Page 170 of Malice and Surrender
My watch said it was almost eleven-thirty. I flipped open my phone to see if Alex had texted me, but there was no new message, and I didn’t dare text, just in case. I was just stuffing the phone into my pocket when bright lights turned into the long driveway and closed in on the parking lot. I stayed completely hidden as the car parked.
“Come on, Alex, get out of the car,” I whispered as I stared at the side of Alex’s face through the passenger side window. I could hear the muffled yelling from my hiding spot, which made me antsy. I was about to stand up when Alex’s door swung open, and he jumped out.
“Get the hell back here,” Martin yelled.
I turned the camera on and set the small camcorder on the large rock near the sign. I could see the car and everything clearly now. Alex marched away from the car, straightened his spine, and turned to wait for Martin as he got out of the driver’s side.
“No, I wanted you to know I’m never letting you touch me again,” Alex yelled, the shadows from the parking lot light making him look fierce. He was so hot.
Martin stomped around the car, looking like a bear. Alex’s entire family was tall, but it wasn’t his height that made him look big. It was his college football build. He was still all muscle with his large hands balled into fists.
“Is this a joke? You got me to come all the way out here for this?”
“It’s not a chat we could have at the house, but I wanted you to know that if you touch me again, I’m going to go to the cops, and I’m going to tell my parents,” Alex said.
“Oh no you won’t.”
Martin stepped closer to Alex until he was towering over him. I could see him beginning to shake, and his fear had my blood boiling. I hated bullies and especially hated someone picking on Alex. I’d bloodied more than one guy who thought they could say mean shit.
My hand tightened around the handle of the shovel as Martin reached out and snatched Alex by the front of his shirt. “I will. I’ll tell them what you did on the camping trip, and I’ll tell them about tonight. The police will drag you off to jail.”
“For what? You wanted it.”
“Let go of me,” Alex said, grabbing Martin’s forearm.
“You’re an ungrateful shit. How do you think your parents can afford to keep you in the fancy basketball academy to train? They don’t have that kind of money. I pay for it. You owe me, and you’re lucky I waited this long to collect.”
My mouth dropped open at the same time Alex’s did. This man was crazy. Donations for us came in from the entire neighborhood. Did he think we were supposed to fuck everyone as payment?
“I said get off of me,” Alex said. I could hear the wavering in his voice and knew he was close to losing it.
“And I say get on your knees,” Martin growled. His hand went to the belt on his pants, and Alex swung at his face. His fist connected hard, and Martin looked rattled as he shook his head but didn’t let go of Alex. If anything, his fist twisted tighter in the material.
“No. Get the fuck off of me, you perv.”
Martin hit Alex hard in the stomach, and he doubled over, coughing. A growl ripped from my chest, but Martin didn’t hear it or see me stand as he dragged Alex toward the car. His back was to me, and all I saw was red.
“You dare threaten me. I’ll ruin you. You can kiss any chance at basketball in high school or college goodbye. No one will want to take you after they hear what I have to say. You’re nothing.” I squeezed the shovel and gripped it like a baseball bat. “You’ll regret ever messing with me.”
Martin pulled his arm back to punch Alex again, and I swung. I didn’t care how hard I hit him. I didn’t bother to aim or think about the angle of the shovel. All that mattered was that he let Alex go. That he never hurt him again. No one hurt Alex, not ever.
I heard him yell, and a thrill traveled through my body. I swung again, and this time Alex screamed. I froze mid-swing. I wasn’t sure what happened until Martin fell to his knees at my feet with his hands covering a massive wound on the side of his neck. Blood poured through his fingers and down his arm, and I stepped back, eyes wide.
I expected to be horrified, but instead, I watched him choke as his eyes flicked up to mine, and his mouth moved as he begged for help. Alex whipped off his T-shirt and pushed it against Martin’s neck.
“Jace, you were only supposed to scare him,” Alex said, his hands shaking. “I need to call for help. Do you have your phone?” I shook my head no, even though it was a lie. Martin gripped Alex’s arm, fear glittering in the depths, and all I could think was it was time he met his end.
“No, no, no,” Alex said. He continued to press on the wound as Martin tipped over sideways and landed on the ground. His mouth opened and closed, and I stood there silently watching. I was the monster tonight. I’d swung my weapon and taken the life that needed to be sent to hell. Not an ounce of guilt filled me.
“Jace do something. Why are you just standing there?”
“Because he deserves to die.”
“No, he was supposed to go to prison,” Alex said, his body shaking as he looked up at me from his knees. The blood seeped into the ground around Martin, and it felt right that this was how he died.
Then it was over as quickly as it started, and Martin lay staring at nothing. I’d never seen someone die, and I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but the quiet nothing that followed hadn’t been what my mind conjured. I wasn’t struck down by lightning, and there were no sirens as if the police would know what I’d just done.
I waited a few more moments, my eyes trained on Martin’s lax face and blank stare, my heart pounding hard. Was I going to feel anything more than happiness? Maybe, but I didn’t right now. The one thing that was there was relief. I didn’t have to worry about him hurting Alex again.
