Point blank through the skull.
He just killed her.
And it was all my fault.
His hand pulls me along to get me moving. “Walk, Issy. Walk, now.” The gun that’s just killed Sharon is now digging into my back. “It’s all your fault, you know. Her being dead. Your fault,” he keeps on rambling as we walk. Jasper steps back, but keeps an eye on my uncle, being careful to not touch him. “Walk faster, Issy, your men are hungry for my blood.” He chuckles.
My men?
They aren’t my men.
They just don’t like it when a crazy son of a bitch kills someone on their property. I walk past the kitchen to the back door which leads downstairs, unlocking it with shaky hands and blurred vision, I almost trip as he pushes me hard down the first set of stairs. How can he be this careless? Was he always like this, and I was just too blind to see it? He never hugged me or kissed my cheek when I was younger telling me I did good, it was always a simple nod of the head and off he went. I tried so hard to please him, and turned myself into what he wanted. And now, now I’m faced with a man I was too blind to see.
Once we’re there we come to the second door which I know Jasper’s mother is behind. Unlocking it, I step back as she comes into view. She’s lying on her single bed with her television turned on as she looks at the wall next to it.
Max pushes me out the way and steps in, going straight to her, wrapping his arms around her body he leans in to kiss her, which she clearly doesn’t like, as she tries to push him away. “You’re alive,” he breathes looking her over.
Jasper comes up behind me and pushes me back so he’s now blocking my body, but I can still see.
“Of course I am, you fool. That son of mine was too chicken shit to kill me. Should have, though. Stupid fool that he is.”
Max’s eyes go wild. “I’m taking you with me.” He attempts to pull her, but she yanks her arm free.
“Silly man, I don’t love you. Leave. Now.” She lays back on the bed, ignoring that he’s looking down at her like she’s lost her mind. Well, actually, in some ways I guess she has.
“I have ways to support you now. We can live happily.”
“Please, I never wanted to be with you, not then, and definitely not now. I just liked testing your boundaries. Tell me, Max, did you do it? Did you kill the little girl, too? I got Jasper’s father to kill the family for you.” She giggles but it’s quite a chilling sound.
Max looks back to me and his face takes on a lost look.
I have no damn sympathy for him. At all.
“What have you done to her?”
“She’s sick. She has been for a long time.”
Max shakes his head, not liking the sound of that, and starts pacing in the room. Jasper keeps me behind him.
“She was never sick. Leila…” he stops to look at her, “… you aren’t sick.”
She simply cackles in answer, throwing her head back as she lays on the bed.
“Max, you know one of those house rats you sometimes get? You know the ones, where you train them to do what you want? That’s you.” Her eyes zoom in on him. “You were like that. I trained you, and made you fall madly in love with me. It’s a shame really that the only person not dumb enough to fall for my shit was my son. I guess because he is mine, after all. He has my blood and my character.” She laughs looking away from Max, but he starts to grind his teeth.
“What are you talking about?”
“You. You, my dear, were my pet rat. Like many men before you, and after you. The only man I love is the one who keeps me locked away. Funny how that turned out?” Her eyes fall to Jasper. “I made you who you are. You wouldn’t have been as powerful as you are today if it wasn’t for me. I made you. You’re a made man, son. What a marvelous thing that is.” She lays her head on the pillow and looks up at her stars.
I look at Jasper and notice he’s as confused as I am.
“You tortured me to make me strong?” He coughs.
Ace and Carter come up behind me. Ace is covered in blood, and I know exactly whose it is without even asking. It’s Sharon’s.
“Yes, dear, how else could you have made it this far. Gosh, it’s past the time to start being thankful.”
“You never loved me?” Max asks quietly, so quietly it’s almost an unbelieving whisper.
She turns to face him. “What part didn’t you understand about you being my pet rat, you idiot?” She huffs.