Heathens & Hand Grenades (Book 1 of the Heathens Duet)

Chapter 69- Callie

The walk away from the house jostles something in me loose. I know after tonight I will never have to look twice over my shoulder, terrified that Colton once again found me. Still, it'll take a while to truly accept it. I've lived with that fear so long, it's become a part of me. I never have known myself without that caution. In its place, something else has woken. A beast of my own that I'm not sure I want to look to closely at.

Dario checks our progress, shakes his head and mutters to himself as we keep going. Jax catches up, not even breaking a sweat. His mask is hung over the back of his head, giving him the appearance of seeing everything.

"I saved you a match. Figured you deserve to do the honors," he offers.

My fingers hover over the match. "It's your choice Callie. No one will judge you no matter which choice you make," Dario informs me.

I lean back into him, soaking up his warmth and comfort. He winces as I accidently brush his shoulder. Meeting Jaxson's eyes in front of me, I find acceptance and a hunger that matches my own. He sees my emerging monster as something to cherish and nurture.

"Lead the way," I decide.

My body is buzzing with a wild energy as if can feel what this moment means. Skipping feels a bit much when burning a house down, ex-boyfriend included, but it's not like there's a manual for this kind of thing. So, I do what feels right; a brisk walk, skip hybrid with Dario and Jaxson flanking behind me. Rave and God meet us at the door, a bit surprised to see my face, but they quickly disguise their true feelings. The door swings closed behind them, though not before I'm able to glimpse inside.

They tried to shield me from seeing all that they did to Colt, but I couldn't help getting one last look at my puppet master now that the strings had been thoroughly severed. He's bleeding heavily from his mouth and when he sees me, he tries to speak. It's completely intelligible and I wouldn't care to hear it anyway. I'm solid on my decision and what has to happen here. For me, for Colton, for the guys. A beginning, an end, a chapter in someone's story that is still being written and no one knows if it'll be a tragedy or a happily ever after.

Mother Nature has shown up on our side once again. The storm petered out while we held Colton. The only remains of the earlier rain lie in the air and the mud. Grateful that I won't be the cause of a forest fire, I lean over to where Jaxson holds not a match like he said earlier, but a Molotov cocktail, just waiting for a flame.

"It's just like throwing a football. That's on fire," he pauses. "Alight, not much like a football at all, wrong shape. The idea is still the same. Might want to prop the door open first. Ensure it gets everything."

"Thank you." I hope they can tell that I don't just mean for giving me this last chance to make Colton pay for all he's done. For coming for me, rescuing me when they could have just as easily washed their hands of me, for waking me up when I was sleepwalking through life merely existing.

Rave holds the door open with a door jam and moves back to stand with the rest of us. Jaxson lights the rag, filling the air beside my head with heat. I meet Colton's terrified eyes and I can't help the deranged smile that spread across my cheeks. "Goodbye Colton. Have fun in hell." The cocktail sails through the door, shattering on the floor in front of Colton, and engulfing the living room in flames. I turn away as his muffled screams fill the air. A twisted little song that will play in my darkest of dreams.

The smell of burning wood and a mix of something a bit more chemical hits my nose as Dario pulls me farther from the house while the fire spreads from room to room.

We walk further away from the cabin until the guys decide we're at a safe enough distance. Not much is said as we watch it slowly burn to the ground. The guys chatter around a bit, but it all just sounds like muffled static. All I can see, hear, breathe is fire and the bitter taste of ash on my tongue as I inhale a little with each breath. At least that's how it feels. The guys made sure we're not too close to the blaze. Still, we watch until the all-consuming inferno dwindles down to embers and a burned-out husk.