Page 30 of Promise of Hellfire

His eyes widened, and his mouth opened before closing again. “What have you done?” That was all he said before I darted towards him and grabbed his collar, slamming him into the mirror behind him. The glass cracked on impact and I slammed him into it once more.

Sharp pain rolled through my shoulder and I gritted my teeth.Almost done, I reminded myself. “You’ve got it all wrong,’ he choked out.

I shook my head at him. “No, I don’t think I do. I heard everything I needed to the other night.”

As I pressed the smooth metal to his temple, his mask slipped back into place. “Ethan, I’m still your father. You can’t expect me to believe that you intend to kill me.”

My lips twitched at the idea. He had no clue. “That’s where you’re wrong. I could swallow the abuse I endured at your hands, but after the week I’ve had? You’re a monster and think you’re untouchable, Dad. What better person to take you down than me? Think of it as me seeking closure.”

I removed my hand from his shirt as I squeezed the trigger and watched as his body fell to the ground.

One last thing to do, I told myself,and then this part of the nightmare is over.Opening the walk-in closet doors, I tore things from their hangers, throwing them into the floor. I pulled several watches from their hiding places, shoving them in my pockets to dispose of later. In the parlor, I scattered documents across the floor and smashed crystal tumblers. All the way to the foyer I did things like that, hoping to make it look like a break-in gone wrong.

Chief Palmer would cover for me, he didn’t really have a choice.

I left as quietly as I came, trying to ignore the emotions welling up inside of me. My vision was cloudy as I drove back to the penthouse.

Michael Carter was finally dead, and I hoped his soul was burning in hell.

Chapter eighteen

Rayne

Sinkingintotheseatat the kitchen table, I held the steaming cup of coffee against my chest and vaguely listened to the women sitting around, allowing my mind to wander. Once everyone realized Ethan was gone, hell was sure to break loose. I should have argued with him, convinced him to stay here. Or maybe I should have alerted someone. There was a reason he didn’t inform the guys of his plans: they would talk him out of them.

Dominic leaned down behind me and whispered in my ear, “Where is he, sweetheart?”

I shrugged, not turning to look at him. “He didn’t tell me,” I mumbled.

He cursed under his breath. “We’re leaving in a few minutes. Everything here seems to be settled for the moment.” He tapped the back of my chair with his fingers before straightening. “You should talk to Ash before we go. He was asking about how you were.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a sip of the warm liquid before placing the mug on the table. At least I could tell Ash that I was taking his advice and writing in my notebook. I drifted through the house curious about what Ash wanted to discuss. When I finally found him, he was seated on the sofa next to Oliver in the small living room. Both were speaking so quietly I couldn’t hear what was being said, but the deep frown carved into Olly’s face worried me. I cleared my throat, letting them know I was standing there.

Oliver lifted his head, his piercing blue eyes staring a hole through me. “What did Ethan say before he left, firebug?”

I considered the best response before speaking. “All he said was don’t be mad. Nia tried convincing him he needed rest but…”

Oliver’s frown deepened, and Ash put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure it’s fine. He’s only been gone an hour. How much trouble could he have possibly caused?” Knowing Ethan I wasn’t quite sure, but Ash was right. How much trouble could Ethan really get into?

Oliver’s eyebrows lifted into his hairline. “You obviously don’t know the three of them very well yet.” He turned his attention back to me. “How are you doing after this morning?”

I gave him a tight smile. “I’m fine. The women seem to be getting settled. I saw Lexi head home with Ignacio.”

He gave me a small nod. “Perhaps he can talk some sense into her. She’s going to be seeing Ash soon.”

I leaned my backside against the arm of the sofa. “Speaking of therapy, I wanted to tell you I started writing everything down like you suggested.”

Ash stroked his beard. “Does it help?”

How did I respond to that? It brought up such a confusing mixture of emotions. “It’s cathartic,” is what I finally settled on.

“Have you given any more thought to seeing your family and at least seeking closure?”

The answer to that question was no. I’d been so busy the past week with everything, it hadn’t really crossed my mind. “Soon,” I promised. “I think I’m going to head home and shower. Let me know if you need me.”

Oliver reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently. “And you do the same.”

Once we walked into the penthouse, I climbed the stairs to my room with only one thing on my mind: a shower so hot that it nearly scalded my skin. As I turned the knobs on the faucet and stripped out of my clothes, snippets of the conversation from the car ride home replayed in my mind.

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