Mend the Seams (Buried Secrets 3)

“Because we need your help.” She replies opening up the folder, pulling what looks to be pictures out and laying them across the table. “The FBI has been investigating Black Pike for a few years. Once you were arrested a team was sent in to test the chemicals and to prepare the mines to be closed off.”

She flips the first picture over and I try my damnedest to stay passive as I look over the familiar face that abused me as a teen. “This is Evelyn Hager, do you recognize her Josh?” She questions and I shake my head yes, because she already knows the fuckin’ answer. Hell, her son was one of my best friends growin’ up; that shit ain’t too hard for any average Joe-Shmo to figure out. “She was reported missing over ten years ago by her husband, Elliott Hager. The local and state police investigated her disappearance for months to no avail. Her husband mentioned he suspected she had been having an affair for years, but no evidence was clear to support the claim. Her case went cold until recently.”

She continues to flip the other pictures over and I grit my teeth together as my stomach rolls a vicious wave at the decaying corpse in the photographs. “Evelyn Hager’s body was found in the depths of Black Pike with two gunshot wounds to the head.” She glances up at me with her lips pursed thin, glaring at me inquisitively, gauging the shock that’s plastered to my face. “Care to explain how one of your best friend’s mother’s ended up dead in your coal mines, Josh?”

Two fuckin’ gunshot wounds to the fuckin’ head? Fuckin’ hell is goin’ on?” I cup my cuffed hands over my face, trying to steady my breathing. This has to be one sick fuckin’ joke.

“You gotta take control of what she took from you, Josh. You just ain’t been the same since she started her fuckin’ games.” Drew says.

“Fuck off, Drew! I’ll deal with this shit on my own. Don’t wanna do things your way. That ain’t me.” I spit at him through grit teeth. I know Drew’s pissed. Things have been fucked since he caught me chained to Evelyn’s bed with her ridin’ my dick two years ago. He knew then what had caused me to change so much and had been tryin’ to recover the old me since. But, the old Josh was dead and gone. I was a completely different guy. I was broody and angry, humiliated of the secrets that burdened me. I didn’t want to let anyone in. Fuckin’ hell, I just wanted to die. The time in my life when fuckin’ pussy should be the center of my universe, I was pushin’ every sweet ass that approached me away. I hated sex, the thought of it made me sick. What should be pleasurable and erotic had become a disgusting, gut wrenching act in my mind. Fighting was my release. It was my euphoria to escape my demons, to discharge the pent up hatred I felt. I craved control, refused to ever let another person touch me without permission and refused to ever fall at the hands of someone else.

“You want fuckin’ revenge? Take that shit! Give her a fuckin’ taste of the pain she inflicted on you!” He shouts in my face, the scent of bourbon heavy on his breath.

“Drew, you saw how outta control I got with Clay at the party last night? Damn bastard runnin’ off at the mouth.” I shake my head in disbelief. One guy shouldn’t feel this unhinged. I need fuckin’ help, not revenge. “I don’t know that I could stop with her. My restraint is diminishing.” He hasn’t let up on this shit for months. Tellin’ me that retribution is the only peace I’ll find from my abuse. I know he’s fuckin’ right. I want to see the fuckin’ fear in her eyes as I control her, taking back what she took from me. But I don’t want to be that man.

“Who the hell’s always had your ass, Josh? Either you get your revenge on that twisted bitch, or I’ll fuckin’ do it myself.” Drew bites out.

“Not your revenge to seek, Drew.”

“Yeah, true. But when the hell’s your bitch ass gonna set shit straight? I’ll be there in case shit gets heavy, brother. Elliott will be outta town again this weekend, and you know Chase is never home. It’s the perfect time.”

“I didn’t fuckin’ shoot her!” I snap, shooting up from the chair, pacing the floor nervously. I’ve done some bad shit in my life, I’m one depraved bastard. That bitch deserved to die, but I didn’t shoot her. “Brother? Fuckin’ hell he was!”

“JOSH! Sit down before I call a CO.” Alisa yells, but I continue to pace, my chest tightening with strife, confusion marring my face.

I snap my head towards Alisa and Agent Ball-Sack and with a malice laced timbre I say calmly, “Revenge. You wanna know what the hell happened to Evelyn Hager? It was fuckin’ revenge.” I seethe and my skin flames. “But I didn’t shoot her.”

“Revenge, huh? Well, why don’t you tell us about that, Josh? It seems you have enough motivation to seek revenge on Drew Varney and James McCoy as it stands. Let us help with that, legally.” Alisa replies, intrigued.

“What the fuck’s in it for me?”

“Depends on what you tell us and what charges we can slap Varney and McCoy with.” Agent Ball-Sack replies, stoically.

I chuckle, “Well y’all best get fuckin’ comfortable, because we’ll be here a long while.” I kick the chair back and sit down, prepared to finally unleash my demons from the darkest level of Hell…every fuckin’ one of ‘em.

Bonus Scene

One thing I cannot tolerate is insubordination. When I give an order, and I don’t give a flyin’ fuck who I give it to, they are expected to obey. If they are insolent to my commands, a debt is put on their head in whichever form I feel is necessary. The retribution may not be immediate. In fact, I prefer to draw my victims out, taunting them with a gentle threat. I get off making them lay in wait, watching them writhe in fear of the unknown. Yeah I’m a sick fuck like that, you know you love me.

Savannah was given an order: don’t visit Josh. Doesn’t matter why I didn’t want her to see him. She was given a specific order and she disobeyed me, her brother. I’ve been in Savannah’s life as long as Josh has, and yes, we had a very discreet plan against the fuckin’ Simon family. But in no way have I ever wanted to bring harm to her, specifically. I wanted what was rightfully mine, she was just the pawn that we utilized to perfect our plan.

Fuckin’ Josh had to have a heart.

But this isn’t about Josh and the ways he fucked me over. This is about Savannah.

I step in Big John’s old home office, taking in the family portraits that grace the walls – family portraits I should have been in. They always looked so happy with their perfect fuckin’ smiles. A bookcase lines the wall full of awards, trophies and medals. Savannah and Carly were his greatest prides in life. Me, I was the fuckin’ bastard son he so audaciously tossed to the side like a fuckin’ piece of garbage.

I sit back in his old leather desk chair propping my feet upon the desk and tip the tumbler of bourbon back to my mouth. I can’t help but wonder how many nights he did this very same thing, burning the midnight oil to keep his multi-million dollar coal company the boasting empire that it still is today. I hate the part of me that wants to feel close to him, the part of me that always wanted to make my father proud. No matter how hard I tried, I was never good enough. I was always his filthy secret, and his direct disgust and hindrance for me is what tainted me to the man I am today.

This should be my chair, my office, my house, my fuckin’ empire. I was his first born, his only son. Oh, but their debts won’t go unclaimed. I can promise you this. I’ve been taunting Carly since she took over the mines, using Josh as my fallout boy until he fucked up. But like the menacing man that I am, I have nothing but time and opportunity to finish my game with her.

Right now, the more pressing debtor that is owed to me is Savannah. Looking around this room, feeling the mockery of which they boast, it only encourages me to request my retribution now.

I stand up and casually stride downstairs to the kitchen, suddenly famished. It’s mid-afternoon and I’m such a busy man it seems as if I’ve forgotten lunch. I browse through the cabinets in search of the snacks. Ah-ha…Braden’s favorite – Doritos. I snatch a bag out of the cabinet then stroll back upstairs to Big John’s office.

I pull open the b