Back In Blood

Beast

Summer is passed out on my chest, but my mind can't rest.

"You know what you have to do. Set me free,"Mother says in my head.

"Let the bitch out, Kid. It's time,"Priest agrees.

Gently, I roll Summer over to her side. She doesn't stir. I make sure the covers are pulled up over her bare shoulders. I place a kiss on her cheek and my pulse races.

I slide out of the bed, my bare feet brushing against the thick carpet. I've held the red haze at bay long enough. Like a light switch, I shut my eyes and allow my mother to come to the forefront.

I quickly dress and make my way down the stairs. Stopping at the back door, I grab my black duffle and head out of the house.

After their first date, I researched everything I could on Andrew Greenly. I know who his parents are, where he went to school, I even know his credit score. Finding his house took less time than his credit score.

I park the stolen minivan around the corner from Andrew's brownstone. Grabbing my duffle off the passenger seat, I step out of the car and shut the door.

The street is quiet for this time of night. Only a few people are walking along the sidewalk. I take the leather gloves out of my pocket and place them on before pulling the hood of my sweatshirt over my head. I then make my way to the back of Andrew's home.

I hop the fence that cuts off his back yard from his neighbors. He has a Ring camera at the front door but nothing back here. There isn't even a motion light in his back yard. He made this easier than it should have been.

Walking up to the sliding glass door, I peer inside. This isn't the first time I've seen the inside of his house. The night he was released from the hospital after their first date, I came to visit him. He was sound asleep as I stood over his bed determined to kill him. It took all of Priest's teachings to get me to walk away and keep him alive that night. All I could see was his hand on top of hers at that table. No one got to touch my Summer.

Now, nothing would stop me from watching the life drain from his eyes. I easily pop the lock to the sliding glass door entering through his kitchen. Closing the door, I listen for any sound in the house. There is music coming from upstairs.

I make my way up the stairs remembering which floorboards to avoid from my last visit here. The closer I get to the sound of the music, I can also hear the light sounds of shower water going.

Pushing the door to the master bedroom open, I walk into the room placing my duffle on the bed. Unzipping it, I stare down into the bag.

"Vengeance is mine saith the Lord,"Mother says in my head. "You are the wrath of God. He made your whore cry. Now you must make him bleed."

"Yes, mother." I pull out my bowie first.

The weapon was a gift from Priest. Seth got his first Bowie early, but the rest of us got ours the day we graduated into being Deacons. The black leather wrapped handle fit perfectly in my hands. The worn leather was rubbed in certain spots over the years from wear. The blade is made of nine inches of carbon steel. It's my favorite and I only pull it out for special occasions. Tonight was one of those occasions.

The water cuts off abruptly, gaining my attention. I take a seat on the side of the bed facing the bathroom door. He will see me as soon as he walks out.

I don't have long to wait. The door opens wide and billows of steam float out causing the humidity to go up in the room. Andrew steps out with a towel wrapped around his waist. The music is much louder now that the bathroom door is open.

It takes Andrew a second to process what he's seeing.

"What are you doing in my house?" He asks dumbly.

I spin the blade around in my hand, as I stare down at the handle.

"You made her cry," although the words are coming out of my mouth, they sound like my mother's voice. "No one gets to hurt her."

I can feel the dark sinister voice trying to break free. He wants to come out and play. Even though my anger for Andrew is boiling over, I have enough sense to know that allowing that voice to come out will be bad.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Andrew shouts.

I cock my head at his tone, but don't reply.

"I'm calling the cops." He turns and heads to the phone sitting on top of his dresser.

I sigh, tossing the blade across the room. It lands in the center of his back lodging almost to the hilt.

Andrew groans and falls to his knees.

"Ahhh, fuck," he cries.

Slowly, I get up and walk over to him.

"Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth." I stand over his body and yank the blade out of his back. Andrew howls in pain. "Hand for a hand," I say as I plunge the knife into the back of his hand driving the blade so deep it digs into the wooden floorboards.

Andrew screams as the smell of piss permeates the air. However, I silence the cry by rearing back and kicking him with my steel-toed boot in the mouth. The sound of crunching is preceded by him spitting out blood and teeth. He tries to speak, but the way his jaw is slightly crooked tells me he won't be able to.

Kneeling down beside him, I yank the blade out of his hand. I then flip him onto his back. His bottom jaw hangs causing his mouth to sag open.

I stare into his eyes as tears slide down his face. He tries to speak, but his words are gargled.

"Please."

I make out the single word he pleads. Begging will not get him out of this. Only his death will redeem him.

"She wasn't yours to touch," I explain. "She definitely wasn't yours to hurt. Now the devil has come to collect his due."

"I'm. . ." once again, I have to decipher the jumbled words he's trying to say, "sorry."

