“Look how sexy Tori is, covered in blood,” he mutters. “Makes my dick hard.”
“I don’t think it was me who made your dick hard,” I reply, turning my attention back to Stacey.
I lift the gun and pull the trigger, watching with satisfaction as the bullet obliterates her kneecap, but she doesn’t scream. The pain from her eye was too much, and she’s down for the count.
“Well, shit. Maybe I’ll try one more,” I mutter and aim the gun at her other knee. Her body jolts, her nerves reacting, but all she does is groan pitifully. “Damn.”
“Suck it, please, Sage,” Tristan begs, and Sage chuckles.
“Keep it in your pants, big boy, the father-in-law is on his way.”
“Dad is here?” I look longingly at the doorway, hoping and praying to whatever god that may still glance my way that Dad forgives me.
Sage scoffs as he fends off Tristan’s grabby hands somewhat successfully. “You thought he wouldn’t want his own piece of revenge? He and Mickey beat Mario with their bare fists until there was nothing left but a bloody hunk of unrecognizable meat. Colton and Xavier pissed on his body, and then Vienna doused him with vodka and set his body on fire. She is vicious, man. He was still screaming for help while he burned, but we need to get going. The closest neighbors might have heard something and alerted the authorities. Everyone else cleared out after making sure it looks like a cartel attack.”
I wrinkle my nose at the thought of all those severed hands and heads.
“What do you want to do with her?” Sage asks. Stacey’s chest still rises and falls sporadically, and I know it’s only going to be a matter of time before she bleeds to death, but I can’t risk that anyone will arrive before it happens.
I hold out my hand for the knife, and when he passes it over, I lift her head, shaking her. She cracks open her one good eye and stares at me.
“I’ll see you in hell,” I tell her before slicing across her throat. Hot blood spurts out of her jugular when the blade bites into it, splashing my face, but I hold her head up and watch as the light drains from her eyes until there’s nothing left but her shell.
I release her hair and step back. “Can you get him dressed?” I ask Sage, pointing at Tristan. “I’m just going to wash the blood off so I don’t stain my car,” I say flatly and retreat to the bathroom.
I hang my head and drop the knife into the sink as I lean against the counter. I have been waiting for this day for so long, but now that it is finally here, I feel flat. So many what-ifs flow through my mind as I contemplate what is going to happen next.
What if my dad hates me? What if Tristan, Xavier, Colton, and Vienna leave? I wouldn’t blame them. They’ve found nothing but pain in Banebridge and Suncity. What if Sage wants to go with them? What am I going to do now? My whole focus has been on revenge for so long that I don’t know what comes next.
I lift my head and study my face. I look fucking wrecked. Stacey’s blood is streaked across my face and starting to dry. I look like the victim of a serial killer, and for the first time, I don’t feel any satisfaction. Sure, killing her was awesome, but is that all there is to me? Will I return to being the angel of death, sitting on Dad’s and Gio’s shoulders, or is there more to life for me? Can I want more now that Stacey has received her just deserts?
Sighing, I turn the tap on and watch as the blood on my hands turns the water pink and circles down the drain.
“Tori?” I lift my head and slowly turn around to see my dad in the doorway. He’s dressed more casually than I have ever seen him, in combat pants and a black, long-sleeved shirt. A balaclava is pulled back over his head. Even when I saw him yesterday, Mario had him in dress pants and a smart shirt. It’s hard to remember him ever looking so relaxed, though I’m sure he has been. It feels like a million years since I saw him.
“Hey, Dad,” I say carefully, bracing myself for his response.
“Oh, baby, you did well.” He holds out his arms, and with a sob, I throw myself into them. “I’m so fucking proud of you,” he whispers in my ear, holding me tight. Tears stream down my face as I suck in lungfuls of his familiar scent, all the emotions I have kept bottled since Stacey first took advantage of me finally allowed to flow.
“I thought you were dead,” I sob, and he runs a hand up and down my back.
“I know, and you did everything you could to keep the Russo family together. I couldn’t have done it any better myself. Stop beating yourself up.”
“Guys, we need to go,” Sage says from behind Dad. “We can continue this back at the Lucky Diamond, and we need to get our stories straight for when we get questioned about this shit show.”
“The staff at the hotel will tell them Tori and the others arrived when they discovered me and Carla being held hostage in the penthouse when the cleaners came in,” Dad tells him as he leads me out of the bathroom, his arm around my shoulders like he never wants to let go.
“Tori!” Tristan cheers. “Sage, how about we make Tori the meat in our sandwich?” He smiles goofily, focused on me and not even noticing my dad. I wince, and Dad jerks.
“Is he serious?”
“Stacey drugged him like she drugged me,” I explain, and Dad’s frown smooths out, and he nods sympathetically.
“It will be out of his system in a few hours.” Sage grasps Tristan around the back of the neck and frog marches him out. The sounds of Tristan’s moan and muttering words of encouragement drift back to us.
“Well, I’ll say this, kiddo, I don’t think your life is going to be boring.”
I give him a quizzical look, and he chuckles as we move through the house and downstairs to the waiting cars. We go out the front door, and I don’t even care that I don’t get to see the aftermath of the Russo family justice.
