Page 97 of Massacre
Time lost meaning. Faces blurred—concerned, loving, steadfast. Player’s cousin lingered nearby, talking in low tones with him, their words a mixture of hope and strategy I barely understood. All I could do was cling to the comfort of those around me, drawing on their strength as my own faltered.
The day faded slowly as the sunlight gave way to the faintest glimmer of dusk outside the windows. The uncertainty remained, an ache that pressed against my ribs, but I realized I wasn’t alone. Whatever happened, whatever I faced, the family I’d found here would face it too. Even though resolution seemed far beyond reach, the ties that bound us now felt unbreakable.
I finally rose, my body heavy but my spirit bolstered by love and stubborn hope. There was nothing left but to wait—and to hold on, for as long as it took.
Chapter Forty
Massacre
The sun had set when I heard Declan shout loudly. “Dwayne! Wake the fuck up and get out here. You have company.”
“Unless it’s my woman, tell them to go away!”
“Dwayne Sean Buchanon!”
And just like that, I was wide awake and on my feet.
Gulping, I opened the cell door and slowly and very cautiously walked down the hall to find not only my mother glaring daggers at me, but next to her was Reggie, grinning like a loon, and my cousin Lorenzo, who tried hard to hide his smile. And leaning against the back wall was Giovanni, who looked all too happy to watch the fireworks about to happen. I didn’t know where Reaper was, and that in itself was worrying. But when I saw Antonio Valentinetti walk out of Declan’s office with none other than my uncle, Brian Buchanon, I cringed.
Fuck me hard and twice on Sunday.
This was bad. Like, really fucking bad.
“I ought to take a switch to your hide!” my mother began as Reggie chuckled.
“Oh, I’d pay big money to see that.” Giovanni, my cousin on my mom’s side of the family, grinned.
“Shut up, Gio,” I muttered.
“Make me, Dwayne.”
“Enough,” Uncle Brian growled. “I didn’t fly across the fucking pond for a fucking family squabble!”
“Don’t you take that tone with me, Brian O’Shea Buchanon!” my mother snapped.
It was like the world’s worst fucking family reunion ever!
Had love for these fuckers, but I wasn’t in the mood for another ass-chewing. Didn’t they understand my life was hanging in the balance and the last thing I wanted to hear was my mother laying into me?
I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly as I tried to tune out the endless stream of sarcastic remarks and irate glares. My mother’s tirade had only just begun, but I could already feel my patience wearing thin—a dangerous thing, considering my current situation. Feet shuffling, I leaned against the cool concrete wall, feigning indifference, though anxiety gnawed at my insides. The sheriff’s station echoed with the clatter of boots and the drone of fluorescent lights, the air charged thick with old grievances and fresh accusations.
There was no winning this round, just surviving it, and I knew better than to give anyone more ammunition. My mind drifted, seeking a distraction, but all I found was the weight of everything that had brought us here. I glanced at Reggie, who winked at me with his smug, irrepressible optimism, knowing my ass was grass and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Lorenzo’s low chuckle reverberated from the shadows, while Giovanni’s silence was more accusatory than any words he could ever utter.
Somewhere in the distance, a phone rang—a hollow sound, oddly disconnected from the intensity inside these four walls. I wondered fleetingly if anyone on the outside cared about the chaos brewing within.
The answer, of course, was fuck no.
In my family, consequences always came home to roost.
The room quieted as my mother finally ran out of threats, her glare softening with a weary sort of love. “Just... try not to make things worse than they already are,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as Maureen, Declan’s wife, walked intothe station and happily greeted my Uncle Brian, which caused Declan to growl. And wouldn’t you know it, Uncle Brian smirked right before he kissed Maureen on the cheek.
“Get your hands off my wife,” Declan postured, pulling Maureen away from my uncle, who just stood his ground and grinned.
“It’s been a long time, Declan.”
“Yeah. Not long enough.”
Coming to stand next to me, Reggie whispered, “Don’t say anything. Just play stupid.”
