Page 43 of The Monster I Loved
She had every right to be now, I supposed. “Daisy, you had to see the smirk on his face.”
“What?”
I faced her. “Thaddeus mocked my attempt to kill him and announced to the world his cock single-handedly foiled my plan.” His smirk flashed before my eyes. What I’d give to slap that expression right off his face. I could’ve,should’ve, pistol-whipped him if I’d known he was going to have the cops haul me away anyway.
Better yet, I should have completed the murder I planned before he could stick his cock inside me.
My best friend made a strange, strangled sound and pulled over on the side of the road. “His cock? What happened that night?”
Heat crawled up my neck. I didn’t want people to know about that lapse in judgment. “Forget it. Just know one thing. Thaddeus is dead. Shit, I might kill him on Halloween just like he did my dad.”
“Summer, are you hearing yourself? You need to call Marni and get a session immediately. You need to move past this. Thetwo of you need to be able to coexist in the same place without you killing him!”
I wasted no more of my breath on her. Nobody would ever understand. This was the reason that all those years of therapy did nothing. What I really needed was Thaddeus’s cold, lifeless body lying in front of me. They could keep my gun. I had a car, and gas was cheap. I’d run that conceited bastard off the road.
I spentthe next couple of days holed up at home, plotting my revenge. The moment Olivia called me to explain what was going on with the Starlight building, and that she needed my help, I got showered, dressed, and headed straight over there. Today was demolition day. I’d planned to stay away, but Mr. Dorman was refusing to leave the building. All the other tenants had vacated the property, but Mr. Dorman just wouldn’t go.
My plan to murder Thaddeus would have to wait.
Seeing how connected he was to the building was heartbreaking. The Fitzgeralds saw a money-making opportunity, and he saw a home. They were convinced that tearing down a community was the solution to a pileup of structural problems that, while desperately needed, could easily be covered by their deep pockets.
But who am I kidding?These were the Fitzgeralds, and as they said,the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. They wouldn’t fork over a dollar if it meant people like Mr. Dorman got to stay in the building. All that mattered to them was profit.
Now that the town had granted the Fitzgeralds the sale and demolition permit, the police planned to drag the poor man from his home. Together, Olivia and I sat inside with him, trying to convince him to leave his world behind.
“I’ve got nothing left. They can’t take my dignity too,” he spat.
I got it. Totally. And part of me still toyed with the idea of standing in front of that wrecking ball myself, but no way would I allow myself to die and let Thaddeus live. I was still determined to kill the bastard before I left this planet.
“We’ll walk out with you,” Olivia reminded him, but Mr. Dorman only shook his head.
Our time was up. There was a pounding on the door, and it flew open. Two officers stood there.
I pleaded with them. “Try to understand; this is the only home he’s ever known.”
“So, you want him to die in it before his time?” a construction worker, who I hadn’t noticed, asked.
Ignoring his words, I looked at the cops.
“Mr. Dorman, please come with me,” I tried once more.
Defiantly, he shook his head.
I heard chatting among the reporters behind the policemen. “Fitzgerald is here.”
What? Which one?
In disbelief, I watched Thaddeus, in his expensive suit, step into the man’s home. The suit tugged on his muscles, flexing and bulging with every movement he made. “Mr. Dorman, I’ve come to talk privately,” he said.
“Who are you?” Mr. Dorman asked.
I was just about to explain that he was the reason for his situation when Thaddeus spoke. “I’m the sort of man who believes compromises can be made and talking is the best course of action.”
I snorted. Yeah, fucking right. Reporters, policemen, and construction workers all loitered in the hallway, watching the scene unfold.
Olivia stared at me and made space by her for Thaddeus to sit next to Mr. Dorman.
“My mother lived in this building, you know.” He spoke directly to Mr. Dorman, not looking at anyone else in the room. “She grew up here and lived here until she married my dad. This building meant a lot to her. As did the people in it. It really saddened her to see the state the building had fallen into. It hurt her deeply that she couldn’t help the people here.”
