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I scoop it up before shutting the door back. Her house is old, and I imagine the creaking was just the building settling.

Getting back into the bed, I set the frog onto the pillow next to me and grab my laptop.

It was a bit embarrassing, but there is one person who asked me to use Bitcoin before.

I hope the web designer doesn’t have me blocked.

27

Green Blood and Ham-Fisted

Kale

Beanie curls up next to me on the bed as I attempt to finally get some sleep.

There’s an internal war that keeps me awake.

Who I should be.

Who I want to be.

Who I am.

I know who killed Julienne Napolitan. And I could have stopped her. But I chose not to.

But he wasn’t a good guy. Sixteen years ago, the Napolitans and Aldentes got together and decided they wanted to push out the Barleys and Rouxs.

They were determined.

The four families had established the roots of this town, but the Barleys and Rouxs were unlucky.

And more often than not, it ended with the Napolitans and Aldentes paying for it.

Blown up shipments. Arrests. Even deaths.

Except I didn’t know any of this at the time.

I was naïve, too smart and too clueless for my own good.

When my father came to me, when he asked me to make a poison for those who hurt our family, I didn’t ask any questions.

I simply went hard on the task.

And I did it.

I should have used it on him like I originally planned with…

But I also made an arrogant decision. If I were to make and give my father a poison, I wanted there to be proof it was mine.

Sulfhemoglobinemia.

I made the sulfur atom irreversibly incorporated and thus…when they died…

Their blood turned green.

I learned later that the poison was Julienne’s idea. That they made a targeted attack against the Barleys and Rouxs.

Back then, there were only three deaths, but now there have been dozens popping up all across the city.