“Motherfucker came in my room without my permission,” Carson says, rubbing his neck and giving me a sideways glance.

“So you beat him with a gun?” Johnny asks. “Where did you even get that thing?”

“It pissed me off.” Carson shrugs. “And easy— bought it from a guy down the street.”

I laugh, looking down at the unconscious man.

“Well, we won’t have to convince him to leave the house now. Come on, get him up.”

I walk into the hall, looking for a bathroom while they pick the man up and haul him downstairs. I grab a towel and wipe my fingerprints from the gun before wrapping it in the towel and following the boys out.

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Ice floats in patches on the river as we three stand under the bridge with this sick fuck wrapped in a sheet. I look over at Carson, studying him for a moment. He looks back at me and I narrow my eyes as I hit my cigarette.

“Here,” I say, giving him his gun back. He looks a little surprised as he takes the wrapped-up gun, flipping the ends of the towel away from it. David moans from inside the sheet. He starts to move, and before any of us can blink, Carson shoots him three times.

Three times.

Twice in the back and once in the head.

The head would have been enough.

“Jesus. Did you even think about it before you pulled the trigger?” Johnny asks.

Carson laughed. “No.”

I knew I liked him then, and over the years, he’s been a great number two, but he did what he did.

I sniff, rubbing the wetness from my face. I clear my throat, and then I yank the gun from the back of my pants. Without a slip of time, I shoot him in the head.

He falls over into the hole and I stare down at him. I inhale with a shake and look over at Sweep as he gazes down, too. I’m not all evil. The bastard has been a part of my life for a long time, so I do the sign of the cross.“May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you’re there.”

I tighten my jaw. “Because he’ll come.”

Sweep does the sign as well, and we both stand in silence as the wind shifts the trees and the moon passes through the clouds. The lights from the car slip through the pines, giving the forest an ominous look.

This wasn’t some random person. This was Carson. He was like family, but he betrayed me, and family or not, that doesn’t go without punishment. He’s lucky he was like family and my heart was in it, or it would have been a lot worse for him.

Sweep grabs the shovel.

“No need,” I say. “Cops will just have to dig it back up.”

He looks perplexed.

“Moretti Galo just murdered Carson Kelski,” I say. “They’ll be out here to investigate.”

I wiggle the gun and Sweep’s brow lifts.

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