Page 34 of The Madman's Nightmare
“Do you still move all around Portstill or do you stay mostly in the Flats?” I asked.
“I still move around. The police are cracking down on us out here, and I don’t like being in a cell,” Herbert responded.
He was a Vietnam vet who came home different. I tried to get him into housing when I was in charge out here, but he refused, saying he liked sleeping with the sky above his head and no responsibilities. I never understood it but tried to make sure he had what he needed.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the photo of Kendra and Bradon that we’d aged through a program I was working on. Showing it to him, I asked, “Have you seen either of these people?”
He looked at the picture and wrinkled his forehead. “Isn’t that the crazy lady you used to hang around with?”
“How’d you know she was crazy?” Lucian asked.
“Anyone who knew her knew she was crazy,” he replied. “She followed you around like a puppy dog, and that boy followed her around like they were connected.”
“Have you seen them lately?” I asked.
“Her, no. Not in years. Him, I can’t be sure.”
“Would you keep an eye out for them and if you see them, will you call me?” I asked and handed him a few twenties along with my cell number on a business card.
He looked at the money in my hand and tucked it into his dirty pockets before he gave a nod and started to walk away. Looking over his shoulder, he remarked, “I’m glad to see you stopped being an asshole and finally made something of yourself.”
Disappearing behind the building, I heard Lucian chuckle as we walked back to the vehicle. He slapped me on my uninjured shoulder and explained. “It seems like he knows you pretty well.”
“Fuck you, Lucian,” I replied again with a half-smile on my face.
As he drove us out of the Flats, he asked about my time here. I let my mind drift back to the days when I was living hand-to-mouth, fighting for respect, and being beaten nightly by Marco and the demons he fought in his mind.
“Marco was fucking nuts and my time with him was crazy. He saw shadows in every corner, he thought everyone was out to get him, and he always muttered about his friend coming to savehim.” I shook my head, remembering his ramblings about crazy shit.
None of it made any sense, and I always assumed it was his inner demons trying to get out. Internally, I shrugged as I continued speaking.
“After I killed him and took over, I had a lot of pushbacks from the people who earned their money from him and his businesses. The whorehouses were closed, and I had to figure out how to stop the women from turning tricks for their drugs, so I moved the drug dealers out of the neighborhood, but some of the pros didn’t want to leave.”
“How did you manage to get them out?” he inquired as he took another turn through the large, expansive neighborhood.
The houses were cleaned-up, the yards were manicured, and the families living in the Flats seemed happier now. All the trouble and bloodshed were worth it to see them thriving.
“I had a few sent to rehab, a couple moved on to other cities, and a small group of them moved in and started cleaning their lives up,” I explained with a shrug. “Eventually, the jobs came back and families started buying the houses and fixing them up. I made sure to keep any big developers out, not wanting the rents to get crazy for the people living here.”
As we got to the edge of the Flats, he slowed down and looked at me. “You’re a good man, Devlin. You could’ve turned out like Sergey and used your power for evil, but you took your newfound wealth and power and helped people.”
“I’m not a good man, Lucian.”
“I beg to differ. You might not be a saint. Hell, you’re probably closer to a sinner than most of us, but your heart was always good.”
I stared out the window, seeing the thick trees of the forest moving past as I thought of my brother’s statement. I didn’t feel like a good man, especially since my actions caused Eliseharm. And she was the reason I tried to be a good person. She was so young and innocent when I first saw her, and I saw how depraved people could be, so I vowed to do right by her.
I took her, found her a good home, but came back to find she was being hurt. Violently, I destroyed those who hurt her and had her placed with Chuck and Blaire. They healed her while I watched from the sidelines, and when she was finally at the point where I felt she was ready for me, I made my move.
Looking back, I started to question if it would have been better for her, and everyone involved, if I had kept her safe, but never made a move on her. She was so much better than I was, better than we all were, and her pain was all because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants when I was younger.
Sighing, I watched as we passed the Death Hounds compound, and I wanted to get my sons and take them home to Elise but felt she and I needed to talk before I did that. I also didn’t want to scare the boys with her injuries. The drive from Portstill to Pierce Bluff took about thirty minutes, and halfway there, I got a text from James.
James:She’s resting in the living room and Amaya, and I are sitting with her until you get home.
Me:Is she pissed at me?
James:She’s pissed they tricked her and she’s ready to hunt them down with you. Your lamb is angry, Devlin, but not at you.
