Page 51 of Pieces Into Place

And standing tall in the center of it all, is the snowman Olivia and I built together; its presence alone a painful reminder of something that I am in danger of losing.

“Tell me everything,” I say softly, still not taking my eyes from the view before me.

Henry exhales heavily, rubbing his forehead as if gathering his thoughts. “Johnny Holt seemed to be your average, suburban kid. He grew up with loving parents in a cozy home with his little sister who adored him.”

I nod slowly, recalling the memories of my own childhood that I thought had long been forgotten. Everyone else is always so quick to paint Johnny with one brush – a monster. But I know monsters are rarely born overnight.

“After he was killed…” Henry pauses, choosing his words carefully, “his family was subjected to some dark times. Their home was struck in the crossfire of public outrage and they became targets for those seeking revenge. People wanted justice they couldn’t take from Johnny so they sought retribution elsewhere.”

Retribution. Olivia’s questions about revenge and retribution suddenly become clear.

But what if her revenge is on me? That is what Henry was getting at with his initial questions, right? I shake my head internally. No. I don’t believe she’s capable of that.

My heart plummets as the weight of what he said sinks in. I know first-hand how it feels to be an innocent victim of someone else’s sin, and I can’t help but feel compassion for that family.

“After a while, they couldn’t take it anymore. They packed their meager belongings, loaded them into the back of an old pickup truck, and drove until they found a town just small enough and far enough away to start over. They settled there, away from all the commotion and reminders of Johnny’s past. Olivia’s mother became pregnant with her. Seems the guy wasn’t interested in sticking around. He’s not even named on the birth certificate,” he sighs. “Anyway, they lived in peace for years until Johnny’s mass grave site was discovered fifteen years ago.”

My mind flashes back to that time as if it were yesterday: all over the news channels were stories about Johnny’s crimes, his victims, and speculation about who knew what and when. I can still feel the teasing from my peers when they discovered who I was. I was so confused and so angry. That’s why I got into so many fights. If it weren’t for my best friends, Marcus and Callan, I may not have made it through that time in one piece.

I can feel the dread in my stomach as I stare outside, thinking about Olivia and what she must have gone through.

“Did people find out who they were?” I ask, finally turning away from the window. Henry nods solemnly.

“Yes. But more than that, the wrong people found out who they were,” he adds.

I furrow my brow, not understanding. “What do you mean?”

“They were identifying the victims through DNA evidence. Among them was a young woman named Cecily Profaci.”

My breath catches in my throat as the pieces come together. Olivia’s uncle murdered Profaci’s daughter.

“So he went after their family,” I murmur.

“He had a seething vengeance and wouldn’t rest until his mission was complete,” Henry answers. “Went absolutely insane trying to get to them. Apparently, after his daughter had gone missing, he was convinced she’d run away from him and the family. But when he discovered that she’d been killed, it pushed him over the edge. He wanted everyone connected to Johnny Holt dead – and almost succeeded.”

“It was him that had her family murdered,” I whisper, making sense of the situation.

“Correct,” Henry confirms. “And she was next on his list.”

“But she was only thirteen!” I exclaim in disbelief. “She wasn’t even born when her uncle did all those things.”

“I can’t tell you why he committed such a heinous act, Kane,” Henry says with a somber expression. “It takes a monster to do something like this.”

“So, it was Shaemus Kildare who adopted her; but not because he wanted to help her out, or even because he cared about her wellbeing – just to get back at Profaci, right?” I say sadly.

Henry nods with a glistening eye. “She told you.”

“Yes,” I reply. “Her entire life, she’s known very little besides monsters,” I declare. “Even me.” I feel sick to my stomach, remembering how I treated her at first.

“No need to beat yourself up, Kid,” Henry says. “You couldn’t have known this would happen. The odds of you being connected to any of this are astronomical.”

But I still shake my head and insist, “It doesn’t matter. I treated her horribly. I judged her before she even said a word.”

My words come back and strike me like a meteor, nearly knocking the air out of my lungs. Memories of all the times where I labeled her “spoiled” or a “princess” make me cringe with shame. The fact that she still somehow managed to fall for me is evidence of her big heart.

I sink down into the couch and let my head drop into my hands. “So why now?” I ask Henry. “Why is he coming after her now? She left Shaemus’s protection over ten years ago.”

“I asked the same thing,” he says, his tone low and filled with frustration. “At first, she did a good job of concealing herself. Then it seems as though time went on, Profaci’s interests expanded to include arms dealing, he wasn’t able to allocate his resources to find her anymore.”