concealing their crime, but most of all, they should have recognized one irrevocable truth—secrets don’t stay buried for long. I always knew their insolence was going to be their downfall. They should have watched their backs, but because they haven’t, they will now be looking behind it every second of every day until I finally end them. Once and for all.
This isn’t just your victims’ funeral.
It’s also yours.
You fucked up, and because I’m just like you, I won’t be taking any prisoners either.
Before the end comes, they’ll be wishing we never crossed paths. They’ll curse the day they met me and tried to take what’s mine. Now I’ll make them all pay for what they’ve done.
Trust me. It’s not going to be pretty. I promise you that.
The mournful crowd begins to disperse, selfishly interrupting my contemplation and bringing my thoughts back to the current matter at hand. All the pretty words have been said, and every last useless goodbye has been uttered, it seems. Now that this deplorable scene has finally come to an end, I decide to move my first pawn into place and start my glorious chess game.
I slowly make my way over to the one man who will become my biggest triumph once I bring him to his knees. I tenderly place my hand over his shoulder, making him spin his head toward me. Lincoln stares into my eyes and relaxes the minute he recognizes a friend at his side. I offer him my own reassuring smile, squeezing his shoulder as he covers my hand with his own, grateful for my offered solace.
Such a pretentious fool.
This is one of your biggest flaws, Lincoln. I never once saw you as a friend, only as a threat. To me, you’ve always been my sworn enemy, but you were just too self-centered to notice. Now the joke is on you because I’m the one who is going to shoot first. I’ll make you bleed. Bleed just like you made them.
So, enjoy your summer, boys.
You won’t know what hit you once I’m done.
They’ve all signed their death warrants unknowingly. And the best part will be to witness their shocked faces when they see it was me who pulled the trigger and carried out their sentences.
Such a pity they’ll never even see the threat coming.
And too bad for them, I’m already here.
Chapter 1
Finn
I park my Porsche in front of the opulent mansion, but instead of getting out of the car and rushing in as I’ve done for most of my life, I stay frozen still in my seat, gripping the steering wheel while trying hard to ignore the tightening of my chest.
It astounds me how a place that once held so much joy now fills me with dread. I’ve spent Christmases and New Years here. I played football on this very lawn while waiting for Thanksgiving dinners to be served, and during the madness of Fourth of July cookouts. I’ve stayed over more times than I can count, making me more like family than anything else. But for the life of me, this is the last place I want to be at.
I mean, it’s only natural, right?
I’m not a monster for not wanting to step foot inside the home that used to hold most of my favorite childhood recollections when none can compare to the last horrid memory it gave me.
But I guess what they say is true—a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime whether he wants to or not.
I shake my head, trying to avoid these thoughts that have been tormenting me for the past three months. Instead, I pick up my phone and pretend to fiddle on it just in case Lincoln can see me parked here from inside his house. Although, common sense tells me that Lincoln Hamilton has more pressing demons to face then waste his time gawking through a window at the scenery of his driveway. Still, I keep up my moronic pretense, hoping to gain some time for me just to man the fuck up and knock on my best friend’s door.
“Shit!” I mumble, aggravated for being such a fucking pussy.
But, fuck, it’s not like this shit comes with an instruction manual on what’s the best protocol to use with your accomplices. I haven’t seen Lincoln all summer, so who knows what fucking mess I’m going to encounter. Last night when he sent me a text, asking me to be here at first light, every fiber of my being wanted to pretend I