"Sshh," I hum placing a finger to my lips. "Your repentance isn't needed. Save it for St. Peter." Placing the tip of the blade right under his left eye, I smile as I push forward.

By the time I'm done with Andrew, he is unrecognizable.

"Well done, Boy,"Mother praises proudly as I stare down at his mangled body.

It only took me thirty minutes to appease the darkness within me. I use the towel that was once wrapped around his waist to clean the knife. I place the blade back in my black duffle. Pulling out my phone I make a phone call.

"Hospitality," the person on the other end of the phone says.

"I have a leak."

Forty-five minutes later, after ditching the stolen van and making sure it was clean, I walk up to the sidewalk near my home. All the lights are still out, which lets me know Summer is still asleep.

Knowing my family is tucked safely inside our home has my palms sweating and my body feeling flushed. I memorize the feeling—anticipation. I can't wait to climb back in bed behind Summer. Like always, she will snuggle up to me seeking out my body heat. She doesn't realize she searches for me in her sleep. Her hand undoubtedly goes out all throughout the night reaching for me. She wants me near her. Pride swells my chest.

I make my way around back, ready to call it a night, when something catches my attention. A black Charger is parked across the street. A charger I know too well.

"They've found you,"Mother warns. "They've come to take her away from you. They don't think you deserve her."

"She's mine," I growl.

"Not after she meets your brothers. They aren't like you,"Mother cackles as she fades into the back of my mind.

Dropping my duffle, I walk around to the front of the house, just in time to see Priest step up on the sidewalk. He isn't paying attention to me yet. He's surveying the front of the house.

"No," I say cutting him off in his tracks.

He turns to me, his gaze raking over me. I'd already ditched the hoodie I was wearing inside my duffle. Good thing I did, if he'd seen the blood on it he would've been alarmed.

"Beast, I'm here to help."

"He's not going to help. He's going to take her away. You know this."

"Priest wouldn't do that,"I reply.

"You're a fool." Mother sneers. "He's afraid of you. He doesn't think you can take care of your family. He wants the girl for himself."

At her words, my hands fist at my side. The urge to kill Priest, rears up in me so strong I can envision my hands wrapped around his throat.

"Wrangle that shit in, Kid."The Priest voice in my head says. "That bitch is blowing smoke. She's still in your head from that kill. Block her out."

I noticed I've just been standing here staring silently at Priest. The man that raised me and took care of me. The man that is more of a father to me than the one that dropped his nut off in my mother. I know this man.

His voice in my head is right. Although Priest would want to take control of the situation, he wouldn't take Summer away from me.

"Let me talk to your girl." He takes a step toward the house, and I take one with him remaining in his path.

"Go home, Priest." I say.

I could never hurt Priest, but I can't deal with him right now. His voice is right, mother is still in my head after that kill. She's too loud.

"I'm not loud, I'm right. And you know it."

I ignore her words. I need distance between me and Priest. I turn to leave.

"I'm here to help," he shouts.

I spin around quickly snarling my teeth. The fear in his eyes only calms me a little. I wrangle my anger back. Remembering who he is.

"I don't need your help," I finally say through clenched teeth.

"Then what about the bodies? What about Humpty Dumpty? You were asking for help."

"He thinks you're stupid. He thinks you can't keep them safe."Mother says. "Kill him. Scatter his brains across this concrete."

Taking a deep breath I fight against my mother's voice.

"Go back to your family, Priest. I still have much to do to protect mine."

"Let me help you at least," he pleads.

His eyes soften, I can see the love and worry shining back at me. I didn't need my emotional rolodex to know that look. I've seen it many times from him.

"You can't help me," I sigh. "You should be home trying to protect your family."

His brow arches. I knew he was too smart to look over what I'd just said.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

I made a deal with Albany that I wouldn't tell her secret. The fact that Priest was here let me know she didn't hold up her end of the deal. I wasn't angry with her. She loved him. I imagine she didn't like the idea of keeping things from him. However, a deal is a deal.

"Has she told you what she's working on?"

He frowns. "The thing with the DOE?"

A slow smile spreads over my face. He was still so clueless and with so little time left.

"You're running out of time. You better figure it out quick." With that small tip, I turn and walk away. Before getting too far, I stop and turn to face him one last time. "Don't come back here, Priest. When I am ready, you will meet them."

I leave the man that I consider my father standing on the sidewalk. I meant what I said, when I was ready, he would meet Summer and his grandson. I wanted them to know my family, including my brothers. But it was still too soon. I wasn't ready to share them yet.

After making sure Priest left, I make it back inside the house. Summer was still fast asleep in bed. I checked on Gabe before heading into the guest room for a shower.

I had plans to spend the rest of the night between Summer's thighs.