Page 102 of His Property

“Ishowedit to you.” She takes a moment to look at me as if I’m still the clueless boy she last saw before being locked up. “I let you wear it.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” TJ yells, lowering his gun and turning to her. I can’t see the look on his face, but I imagine he’s as confused as I was a minute ago.

Now, I remember. Not the boy she must have killed, but I remember the Red Sox hat she gave me to wear,just for our ‘special time.’

Jesus fucking Christ.

Cora finally looks at TJ, her smile falling. Her lip curls in disgust.

“Calm down,” she tells him.

I meet Mae’s eyes, and she nods at Cora.

I sprint toward Cora but stop abruptly when the gun goes off. My eyes widen, and I look at Mae, my brain searching for every indication that she’s alive.

Her head is down, but it raises and she looks at me just as frantically as I searched her. Cora has the gun aimed just above Mae’s head.

“Get. Back,” she growls. I do as she says, but TJ is losing his shit. He steps closer to Cora, and I eye the gun dangling in his hand. I should’ve grabbed it.

“TJ, get back!” Mae yells, her eyes going wide.

“What’s going on?” TJ asks Cora. “You promised Mae wouldn’t be hurt. Why are you pointing the gun at her?” The way his voice squeaks makes me think he’s finally realizing that whatever Cora promised him is bullshit. If there’s one thing every ex-convict has learned, it’s not to leave witnesses. Mae is as good as dead if I can’t stop this. So is TJ. So am I.

Cora meets my eyes and raises her brows. “You really cleaned out the basement? Everything went to the dump?”

I’m not sure what the right answer is, but I go with the truth. I nod.

“Good.” She looks at TJ. “Then I don’t need you anymore.” She aims the gun at him and shoots.

“No!” Mae screeches and thrashes against her binds. I jerk toward them, but Cora points the gun at me, and I freeze.

“Do you think I won’t kill you, son?” she asks, her head tilting.

Mae struggles and crawls like a caterpillar to TJ, her weeping filling the room. I glance down at the boy’s body and see blood soaking his shirt. His eyes are closed, and I see no movement. It doesn’t look good for him.

My hands ball at my sides. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“He would’ve gone to the police faster than this bitch did last night.” She laughs when confusion takes over me yet again. “You didn’t know your girlfriend was a snitch, did you? You two were made for each other.”

I glance at Mae, but she doesn’t take her eyes off TJ. She lays her head on his chest and sobs.

“Is that why she’s here?” I ask, moving my eyes back to Cora. “You’re gonna kill her because she ratted on you?”

Cora shakes her head. “No, son. I’m gonna kill her because I want you to feel the same pain I’ve felt.”

I narrow my eyes. “You never loved Dad.”

“Ah, so youlovethe girl?” Cora smirks. “Here I was thinking she was just a piece of ass. This is even better, but I wasn’t referring to you hurting from her death. You’re right, I never gave a shit about your dad. He was a worthless drunk, and I was proud when I watched you drag his body through the yard. That was the night I realized you’re just like me. Before then, I thought you were as worthless as your father.”

“I’mnotlike you.”

She smiles. “You sure?”

“I’m what you made me,” I snarl, taking a step toward her. She glances at my feet then gives me a stern look as a warning. “But I’m not you, Cora. I’ll never be as sick as you. I don’t fuck children.”

“No, but you don’t mind killing them.”

“I’ve never done that either.”

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