“Archer’s a celebrity?” Gift asked.
“Sometimes, I swear you were hatched in a lab,” Persephone said, shaking her head.
Aiden Mulvaney walked onto the tarp, dropped the heavy bag at Kendrick’s feet, then produced a knife from his pocket, cutting the gag from around Kendrick’s head. He then leaned down to Kendrick’s eye level, planting his hands on his knees.
“Hey, pops,” Aiden said, then slapped the man on the cheek before pinching his broken nose, eliciting a scream. “I see you’re still making friends everywhere. Who jumped the gun?” he asked around a laugh.
“Pops?” Payton said in awe. “Kendrick is Aiden Mulvaney’s dad? That is a stellar plot twist for a finale.”
It was only then that Gift remembered snippets of Park’s conversation with Archer and Mac as they had talked over Aspen’s dead body.
Aiden was the child Kendrick had gotten rid of, the one people had thought he’d murdered. Gift didn’t share any of that, though. It wasn’t his place.
“I should have known it would all come back to you.” Kendrick sneered. “You’re the worst thing that ever happened to me. My biggest mistake.”
Someone gasped from beside Gift but he wasn’t sure who. Aiden, however, just laughed. “Oh, come on. I’m almost positive that you haven’t experienced the worst thing to ever happen to you. But you’re about to.”
“Didn’t bring the rest of your fucked-up little family with you? Going to make this kill on your own?” Kendrick spit at him, but there was just the tiniest hint of fear behind his bravado.
“Kill? Me? Nah,” Aiden said jovially, hand on his chest. “I wouldn’t want to take the fun away from the children. Your first kill is always special. I just brought the party favors.”
Kendrick frowned. “What? You can’t be serious? You’re going to turn these pre-pubescent monsters loose on me? ”
“Rude,” Dove muttered. “How old does he think we are?”
“What an asshole,” Lennon said.
Persephone rubbed her hands together. This is going to be fun.”
Aiden’s sole focus was Kendrick. “What?” he asked the old man. “Did you think you were worthy of the whole Mulvaney family?”
“Did you?” Kendrick shot back. “You should be thanking me.”
Aiden chuckled. “My husband seems pretty happy I’m there. Have you seen my son?” Aiden took the phone out and showed him something on the screen. “That’s Theo. Tommy says he looks like me, but I don’t see it. He sure is the coolest kid, though. And he’ll never even know you existed.”
“My real son will miss me,” Kendrick said with a cold smile.
Aiden’s laugh was chilling. “Matt? Is that who you’re talking about? Do you know a thing about him? ‘Cause I do. I know he hates you. I know he spends as much time as possible at his best friend Jordan’s house, and that he tells strangers you’re dead. Sometimes, he tells people he doesn’t know well that you’re his stepfather and that his real father died in the military.” Aiden winced. “Yikes.”
“You’re lying,” Kendrick snarled.
Aiden shrugged. “Too bad you won’t live long enough to find out. On the bright side, little Matthew won’t have to lie about having a dead father anymore. Oh, and Tommy plans to reach out to him this summer to offer him a spot in the freshman internship program with the Mulvaney foundation. It’s nepotism, but that never stopped you. So, you can die knowing that Tommy is going to take care of yet another child you abandoned. ”
Kendrick’s eyes fell to Gift, looking like he was about to claim him as his own, but before he could say anything, Gift beat him to it. “I’m not your son. My mother lied to you. And if Iwasyour son, I’d be the first one to try to carve your heart from your body for what you did to my mother. Tobothmy mothers.”
Aiden made a hissing sound. “Oof. Swing and a miss. Looks like you’re out of kids, old man.”
Gift heard Park chuckle from somewhere behind him but couldn’t tear his gaze from Kendrick.
As they all watched, Aiden dropped to his knees and unzipped the enormous bag, tipping it over. Gift’s eyes went wide. There was a clatter of metal on metal as all kinds of devices rolled onto the tarp. Aiden picked up a knife with a curved blade and wiggled it at Gift. “You want?”
Gift shook his head. “I want to go last.”
Aiden gave a single nod. “Suit yourself.” To the others, he said, “The floor is yours, children. Go nuts.”
“You’re not serious?” Kendrick cried, gaze darting to Boone. “This has gone far enough. Just shoot me and be done with it. This is absurd. You can’t do this.”
Everyone ignored his shouting.
