I turned around and made my way back toward his apartment. Once I got there, I waited for someone to go in or leave so that I could slip through the main door, then made my way upstairs to his apartment. The fifteen flights did little to lessen my nervousness, and the gun I had tucked in the waist of my pants seemed to get heavier with each step. I knew what I had to do, but that didn’t make it any easier.
When I reached his apartment, I was thankful the hallway was empty. I didn’t have anything to pick the locks, so I could only pray my credit card worked like it had in the past. The more upscale a place was, the harder it was to get such rudimentary methods to work.
I got lucky.
I pushed the door open, slipping into the shadows of the space. I didn’t turn on any lights, wanting my presence to be completely unknown when the asshole walked in. Bryan had other thoughts, walking through the space, touching everything in sight.
“When they pick you up for this, don’t come crying to me,” I hissed, hoping it would get him to stop.
“No one will ever know I was here,” he promised.
We waited for what felt like days, but it was only an hour when the doorknob began to turn. Bryan slunk into the shadow behind where I sat. When the light flicked on, O’Dell jumped, realizing he wasn’t alone.
“How did you get in here?” he demanded as he tossed his keys into a bowl on his counter, seemingly unfazed by my presence.
“You should have them replace your locks,” I told him. “Kind of flimsy considering how much this place costs. Seems like my dad’s money has served you well.”
“That it did,” he smirked. “I’m living quite comfortably.”
“That why you’re working at Cara’s school? Did you go there because you know she’s important to me?”
“I had no idea. Didn’t even know who she was, but I can’t say I was disappointed when she walked into my office. Pretty little thing. You been teaching her how I taught you?”
I leaped from the chair, moving quickly to stand in front of the asshole but careful not to touch him. I was afraid if I touched him, I’d lose it completely. “I could never be a sick fuck like you,” I reached behind my back, pulling out the gun, aiming it right at his forehead. “And I’m not letting you anywhere near that little girl.”
“Ah, Maddox,” he tuts. “Always trying so hard to be the hero when we both know you’re not. You enjoyed our time together. Why do you always deny it?”
“You should ditch the gun and show him exactly what he thinks you loved so much,” Bryan growled from across the room.
“Shut up,” I hissed at both of them. “I’m not a damn hero, but I’ll never let you hurt anyone I care about.”
“You did try so hard to protect Ryder. You never realized all your efforts were in vain, and I must say, if the rumors were true, the two of you learned quite a lot from each other.”
It felt like the room was spinning. He didn’t touch Ryder. He would’ve told me. I would’ve known. I shook my head in denial, knowing he was baiting me, but…
What if he did? What if he got to Ryder after all? I have never told Ryder any of this. Maybe he is choosing not to tell me too.
“Show him, Maddox. Show him the monster you are. Carve it in his flesh for everyone to know.” Bryan taunted me. “Don’t be chicken shit.”
“Ryder enjoyed our time together, probably more than you did. He was such a good boy for me.”
I gripped at my hair, trying desperately to stop the noise that was so loud. The roaring in my ears and head wouldn’t stop. They continued to taunt me until I thought my head would explode.
In my distressed distraction, O’Dell lunged for me. Catching me off guard, he took me to the ground, knocking the gun out of my hand. I looked to where it slid under his coffee table, just out of reach, when he managed to get another cheap shot in on me. Ignoring the sting, I reached for the gun, wanting to end this, but it was just too far.
Then my eyes landed on an object sitting on his coffee table. The solid brass, bass cleft paperweight I’d given him before I realized he wasn’t my friend sat there like a trophy. I remembered all the times I would focus on it as he kept my face pushed down on his desk. The times I would imagine it coming to life and forming notes that I could escape to.
Something inside me snapped as I realized the position we were in at that moment was all too familiar.
Except, I wasn’t a little boy anymore. I was a six-foot-three grown man, who’d lived through the abuse and the shame, and was determined it would never fucking happen again.
In one quick move, I flipped us over, grabbed the paperweight, and slammed it into his face. His eyes widened in pure fear as he began begging for his life, but I heard none of it when I brought the object down onto his face again. And again. And again.
I continued to bludgeon him until we were both covered in blood. My hands shook as the brass weight fell from my grasp. I crawled away from his lifeless form as quickly as I could, wiping the blood from my hands frantically on anything I could touch.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be quick. Not this blood bath.
Bryan lurked in the corner, laughing maniacally while I tried to get to my feet. I couldn’t leave like this, so I went to the bathroom to try to clean some of it off. I scrubbed and scratched, but I couldn’t get it all.
