Page 248 of Savior
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
DEAN
“What are you doing?” the living corpse demands.
The moment Vanna is within reach, I snatch her and force her behind me. I want to hold her. Kiss her. But I can’t risk taking my eyes off of Legion. The scarred abomination by his side, doesn’t have a weapon. Those gnarled mitts don’t look like they’re capable of much anymore.
Legion seems to ignore him, his attention fully on me as well. “When I had you chained up in that shed,” he says with a sneer, rubbing my face in the fact that he had one upped me. “You mentioned that if you could kill my brother again, you would. Well,” he gestures to the grotesque being standing a few feet from him, with an odd, theatrical flourish of his hand. “Here’s your chance… Kill him again!”
“Didn’t see that coming.”
“You didn’t see a lot coming.”
He’s got me there, but still… “What makes you think I would trust you? Can, trust you? I take this gun off you, and while I’m shooting your brother, you unload that magazine into me.”
“I’m holding a gun on you, so you don’t kill me, now, or after. Take the shot, Keegan. Kill this monster. My gift, to you. Then we’ll negotiate.”
“Judas!” the creature hisses at him.
“I’m afraid I can’t take that chance. Drop the gun, kick it over here. Then maybe we’ll see if your word is worth anything, after everything you’ve done.”
“Alright, Keegan.” Legion sighs, resigned. “I can’t fault you for the distrust. Just don’t say I never extended the olive branch.”
Without taking his gun off me, he presses the eject button, and the magazine drops from his weapon, clattering on the cement floor at his feet.
I narrow my eyes at him with suspicion. “Was that supposed to convince me you’re unarmed? We both know you still have a round in that chamber.”
“Indeed, I do…” Legion winces through a shrug. “Though, fate hasn’t etched your name on this particular bullet...”
He swings the gun off me, bringing it to his brother’s head.
“What are you doing?” the creature demands, eyes wide. He takes a fearful step back from Legion.
Neither of us saw this coming, either…
“I’d have put you down long ago, had I known they turned you into one of them... I’m sorry, brother…” There’s a brief moment of remorse in Legion’s eyes, before he swallows hard and continues. “I’ll see you in Hell.”
Without another word, Legion blows his brothers brains out, watching him crumble in a dead heap, on the floor. His arm slowly lowers to his side, before he drops the empty gun, then shifts his gaze to Vanna, still cowering behind me.
“You see, baby?” He smiles at her. “I kept my promise…”
His promise ain’t worth shit to me.
“Get on your fuckin’ knees.” I order him.
Still staring at Vanna, Legion lowers himself to the cement floor beside his brother’s corpse. I rush forward, slamming my boot into his chest, knocking him to his back.
Legion props himself up on one arm, his other, clutching his wounded side. We’re both breathing hard, glaring at each other. My gun pointed straight to his forehead as I stand over him.
Trembling internally with the overwhelming urge to end him, I force my clenched jaw to slacken just enough to bite out, “What you did to Vanna… You’ve more than earned your place in Hell beside your fucking brother.”
“Dean, don’t…” Vanna’s pleading voice is the only thing on this earth, capable of reaching me in this moment. I glance back at her briefly. She’s crouched down beside Cherry. One arm clutching her stomach, her other hand checking Cherry’s pulse, then stroking her face, attempting to wake her.
I turn back to Legion. “How did you find me after seven fucking years? What evidence do you have on me? I haven’t forgotten your threats.”
“What’s funny, is you think it took me seven years. You aren’t the only one with friends in low places. Pair underground connections with the Luck of the Irish…” He taunts me with a mocking accent. “Who else ties you to Arizona, lucky clover?”
The gangster I did some work for out of Phoenix, wasn’t Irish… Lucky clover… It’s another cryptic clue. I should shoot him just to end the fucking mind games. But then it hits me… Kenny O’Keefe… Vanna may just have to find it in herself to forgive me, for one last underground fight…
