Page 167 of F*ckboys

I smile back. "Well, I'd love to meet her one day. And I'm so happy for you! I need to give you a hug!" I jump up from my seat, moving around to Mia's side of the table and I squeeze her tightly, genuinely happy for my friend. "Congratulations, really. You deserve to be with someone who makes you very happy."

Chapter 94

Fallon

The knife glints in my hands, blood dripping off the tip onto Harvey's pale skin. He whimpers, clutching at the deep gash across his ribs.

My stomach churns as I stare at the mess I've made. How did I get here again?

Harvey was just supposed to be another job, another scumbag to bring to justice. But now he's bleeding out on the floor of my basement, begging for mercy. I was meant to let him go, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. Every time I try, something comes up or I manufacture an excuse. A reason to keep this man here one more day. It's like I've gotten used to his company, like some weird basement pet that I occasionallytake pleasure in torturing. Aksel seemed to assume I'd let him go already, and I didn't correct him.

"Please," Harvey gasps. "I'll do anything. I have money. I can make you rich."

I press my lips together. He's right, I could use the money. But at what cost? If I let him buy his way out of this, how am I any better than the corrupt bastards I'm trying to take down? This isn't a financial exercise. This is about revenge. This is for Claudia.

The knife trembles in my grip as I wrestle with indecision. Do I end this now and release Harvey to face the legal consequences of his crimes, or do I give in to the temptations of profit and power?

My knuckles turn white around the hilt. The boundaries between justice and revenge have never seemed so blurry. But one thing is clear: there's no going back from here. Tonight, I'll decide what kind of monster I want to become.

A floorboard creaks behind me. I whirl around to find Grave leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest. His expression is unreadable, his eyes hooded by shadows cast by the dim overhead light.

How long has he been standing there? Watching me torture a helpless man?

Heat floods my cheeks. I've never felt so exposed, so ashamed of what I've become. Grave was supposed to keep me grounded, and remind me of the difference between justice and vengeance. Instead, he's enabled my worst impulses. I wonder how he feels, silently watching me apply the torture techniques he taught me.

Anger bubbles in my chest, momentarily overpowering the guilt. "What are you doing here, Grave?" I snap.

"You haven't been returning my phone calls or texts, and you didn't answer the doorbell upstairs." Grave's voice is flat, emotionless. "I was worried."

"So you decided to intrude on my private business?"

"I think this is beyond private business, Fallon. It's a job, remember? Or have you lost touch with reality?"

"I'm delivering justice, Grave. That's what we're here to do, not argue semantics of whether this is for personal or professional enjoyment. Not to argue about who we're doing it for."

"This isn't justice, Fallon." His gaze drifts to Harvey, then back to me, full of disappointment. Harvey is pale, his breathing ragged. The pool of blood around him continues to grow. "It's about to be murder. If you don't let him go soon, he's going to bleed out right here. It's going to be a bitch to clean up, too," he says, eyeing the bloodied basement floor.

The words hit me like a slap. I stare at the knife in my hands, the blood already congealing along the blade, and I know he's right.

My fingers go numb. The knife clatters to the floor.

I stumble back against the wall and slide down until I'm huddled on the cold concrete, staring at what I've done. This man, restrained here for weeks in my condo basement. Deserving of revenge, but maybe not the quantity of torture I've inflicted during his stay. He'll be scarred for life in many places, a permanent memory of the pain and suffering he's inflicted on others. His financial information, on a thumb drive and ready to go to Claudia. His professional life is in ruins; his family, disowned. He'll return to his previous life as a nothing and a no one.

I did good, but at the same time, how did I let things go this far? And how can I undo this to the point where it feels right again?

Grave crouches beside me, resting a hand on my knee. The warmth of his touch steadies me, grounding me in the present. "It's not too late to do the right thing," he says gently.

I swallow hard. Summoning my courage, I lift my gaze to meet his. "Will you help me?"

A flicker of relief softens his eyes. He squeezes my knee. "Always."

Together, we bandage Harvey's wounds to staunch the bleeding. We clean the basement of any evidence, then haul him up to my car and drive into the night.

By the time the sun peeks over the horizon, Harvey is in an emergency room, and I'm back in my condo sleeping next to Aksel. The future is uncertain, but for now, his embrace is enough. I've walked away from the brink, and I won't go back. The revenge business is officially closed.

Chapter 95

Aksel

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