Page 66 of Pushed

“I. . .” Sucking in a long breath, he licked his dry lips. “I know who you are.”

“Oh yeah, you know me? Good, good for you.”

Shaking his head no, he whispered. “No, I really know who you are. I recognized your face, I couldn't place it at first, but then it hit me last time we met. She had you with her, she had you in her wallet when I brought her to Ethan years back. Was it—Easter? Was that the picture I saw of you and her? She was young in it, sitting with her big brother, with a fuzzy white bunny in her lap. Cute little girl back then, imagine what a girl that age could bring?”

“What did you just say?” Clenching my jaw, I cocked my head into my shoulder. “What the fuck did you just say?”

Coughing, a devious giggle mixed with his raspy voice. “Yeah, I thought so. What was her name—Merri, Maggie. . .” Smirking, he pointed up at me with blood staining his teeth.“Megan,that was it, Megan.”

“You're fucking lying! Tell me you're wrong!”

A crazed laugh burst from his mouth as his eyes popped open wide. “Fuck you! How about that? Fuck you, Machi!”

Slipping my jacket off, I dropped it to the floor. I didn't see him anymore, all I could see was a fucking spider that deserved to die.

He knew, he knew exactly who I was. Hans said her name, he had let it fall off his tongue like it was a dirty word. He wasn't walking out of there now, there was no fucking way I would allow it.

“I won't pretend anymore, who I am will get me killed. But what you did. . .” Crouching down, I cracked my knuckles against my palms. “That's unforgivable. I'm doing the world a favor, all you can hope is that the devil hasn't already signed his name to your papers.”

Stepping over his waist, I bent down, kneeling around his chest. Lowering my hands, I wrapped each finger with precision around his throat.

Hans had just sealed his fate. He had played the song I needed to end his life forever. And it took one name, one single word to destroy any of the control I had left.

That was all I needed to know—the rumors were true, cementing in my mind that I was on the right path. Every gut instinct, every little hint that led me there. . . I was right.

I promised my mother she'd have her day, that I'd make sure to finish what she started and get justice for my sister.

And it was starting right then.

Hans wasn't going to have the chance to hurt anyone else, I was going to make sure of that. There would only be one black heart in the end, and it was mine.

Then it happened, Hans wasn't looking at me, his mind had wandered as the lights cut out. He was fixed on something else, his eyes still and settling on the window.

Turning, I didn't expect to see anything there. I had the quick thought that maybe he was seeing himself, watching his soul escape his body or a shadow figure crawling up from the floor, ready collect a debt long overdue.

I was wrong.

A small face stenciled the glass, reflecting back terror and crazed shock with her eyes.

And as my heart sank, I did the only thing I could.

I took her.

---