Page 59 of Retaliation

Phillip’s jaw tightened as he considered his next move.

“I’ll pay a visit to Poison,” he stated, unwavering. “See if I can get any information out of her directly.”

Dennis’ eyes widened in alarm.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” he asked, unease in his voice.

Phillip met Dennis’ gaze with a steely resolve.

“I need answers,” he growled, firm and final. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to get them.”

Dennis exchanged a glance with Gunnar, a silent communication passing between them.

“Scor, you know the risks,” Dennis cautioned, his voice edged with concern. “Confronting Poison could escalate things further. Please think before you do something stupid.”

Phillip’s jaw clenched, his decision unwavering despite Dennis’ warning. He has suffered long enough and he won’t waste another second to see the person responsible for his pain pay for their actions.

“I understand the risks,” he replied, his voice dangerously low. “But I’ve waited for four years to find Rex’s killer. I refuse to wait any longer.”

“You waited thirty-five years for someone like Poison,” Dennis said, squaring his shoulders. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Not many get to experience that.

That little voice in the back of his mind told him Dennis was right. But he squashed it into silence.

“Blood is thicker,” he mumbled, refusing to allow doubt into his mind.

Gunnar placed a hand on Phillip’s shoulder, his expression grave. “Just be careful,” he urged. “We’ll support you however we can, but we need you to come back in one piece.”

Phillip nodded, his determination burning in his chest.

“It is not me who will be in pieces,” he vowed, his words echoing with conviction.

An hour later, Phillip greeted Gunnar and Dennis, needing fresh air. His mind was racing with thoughts, each one a jagged piece of a puzzle he couldn’t decipher. The cool night air offered a welcome escape from the suffocating weight of his thoughts.

As he mounted his bike once more, the roar of the engine cutting through the stillness of the night, he felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

After driving aimlessly through the streets, he ended up at the graveyard, his gaze fixed upon Rex’s gravestone. With two beers clutched tightly in his hands, he settled onto the ground, leaning against the cold stone marker. Placing one can reverently against the headstone, he popped open the other and took a long, deliberate sip.

“I found her, Rex” he murmured, his voice barely louder than a breath. “I found her, and I promise you, I will make her pay for what she did to you.”

The words hung in the air, a solemn vow etched into the fabric of the night. It was a promise he intended to keep, no matter the cost.

TWENTY

As Poison’s restless tossing subsided, the world around her slipped into darkness and stillness.

She stood in the middle of a desolate clearing, the soil beneath her feet marred by the ravages of a brutal war. Scars of destruction crisscrossed the landscape, a haunting testament to past struggles. She gazed down at her hands, stained crimson with blood, a horrid reminder of the violence that had unfolded.

Raising her eyes, Poison witnessed the grim image around her—countless lifeless bodies strewn haphazardly, surrounded by pools of blood. At the center lay the motionless figure of Phillip, or was it his twin brother? A silent scream clawed at her throat as she grappled with the harrowing sight.

When she awoke the following morning, Poison found her dreams slipping away like mist, her mind too clouded to grasp their fleeting fragments. She lay there for a moment, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, her eyes stinging from crying the night before.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, struggling to process everything. The realization that she was responsible for Phillip’s brother’s death felt like a grotesque nightmare, and she desperately wished it were nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Yet, the nauseating knot in her chest reminded her of the grim reality, and the swollen puffiness of her eyes served as tangible proof.

She was Double R’s killer.

Ordering a Cruze, she snuck out of the house, careful not to wake Nina or Nick. Sunlight started dancing on the horizon as she slipped into the back seat of her ride and gave the driver her address.

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