I findmy brothers in the basement, waiting for me. I don’t know how they knew tonight was going to be the night, but they knew, and now they’re here, waiting for confirmation I did what I set out to do.
Remo is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his jaw tight. Brando is sitting at the table, turning that fucking blade between his fingers. And Cass is sitting opposite him, his knees apart, shirt half open, fresh ink blistering over his collarbone. As soon as the door clicks, their gazes lift.
No one speaks as I pull out a chair and sit, laying a palm flat on the table like that’s going to ground me. I look up, my expression blank.
“It’s done.”
My tone is dull. Almost dead.
“I ruined Pfeiffer McAllister.”
Silence stretches as they absorb the words. They’ve been waiting a long time for this, after all. Revenge. Absolution.Normally that kind of thing feels good, but in this moment, I feel nothing.
Remo exhales slowly, a satisfied curl to his mouth.
“About fucking time.”
Brando doesn’t say anything, but his lashes lift. He watched Pfeiffer patch me up after I took a bullet for her. But, being the youngest when I became mute, he was affected the worst by everything that happened. His brief nod is approval of what I just did.
I pan my gaze to Cass. He’s watching me with a blank look on his face. He’s the only person I confided in about my feelings for Pfeiffer. So he’s the only one who knows how hard this was for me to do.
It was a hard thing. But it was therightthing.
I’ll get over her in time. This will only hurt a short while.
Who the fuck am I kidding?I never want to lick my lips again so I can forever hold the taste of her tears.
“So what happened?” Remo asks. “Give us the details.”
I take a deep breath and talk through the pain. It’s the only way I can get through the rest of this night without falling apart.
“She found out about the wedding,” I start. “She asked why I didn’t take her as my plus-one.”
Remo smirks. Cass looks down at the table.
“I explained what happened after she humiliated me in class—not the detail, but enough. She seemed to recall the day it happened, but… it was clear she’d blocked it out.”
Seeing the realisation dawn on her in real time felt more brutal than any throat I’ve sliced.
Remo pushes off the wall and saunters to the table. “Well done for unblocking it. Why should all of us have to remember the fall-out when she gets off not thinking about it the rest of her life?”
He pulls out a chair with an enormous shit-eating grin on his face. “Your work here is done, my friend. Take the rest of the day off.”
Cass doesn’t react. Just keeps looking at the damn table. “Was she okay?” he says softly.
Remo whips to him. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why should we care?”
Cass slowly looks over at Remo. “Because she’s a fucking human. And so are we.” His gaze skates across each of us. “Despite all evidence to the contrary.”
Unlike me, Remo and Brando, Cass’s body count is low to non-existent—directly, anyway.
Remo stands, slamming his hands on the table. “Yes. Exactly. We are human. And this is a very human reaction to the damage that bitch caused. Don’t you remember, Cassio?”
Remo lets the question hover.
We all know the answer but then he reminds us, in gruesome detail. But hearing what our father did to me doesn’t make me flinch anymore—doesn’t make me feel sad, ashamed or horrified about what I went through. It just makes me feel numb.
Cass rises to his feet. “Why do we need to re-live it, Remo? Fuck knows it was hard enough at the time. Don’t you know how tough this was for Fiero? Don’t you know he still fuckinglovesher?”
