Page 6 of At The End Of The Day

“Why? I mean, why him?”

His lips pursed, he shrugged, finally bringing his hand up with the cigarette. Taking a drag, he didn’t notice there was no cherry. “No reason. I saw me in him and I was jealous. That’s all.”

One side of my face lifted as I clucked my teeth, looking at the kitchen once more. Tyler’s palms were on the island and he was leaning forward, his head low between his shoulders while he tapped his foot on the floor, trying to stretch out the muscles in his bad leg. Apparently, the pain was lingering because he threw his head back, his teeth gleaming behind curled lips. Bending over, he started rubbing the knee when Violetta strolled through the archway. Hurrying over to him, she squatted and began massaging the area.

Even I couldn’t help but feel bad for the son of a bitch. More than once since being trapped in this house with him, I’d witnessed how much that injury still bothered him. He would never go another single day of his life without pain because of Jackyl.

A brow lifted, I cast a sideways glance to Dash. And because of him. Apparently, he wasn’t just following orders, he was taking out his own frustrations on someone else. This time last month, I wouldn’t have cared. After being forced to get to know Tyler Warren on a personal level, yeah, I was kinda pissed.

“His parents did the same thing to him mine did to me. As soon as his athletic career was over, they didn’t give a shit about him. I ruined his life, Vin. How…” He coughed and looked away, pulling his nape. “How the fuck you apologize for something like that?”

I cleared my throat and sat up better, smashing out my cigarette. “I don’t think you can, brother.”

He cursed under his breath and turned away, going back to the window.

“Look, I know that ain’t what you wanna hear, but…but it’s Tyler, man,” I argued, swiping my hand toward the monitors. “You know he ain’t holding no grudges. He’ll get over it—”

“You think that makes me feel better?” he blasted, turning so I could see part of his angry profile. “That only makes it worse, so much worse…knowing that he didn’t deserve it. He’s a good dude, and I fucking destroyed him. Because of what I did, what I helped do,” he blasted, spinning around to face me fully. Tapping his chest, he was seething, his eyes bloodshot. “He and Tiny are permanently fucked.”

I heaved a sigh and swiped the cigarettes, plucking two and lighting them together. Extending my arm to offer him one, he did a doubletake, looking down at the ruined one between his fingers. Rolling his eyes, he tossed it to the desk and snatched it, puffing hard.

“I don’t really know what you want me to say, brother. At the time, you had no reason to doubt Jackyl. You did what you was told to do. Had you gone against him, you woulda been taken out, and we both know it.”

This seemed to ease some of his guilt, but not by much. Coming over to me, he motioned with his hand and said, “Get up. I wanna be alone.”

“Dash,” I argued, shrugging my arms out. “You can’t let this eat you up—”

“Vinny,” he barked, refusing to make eye contact. Lowering his tone, he muttered, “Please, just leave me alone for a while.”

I sighed, pushed the chair back, and stood. Deciding not to take the cigarettes, I strode across the room and let myself out, quietly closing the door behind me. At the top of the stairs, I strained my ears to listen.

“Is it better, baby?”

“Yeah,” Tyler grunted. “I think I can walk now. Sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize. This isn’t your fault. I blame Jack.”

“Yeah, well, he wasn’t alone. I think someone else was more involved than he was.”

“Are you going to hate Dash forever?” Violetta asked sadly.

“No,” he groaned, dragging the word out. “I don’t hate him, at all. He had orders. I can only imagine what Jackyl woulda done to him had he not gone through with it.”

“Come on, baby. Let’s go lie down. I’ll make you some ice cream, or something.”

“With caramel?” he teased.

My sister giggled. “Of course.”

Hearing their bare feet on the brick floor, I quickly lunged to the side, pressing my back against the wall so they couldn’t see me on the landing.

“You are sounding a lot like Edwina these days. My little girl is rubbing off on you.”

Their voices faded and the master bedroom door shut. I crept to the railing and looked downstairs, my stomach knotted with dread. Dash was right, both Tyler and Violetta had been robbed of the future they deserved, but most of the blame could be placed at Jackyl’s feet.

I crossed the landing to my bedroom and shut the door, throwing myself to the bed. Taking another drag, the ashes fell to my shirt, but I didn’t care. My mind was whirling, that little voice in my head whispering in my ear.

It was time they finally got what they always wanted. If Jackyl refused to make the first move, I would go after him. I know the plan was to wait for him to attack us inside the house, that way we wouldn’t get in trouble with the law or the Serpents, but enough was enough. If sacrificing my freedom gave them their dreams, then so be it. I’d gladly go back to jail for my sister.