A Promise of Torment (A Violent Agenda)

“You don’t want to do this,” he says, blue eyes dark and unreadable.

“Didn’t you say this was my show?”

He holds up his hands, mouth twitching at the corners. “You still don’t trust me?”

“Trust is earned, not bought,” I say. “Now, where is Adrien?”

“I told you. He’s in the other building. But I wouldn’t try this alone if I were you.”

I narrow my eyes and snort. “What are you talking about? I do every fucking thing alone.”

I usher Dante back into the basement stairwell and lock him in. Then I cease worrying about him and make my way to the other building to find my father.

There are two parts to his estate. The main house, and my father’s office when he’s not in the city. Dante could be telling the truth. Why would he lie? Still, I don’t fancy going to kill my father without a weapon and with Dante at my back.

Once I put a bullet in Adrien’s head, I’m walking away from this fucked-up life. I’m so done with this bullshit. I don’t even care about my family name, or fortune. The government can take it all. Asking Dante to kill my father was a mistake. I know that now. No one can kill the bastard but me. It has to be me. As it was always meant to be.

I’m better off alone.

I need no one.

Outside my father’s office is an empty corridor. That’s strange. Where are his men? There should be someone here at all times, or at least that’s how it was when I lived here. I shudder at the memory. It was a long time ago, but it feels like yester-fucking-day.

Fuck, the drugs have kicked in, but not fast enough.

Gingerly, trying not to wince, I stalk toward the office. On the other side of the door, I can hear him talking to someone, so I know he’s in there. I promised my mother before she broke down that I was never coming back. This place was my history, not my fucking future. I’m doing this for her, and for me. I’m doing this to be free.

Kicking down doors in reality never fucking works, so I open the door the normal way. It swings wide and I see him as he sees me. He’s behind his desk on the phone. As soon as our eyes connect, he pauses mid-sentence to whoever he’s talking to.

“Hello, Adrien,” I say, stepping into the room, keeping the gun aimed right at him. He doesn’t react, so I stop halfway in. Adrenaline spikes and inside I’m holding back a scream. Dante trained me to be ruthless.

So this is what I’m being.

“Do it,” he says, in a soft, dangerous voice. It’s the voice that gave me nightmares for years. I stare at him and will myself to end him for good.

I don’t hesitate to kill. It’s not who I am, but with him staring at me, I’m frozen in place. All the monsters I’ve tried to escape, my past, my tormentors, are embodied in him. All the hate and rage, my own monster that comes creeping, stem from him.

Killing him is easier said than done. I readjust my grip on the gun, ignoring the rise of panic making it slick in my trembling in my hands.

He snorts. “You can't, can you?”

“Oh I can,” I say, sucking in a breath, pulling the damn trigger. “Goodbye, Father.”

It’s the first and last time I’ll ever call him that to his face.