The Revenge by Tijan

He kept going, the blood seeping from him as he said the same shit over and over again.

“You killed my mother for money? Why not kill me?”

He stared at me again, as if confused that I had even dared address him. “Because you wouldn’t take your money. And you were a minor. Knew my daughter. I hated her, lost all respect for her, but knew her. She would’ve had something written up that if you died, everything that should go to you would’ve gone to that computer nerd. I knew his weak spot. He crumbled. Get good pussy around him and he’d have to grab it. Young. Beautiful piece of ass and he’d do anything to get his dick wet. Easiest thing I ever did, sending Quinn to him. She worked him. She could pump him. She told me all about it. We’d laugh about it, and then I’d get my dick wet. Best ass I’d touched.” He started smiling. His yellowed teeth were caked with blood.

“I had to wait for you. Took you long enough. Couldn’t understand it, why you were doing what you were doing. Who’d turn their back on the money and power you’d be inheriting? Then I got word that you finally stepped up. Quinn helped with that. Said she sent that journalist pussy what she needed to out you, said it was only a matter of time. Said that if you were outed, you’d step up and you’d take control over what your cunt of a mother left you. Knew then it was time to start moving.”

He quieted, breathing harder now. He was staring at Chase, but I didn’t think he was seeing him. His body was weakening before my eyes. The blood loss was affecting him, making him more pale.

He murmured, softer, almost faint. “I never had time. He has a daughter in Thailand. I was going to kill her if he ever turned on me, but he hid her. Now I don’t have anyone left. All my friends. They turned their backs on me, or you killed them. You destroyed everything. I have nothing. I have no one. These guys weren’t my normal guys—even those guys abandoned me. You took everything from me, everyone. Even Quinn refuses to contact me. I made her who she is today. The other one, too, worthless. All of them. They’re rats, and they scatter when there’s a little bit of fire. Stupid fucking fire. I hate fire. I hate…” He lifted his head again, but it was straining him. “I hate you. I die, and your woman is going to die. I have a guy. He promised me that he’d kill her for me. And you don’t even know who he is, that’s the kicker.”

He had no one left.

I had drained his resources, destroyed everything he could’ve used against me.

The government froze his accounts.

He didn’t have the capability to get to what accounts he could still use.

Yeah. I had a guess who he had asked to kill Bailey.

I went over to him, kneeling down before him. “That man who was supposed to kill my woman, his name Mike Harden?” That was his death policy. Calhoun had entrusted the one person he had left, but Harden was my guy.

Surprise lit in his eyes, and his mouth parted. “You know him?”

“Yeah.” I was going to relish this. “He works for me.”

His eyes went flat.

I smirked. “He always has.”

“Wha—” he choked out, blanching, before a whole new fury started in his eyes.

Chase was starting to stir behind me. I felt the first groan from him, so I started to move, when suddenly I heard Bailey scream, “Kash!”

Calhoun was bringing up a gun. An ugly and harsh laugh ripping from him as his finger moved to the trigger.

I lunged.

Bailey had a knife, and in a split second she threw it toward me.

I flung myself out of the way.

Bam!

The gun went off.

Boom.

I felt like I was punched, but I was submerged in water. Everything was dull, happening in slow motion, and I reached, catching the knife from Bailey. I grabbed it at the handle and a little over the blade. It cut into my skin from how tight my hold was, but I fell to my knees and I lashed out. It all happened in three seconds.

Bailey yelled.

Bailey tossed the knife.

I jumped.

Reached for it.

Caught it.

My knees hit, and my arm made a horizontal slashing motion, right across his throat.

Then Chase was up and he was throwing himself at us.

Calhoun was sitting there, blood cascading down his throat, but he was trying to raise the gun again. He was trying to turn it. He would have shot me, but Chase grabbed it and threw it away. It clattered away like the other one.

Chase staggered back, falling into the vehicle. He glared at me. “So stupid. You don’t let him talk. Ever.” He bent forward, picking up the knife. He gripped it, turning it over. “You gotta put him down. That’s how you handle someone like him.”

“Chase, don’t!”

Bailey was running toward us, but boom! The door burst open behind her. Bodies swarmed inside, guns raised, shields in place. Red and blue lights filled the air. The cops had arrived.

It was over.

Chase let out another roar, but I moved, catching him in the chest. He would’ve stabbed Calhoun in front of the police. I slammed him back, feeling pain with every shift I was making now. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and I knew I’d be in worse pain after this.

“Colello!”

Bright was heading our way, holstering her weapon. More cops were streaming up the stairs. They’d check out the entire building. Paramedics were already coming in as well, bringing their stretchers.