“Yes. I have heard so much about all that you have learned from your training, and now I would like to see. Can you do that for me, boy?”

He knew my master? Did that mean he knew Frank, too?

But, if he knew where I was all this time, why hadn’t he come before? What took him so long?

He waited for me to say or do something, but I continued to sit and watch him, feeling confused. Lily said daddies were nice and protected you. They weren’t supposed to do bad things and they would be upset if we did bad things.

His face had changed to anger before he smoothed it over again. “Don’t you want to make your father proud?”

So maybe killing wasn’t a bad thing. He said it would make him proud. If I make him proud, then maybe he will keep me. If I go back, then they will think I ran away and kill me.

I nodded though it was a lie. Whatever he wanted me to do, I knew it wasn’t good. I thought my father rescued me… Why did he want me to do bad stuff?

I followed him out to the main room, and immediately, I noticed a strange woman balled in the corner. She looked as if she’d been beaten or worse. I didn’t know what could be worse than being beaten since she wasn’t dead, but whatever it was, it was there in her eyes.

She made a sound when she saw me that sounded like she was in pain, but it was weak.

“No,” she moaned. Her eyes widened and tears streamed down her face, running over her trembling lips. She reached out her hand to me, but it was a sluggish attempt. She managed to lift it only for it to slump back to her side. 

She tried to speak, but she couldn’t seem to manage more than a mumble. “I think something is wrong with the lady.”

I moved forward to help her, but his hand on my shoulder stopped me. In his hand was a gun. “She’s fine, son. For now. I want you to kill her.”

“Wh–what?”

“If you simply kill her, you’ll be free.”

“But, Dad, I don’t want to hurt the lady.” It was the first time I had called him dad, and strangely, it didn’t feel right. He didn’t feel like a father. He didn’t feel like my father.

He pressed the gun in my hand and lifted it with my hand to aim. “You’ve already done this many times. What’s one more?”

The gun felt much too large for the hand I held it in. I’d only begun to practice with them before the life I knew changed drastically. It was loud, and my arm would always be sore after they made me shoot it. Each time I held one didn’t do anything to diminish the foreign and uncomfortable feelings.

The last time I used one was still fresh in my memories. It was the first time I’d ever used one on my own, and, unfortunately, I remembered my training too well.

Lily was gone.

I blinked away the tears, afraid my father would mistake them for something else. I managed to keep it steadily trained on the woman who knelt in the corner. She was much too pretty for the tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were much too bright for the sadness it held. I knew she must have been afraid to die, but why didn’t she beg and plead for her life like everyone else?

“Gabriel, my sweet boy,” she whispered soothingly, finally finding her voice. Her voice held an unnatural quality to it, and her eyes, wide when I entered, drooped. Her whole appearance just seemed to fade. “It’s okay, my little boy. Do it.”

Why was she telling me it would be okay? She was the one who would die. She must have thought I was someone else. Maybe she was looking for her son.

Suddenly, I wished she were my mom.

A strange, beautiful woman who I’d never met before but felt a connection to.

“Why are you calling me Gabriel?” I lowered the gun to study her. I couldn’t shake the familiar feelings, and the feeling that hurting this woman would be a mistake.

I looked to my father for guidance. “Dad?”

“It doesn’t matter what the bitch calls you. Do you want your freedom, boy?”

“Yes.”

“Then kill her,” he sneered. He took my hand and lifted the gun again, pressing my finger into the trigger. All I had to do was squeeze a little more, but for some reason, I didn’t want her to die.

I shouldn’t do this.

I couldn’t do this.

“It’s okay, Gabriel.” She nodded her head weakly. The tears were endless as they fell from her eyes.

You’re not Gabriel. Just kill her. You’ll be free.

“I will always love you.”

What?

The gun went off.

The blast was loud, but I didn’t feel the pain in my arm. It reached far beyond the physical. I didn’t remember squeezing the trigger. I didn’t remember killing her, but there was one thing I would always remember hearing…

“Good job, son.” My father’s evil chuckled echoed behind me. “You just killed your mother.”

Chapter Fifteen

Lake

Present Day

There was no possibility of redemption. What was I thinking? Threatening Keiran like that was like committing suicide. The rush of it all, mingled with fear and hate, clawed at my emotions. When I went in search of Keiran after class, I merely wanted to see if he was okay. The look on his face as he left class was one I’d never seen before. It was a mixture of pain and anger, and with Keiran, who knew how deadly a combination that could be?

I only meant to peek in on him when I saw him rush off to the gym, but when I saw him playing basketball alone something compelled me to call out to him. I had known before it happened that it was a mistake, but sadly I was never one to listen to my instincts.

How could he have known about my Aunt Karen and Uncle Ben, much less where they lived? Surprisingly, I recovered quicker than I would have in the past. Keiran was much more effective in tearing me apart to near destruction in the past.

My anger was unprecedented, but the threat that followed was even more surprising. More than that, it was the realization I had meant it. I was done letting Keiran use my family against me. I was done letting him use me period.

Before today, I hoped deep down that Keiran could be redeemed but now it seemed nearly impossible. I had to figure out a way to beat him at his own game.

Keiran was guided by his ruthlessness, but I was guided by my love for my family. It was no contest on which was more powerful.

He wasn’t the only one who watched and waited. I knew he was up to something, and I knew whatever it was had to do with Mitch. It wasn’t surprising to me how closed mouth he was about his plans. So much so, prying Sheldon for information would be fruitless. For all I knew, Mitch had already been taken care.

Mitch wouldn’t go too far. His first attempt to kill his sons and brother for money may have failed, but he would try again. The only question remaining was which one would Mitch come after first this time? He used me as a pawn the first time. Would he do so again? He knew where I lived, and it could very well be my aunt who steps through the door next time.

With Keiran gone I had a chance to keep everyone safe. I was going to put him away once and for all.

I just needed to find the chink in his armor.

* * *

Instead of going home after school, I decided to pay Keenan a visit. The last time I was there, he was still very much close to death, and with Sheldon still being an emotional wreck, I figured I could step in. He had become a friend, too.

“Hi, handsome.”

Keenan startled at the sound of my knock followed by my voice.