Page 114 of Rematch
Adrian pulled around to the backlot of the abandoned house beside the one Elias was hiding in. Wesley, Tysir, and ahandful of my father’s men waited in trucks parked around the neighboring houses, forming a wide, invisible trap.
Adrian hopped out the car and popped open his trunk.
I leaned to peek around the seat as he lifted the floor panel and pulled rifles from the hidden compartment. He hooked one strap over his shoulder and held two others.
Once he closed it up, he came over to my window and handed me one. “Wait until the signal,” he reminded me.
Nodding, I watched him jog off to get in formation with the rest of the men.
A thick silence fell over the air for a moment. An eerie calm before a violent storm.
Then, an orchestra of gunshots and banging erupted.
I listened closely to every sound, trying to picture what was happening inside.
Adrian kicking down the door. Tysir at his flank shooting any of the men guarding from the inside. Wesley behind them, hitting any shooters from the upper floors.
Elias’ men probably didn’t last more than five seconds. All the extra gunshots were probably for show. To let Elias know he had one reserved for him. And that it wouldn’t miss.
The gunshots died down within a few minutes, replaced with spaced out bangs and muffled screams.
A whistle blew through the wind, and I knew it was time.
Clutching my rifle tight, I climbed out of the car and walked into the house. The hardwood floors were covered with dead bodies, full of holes like swiss cheese. Blood pooled beneath them, spreading like spilled ink.
I carefully stepped over them and made my way up the steps to the upper level. There, a few more bodies lay with widened eyes and twisted mouths.
Down the hall, I could hear Elias’ voice yelling, “Do it, pussies!” Soft bangs and thuds let me know he was struggling inwhatever restraints they’d put him in. “The fuck are you waiting for?”
As I stepped into the doorway, I saw Elias sitting in the middle of the room, bound to a chair. Blood seeped from small wounds around his face, and his eyes were livid. He thrashed in his chair, baring his teeth like a rabid animal in a cage. Not an inch of fear lay on his face.
Until his gaze went to me.
His eyes widened as they took me in. “Rafael,” he murmured. “Rafael, listen. It was nothing personal. It was just business. Business!”
I shared a raised brow with my cousin. Truth be told, I was really getting sick of this shit. My father and I may have the same face, but we were not the same person.
At least that’s what I tried to tell myself as I approached him and pressed the mouth of my rifle against his forehead.
Closer up, Elias slowly recognized the difference. Fear drifted into shock as he shook his head. “Wait,” he whispered. “You’re not Rafael. You’re… You’re supposed to be dead! I watched you bleed out! I made sure-”
“That my heart stopped beating?” I scoffed. “We both know good and well you and your pack of pussies ran off the moment after you shot me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
“So, what are you gonna do now, huh? Shoot me?”
“Nah.” I pulled the gun off his forehead and stuck it in his mouth. “That’d be too easy.”
Elias’ eyes widened as I stepped backwards. His eyes bounced around, noticing my men unsheathing a variety of brass knuckles from their pockets. “Wait! What are you doing?”
“Remember I said I’d break every bone in your body if you fucked with my brother again? Unfortunately, I can’t do the deedmyself - or I might pop open my stitches. But, I’m still a man of my word, so…they’re going to do it for me.”
With a wave of my hand, my men swarmed him, raising their spiked brass knuckles high over their heads.
Elias screamed, begging for mercy one last time. But his plea fell on deaf ears.
The metal on their fists crashed down on his body, tearing flesh and splintering his bones.
The dark orchestra accompanying torture wasn’t usually my taste. But, this one in particular, brought a smile to my face.
