We walked through the front door.
Joseph was just on his way out, a duffel bag hanging on his shoulder. He froze when he saw us, fear moving through his eyes.
I smiled. “Stupid fucker. Did you think you would be able to escape?”
He turned and tried to run out the back. Valentino’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “You think there aren’t men out there? Do you really think you can escape?”
He threw his bag down and turned back to us, his gun already drawn. Valentino and I jumped out of the way just as the first shot was fired. I pulled out my own and shot his hand. The bullet grazed his wrist, causing him to drop the gun. Valentino tackled him to the ground and started punching him in the face.
“This is for Isa, you piece of shit,” Valentino shouted.
The bastard laughed. “I see the little bitch finally told you. Tell me, did Thompson kill her? Please tell me he?—”
I shot his leg. He let out a pained scream before Valentino caught him on the jaw.
Valentino got up, and I walked over, stepping on the bullet wound.
He squealed like a pig being slaughtered, and it wasn’t fucking enough.
I wanted more blood. I stomped on the wound.
“Don’t ever say her name from your lips, old man. Besides, I wouldn’t talk so much if I were you. It’ll only piss us off further.”
He shook his head. “Please just let me go. I can give you details about the Devil’s Wings.”
I laughed. “What kind of information do you have that could be useful? I bet they’re already changing everything about their operations now that Walter is in charge.” I bent down and grabbed a fistful of his hair. “But I’ll give you a chance. I won’t skin you alive if you can tell me where Nova Thompson is.”
He looked at me with confusion. “Nova? Isn’t she dead?”
“That's not the answer we're looking for,” Valentino said, pulling out his knife.
“Wait—”
The knife cut through a piece of flesh on his face. Valentino pulled it down. I held him as he struggled, and Valentino kept going.
His blood dripped down, darkening the floor beneath him. I reveled in the sight. The bloodlust had my adrenaline pumping.
We were going to have some fun with this. And by the end, the fucker was going to feel ten times the amount of pain he had inflicted on Isa over the years.
We stoodside by side as Valentino held the match.
He served his father the final blow that ended the fucker’s life. And now all that was left was to burn this entire place down in flames. To destroy any reminder of pain Isa might have endured.
Valentino didn’t hesitate when he threw the match.
We stayed for a bit and watched as the flames devoured the wood.
Joseph’s body was inside. He was going down with the house.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
While I blamed myself for not seeing all the suffering Isa went through, I knew it was nothing compared to what Valentino was feeling. He grew up in that house with her. And he left her there with the monster.
That decision was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.
“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s over.”
I nodded. “It’s over.”
