I stalked towardthe building with Cash and Razor trying to keep up, urging me to get low andstay out of sight. “We need to be careful,” Cash whispered.
“This assholealready knows we’re here,” I said.
“Cash is right,we need to be careful,” Razor said. “We should split up and check theperimeter.”
“That’s a goodidea, why don’t you go ahead and do that,” I said, before hiking up my leg andputting my boot through the handle.
The door swungopen, splinters flying everywhere to reveal Daisy standing with her hands boundbehind her back and Cyrus Milhew holding a gun to her temple using her as ashield.
“Let her go,” Igrowled, my gun leveled toward him.
“You’re not theone calling the shots here, Loverboy,” Cyrus said. “Take one more step, and youget to see what the inside of her skull looks like.”
“You okay,baby?” I asked Daisy, ignoring Cyrus’s threat.
“I’m alright.”
“Shut up,bitch,” Cyrus sneered, pulling her hair, and pressing the barrel of the gundeeper into the side of her head.
Seeing Daisywince in pain at the hands of this psychopath set my brain on fire but I had toremain calm. If I lost my cool, Daisy was dead.
“Hey man,” Cashsaid. “Maybe we should just do what this guy says.”
“Shut the fuckup,” I snapped.
“I told you,” hebit out. “That’s my sister.”
“And she’s gonnabe my wife, and I need you to trust me and keep your mouth shut.”
“You shouldlisten to dear brother-in-law to be, Huck,” Cyrus said. “If you ever want yourpretty young fiancé to see her wedding day, you’d better put that gun down andget on your knees where you belong.”
I slowed mybreathing, calculating my next move.
“Oh, I know thatlook,” Cyrus cooed. “You’re looking for that three inches, aren’t you? You’rewondering, with all this adrenaline pumping through your veins, can you findthat fabled three inches that everybody loves to talk about? Can you make thatgame winning shot? You’re thinking to yourself, can I shoot him without hittingher? Well, ladies and gentlemen,” he said with an announcer’s tone, “Can thegreat Huck the Puck find his three inches?”
“You’re wrong. Ionly need nine millimeters, asshole,” I said, squeezing the trigger, hittinghim in his carotid artery, the force of the bullet throwing him back againstthe wall, blood spurting from his wound.
His gun hit thefloor and Daisy kicked it well out of reach before running to me.
“Are you okay?Are you hurt?” I demanded, keeping my eye and gun on Cyrus as he writhed on thefloor.
“I’m okay,” shesaid.
“Cash, get herout of here,” I growled, and walked over to Cyrus. I knelt down and grabbed himby the throat, arterial spray gushing through my fingers. “Do you feel that?That’s your life force draining from your body. Pretty terrifying, isn’t it?”
Cyrus tried torespond through gurgles, but blood spewed from his mouth.
“Maybe you’llknow what your victims must have felt like. You’re gonna die afraid and inpain, and I’m the last face you’re gonna see before you’re dragged down tohell.” I put my right thumb into the bullet hole in his neck, causing him tokick and scream in pain. “I didn’t do this to you, you did it to yourself. Butin the end, I’ll be happy to take the credit.” I pulled my thumb out and bloodgushed from the wound as his heart pumped its final few beats.
I’d neverimagined that I’d know what it was like to kill a man. Now that I did, I feltno pity or remorse. Cyrus Milhew had threatened my family and tried to destroyeverything I cared about. He was dead and I was fucking glad.
Cash rushed backin.
“Jesus,” Cashhissed. “You okay”
“Daisy,” Irasped. “I need to see Daisy.”
“Hey, hey, hey.”Cash shook me. “Are you okay?”
