Page 17 of Sins Of The Father

I could see those lips, red and gross, turning blue as he spluttered, and gasped for air. I took a step back to avoid getting him too close. He stumbled, clutching at his desk as he tried to move around it, possibly for help.

This man who I had loved, who I had given everything up for, was falling.

And I couldn't be happier.

Did that make me sadistic?

Maybe, but I couldn't care less right now.

His eyes watered, pink tears, filled with blood, as he fell to his knees. Papers from his desk flew to the ground as he struggled to stay upright. Blood poured from his eyes, his nose, and ears as he fell onto his back with a thud.

I stepped closer, making sure he could see me as I leant down.

"Who's the one in control now?" I asked him. He was turning red, as red as a tomato, and his neck was swollen. His eyes were red masses as he looked up at me, realising it was me, the one he beat every time he had a difficult day, who beat him.

"Goodbye, Judd."

As I watched him take his final breath, I got up and grabbed the bag before I headed out the window I'd come in and down the sidewalk toward the wall I could climb over. Instead, I continued walking, in direct sight of everyone.

Especially Mark.

He stopped his conversation and dropped his cigarette on the ground. His mouth was half open as he considered what to do next. I continued walking toward the exit. He could quite easily put a bullet in the back of my head, but I had to hope he had a conscience.

"Judd's dead!" someone yelled. Everyone jumped to attention. I turned back to see what they were going to do. Mark had his gun trained on me.

"Stop!" he called out to me, but he didn't pull the trigger.

Shit.

My heart was hammering as I stood there, waiting for someone to shoot me.

But when Mark fell to his knees, his gun clattering to the ground, I couldn't believe my luck. That's when I saw Caleb coming from out of the shadows, two guns trained on everyone who had started to surround me. He shot off bullets, left right and centre, as men fell to the ground, dead.

He moved in front of me as he continued to finish off the surrounding men. He dropped two guns and grabbed another two from his belt and continued to shoot up the house. No one was returning fire.

"I had this," I said to him.

"Clearly."

I wanted to argue but now really wasn't the time. I backed up, holding onto him to guide him back as he continued to shoot at anyone stupid enough to show their face.

As we got out the gates, I ran for the car that he'd parked on the street and opened the door. He put the guns away and tore away, heading for home.

We sat in silence, as the joy of what I had accomplished wore down. Judd was dead.

I was free.

EPILOGUE

"Caleb!"Christa screamed as she ran out of the car and toward him. He smiled at her as she launched into his arms. I'd never seen her do that to anyone but Indigo before. "Did you know we went on a holiday!"

"I heard," he said. "Did you have fun?"

She nodded her head, just as a yawn escaped her.

"Looks like you need a big nap," Caleb said. "Come on, I got the best bed in the whole house."

He disappeared inside with her as I pulled my bag from the car. Indigo emerged with my father from the garage.

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