“Because I’ll do anything to protect Olivia.” I shrug, and he pales. “Oh, are you realizing how badly you fucked up now? It won’t help you, but you’re welcome to confess your sins if it will make you feel better.”
He watches me as his eyes flit back and forth over my face, trying to figure it all out, so I help him. “You put a hit out on her. I took it, but only to protect her. She’s the love of my life, and essentially the only thing you’ve ever done right.” I breathe. “Actually, that’s not true. I assume her mother was an amazing woman before she passed, but that had to have been a fluke.”
He makes a choking sound at the mention of her mother, and I shake my head at him. There are some things I found out while looking into her family that I will never tell her. It wouldn’t do anything other than break her, and she’s been through enough.
“She died rather quickly for the type of cancer she had, don’t you think? So strange,” I say, shaking my head. “According to hospital reports, she could have lived for years yet. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you, Phil?” I question, and he’s pale as a ghost.
I move over to him, wrapping my arms gently around his legs before kicking the chair over. Making sure it looks like he did it, before gently dropping him.
I want him to suffer. Taking the chance that the drop would break his neck is just something I refuse to do.
Once I’ve let him fall, he immediately starts choking, gasping for air and pulling at the rope against his neck.
“This is for the love of my life, asshole,” I say angrily as he fights to save himself. “She’s a better human than you and I will ever be. You should have been proud to call her your daughter. Not allowed jealousy and greed to dictate your life.” I smirk, waiting for him to lose some of his fight to hit him with the final blow to his ego.
He chokes and spits, drool coming out of his mouth. “By the way, she’s a goddess and has decided to use your money, and some of hers that your mother left… to pay your victims back. She’s a billionaire now. Bet you didn’t see that coming.”
He watches me as his eyes dim. It doesn’t take long for his body to start convulsing, emptying his bladder and bowels as the life drains from him.
“Bye, Phil,” I whisper.
Moving around the house, checking that there aren’t any footprints from my boots, or evidence that I was ever here, and move back out the sliding door.
I follow the wet pavement in the darkness until I get back inside my car. I’d parked a few blocks away at a neighbourhood park so anyone near his house wouldn’t notice my vehicle on the off chance they did assume it was a murder. But it’s not likely.
Pulling out onto the road, I smile all the way home to my girl. Knowing that she’s safe, and I have eliminated the threats against her, has me taking the first easy breath since meeting her.