Pawn (The Pawn Duet #2) - T.M. Frazier Page 0,64

Darius,” he points out.

“I mean for you,” Percy says, sounding sincere.

“What is going on, Percy?” I ask, groaning as I’m finally able to get to my feet. I sway, but manage to stay upright. “Why wait? What aren’t you telling us?”

“What the fuck does that mean,” Pike grates. Nine, King, and Preppy move to stand between Percy and Pike.

Percy raises his hands. “I’m unarmed. And he deserves to die. There’s no doubt about it. Just wait.”

“How fucking long?” King asks, pointing his gun at Percy.

“Why?” Nine asks at the same time.

Blue and red lights flood the compound, circling around the courtyard. Men in all black gear, holding military-grade weapons descend upon the crowd who runs and screams, scattering like roaches in the light.

Pike releases his hold on Darius and sheathes his gun.

His friends do the same.

“This is why,” Percy shouts over the sirens and commotion.

“You!” Darius accuses, staring up at his son from the ground. He raises himself up on his arms. “You did this!”

Pike rushes to my side, shielding me from the chaos. He nods to his friends who quietly slip away. I spot Rage’s blond ponytail sitting in the field next to the compound holding something in her hand.

“No, you did this, old man” Percy retorts as the crowd is corralled by the swarming FBI agents. He looks around and holds out his arms. “This? This is all a fucking farce!” Percy wipes the back of his hand over the Fourth Reich tattoo on his neck, smearing the ink and revealing scarred, yet tattoo-free skin underneath. “You want to know how I got out of prison early?” He points to the agents surrounding us. “Well, now you fucking know. You’ve got a new rat to hate now.”

“No. It can’t be. Not you.” Darius’s jaw drops. He blinks through his confusion as if he could change what he’s seeing before his eyes. “Of all the fucking people.” His face reddens as he bares his teeth. “You!”

Percy nods, folding his hands in front of him in a prayer-like position. “Yeah, it was me. What? You really think I got out because of something you did?” He unfolds his hands and points an accusing finger at Darius. “Please. You were more concerned about getting revenge on who put me in prison than getting me out.” He looks over his shoulder to Pike. “But Pike? He wasn’t the rat, and even if he was, he still wouldn’t be the one who got me locked up. We both know he had nothing to do with Mom’s death. You wanted to clear out your competition, and you made up a reason, a scapegoat, for me to direct all the hate you taught me.”

“Then, if not Pike, who ratted on you?” Darius asks, confusion lining his angry face as the officers tug his arms together and slap him in cuffs.

“You’re still on that? You can’t see the bigger fucking picture here?” Percy asks, in angry amazement.

Darius can’t hear him over the noise in his head. “Who got you locked up? Who, damnit? Tell me!”

Percy smirks. “It was me. I got myself locked up. I did the things that I did, and I take responsibility for them, but I never would have done any of it if it weren’t for you. You tainted my blood with hate. You made me fearful of what’s different. You taught me to be violent and…” He trails off, shaking off images of the past with a jerk of his head. He looks to the sky and bites down on his bottom lip before refocusing his attention on Darius, who’s now being dragged backward towards a squad car, digging his heels into the dirt as if he could prevent the inevitable. “I took responsibility for what I’ve done. Now, it’s time you to do the same.”

“Did that little bitch make you do this? Of course, she did. She’s a fucking traitor, just like her old man. I’ll kill her like I killed him. Like I killed her entire fucking family. I’ll never forgive you for this! Any of you!” Darius roars, attempting to pull free from the officers, to no use. “You’ll all rot in hell!”

“You first,” Pike replies.

Percy steps up to his restrained father. “Nobody made me do anything, except you. And nobody will make me do anything anymore. And I don’t need your forgiveness. The only person who needs to forgive me is me. And this is the first step toward that.” The officers shove Darius inside the back