Page 111 of Heathens

“Damn, Dom, you made good time. You must be really motivated these days!”

I squint against the light, but have ‌little trouble placing the drivers.

Gabriel. I plucked out chunks of his eyes for days, letting them regrow each time before starting again. And then I let him run back to Rene like a good little lapdog, the souvenirs I’d taken placed like prizes on my mantle.

Malachi, who I left burning alive, hanging by a silver chain around his ankle after I took the wharf.

And poor Silas. I blew off his progeny’s head right in front of him. What a fucking mess.

Theo always said I left too many loose ends.

Luke exits his vehicle, joining the other men. His stride is confident, and he seems completely different from the sniveling worm I’m so used to kicking around. He beckons me over with one finger, a grin plastered over his smug fucking face. The icy dread of my worst fears confirmed makes me feel sick. Theo is dead because of me, because I couldn’t keep my men in line, and now here we are, staring down a hit squad.

I throw the car into reverse, smashing what’s left of the windshield out of the way, and swerving to the side as more bullets pound into the car.

They’re all fucking dead.

Rene said the clock was ticking. He warned me. I should have taken the threat more seriously. I don’t even know if I have anyone left I can trust outside of the people in this car. I keep us moving, trying my best to keep them from getting any clean shots as I shout back to Ruby.

“You got anything in that bag that’ll make a bigger dent than a pistol?”

“Fuck yeah I do!” She grins, the adrenaline riling her up. She roots around, retrieving a couple of hand grenades that look like they might be at least a decade old. “How’s that for making a dent?”

“Perfect, now listen: I’m gonna head straight for them, and swerve at the last second. That’ll give you a tiny window to get one close enough to light them up, got it?”

“Dominic, this is insane!” Sofie shouts.“We need to get out of here, we can’t–”

I turn and lock eyes with her, bullets still screaming past the car as I shift gears.

“You help me kill Rene and you can have it all. Fucking all of it, Sofie. I just need that fucker dead!”

The moment of panic in her eyes is replaced by determination as she nods, bracing herself behind the dashboard as more gunshots ring out.

I still don’t know if I believe what I’m saying to her, but right now I need all the allies I can get. Behind me, Ruby readies her grenade, cranking the window down with her free hand.

“Sof, remember what we did to city hall back in the day?”

“Yup,” Sofie murmurs as she flips the safety off on her gun. “I guess we’re fucking doing this shit all over again.”

Vampire or not, nobody survives a fucking grenade. It’s hard to regenerate when you’ve been blown to smithereens. I grin grimly as I rev the engine, slamming my foot on the gas again. Sofie acts as a mild distraction, firing blindly out her window while I barrel toward the four vamps at full speed. The engine roars in front of me, tires screaming as we tear forward into the hail of bullets.

“Ruby, now!” I bellow, cranking the wheel to the left.

The tires squeal against the pavement and the back end of the car skids wildly as Ruby tosses the grenade right at the cluster of cars. It’s possible a couple of them noticed, and it’s possible they didn’t, but it doesn’t matter either way. I spin the car to face the end of the driveway and pound on the gas pedal with everything I have.

The last thing I see of Rene’s men in the rear-view mirror is Luke’s shit-eating grin as he lines up a shot, and then all that’s left of them is an eruption of flaming metal as meat and gore rains down on the pavement.

I turn the car a final time before bringing us to a screeching halt. From the end of the expansive driveway, we watch as the flames spit and lick at what’s left of the cars, masses of charred flesh scattered all around.

Sofie leans against the dash, breathing hard, her gun resting in her lap. Ruby is in hysterics, cackling in the backseat.

“Holy fucking shit!”

I shake my head. Rene isn’t here. No one is safe for those four assholes. There’s something wrong.

“Don’t celebrate yet,” I warn. “We’re going in there.”

These guys were small potatoes. I want the man who gave the call to pull the trigger. I want some real fucking revenge.

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