Heartless People |Book 3|

Chapter 26

"Hearts can break. Yes, hearts can break. Sometimes I think it would be better if we died when they did, but we don't."

—Stephen King

VICTORIA

Wiping my face over and over again didn't help. Nothing seemed to dull the pain, or stop the tears. I sat on the edge of our bed waiting for my husband. He was going to be here at any moment, and I needed to be strong for him, but the damned tears wouldn't stop falling. When the door jiggled, I sat up quickly with my hands at my sides.

"Did you see the news? Jen and Lisa are insane. I'm famous babe...well, my gun and my altered voice was. Who knew it would be so easy to—" he paused as he took off his shoes and looked me over. "What's wrong?"

I said nothing, choosing instead to move towards him I before gripped the sides of his face and kissed him deeply. He pulled me to him, and wrapped his arms around my body before he pulled back and smiled.

"What did I do to deserve that? Let me know so I can do it again!"

I didn't want to do this. I couldn't do this to him. He had lost the man who took him in and treated him like his own son all his life—he had lost his real father. The tears returned as I bit my tongue. Jen had said on the phone to just spit it out, that it was going to hurt no matter how I delivered the news, but I didn't want to see him in pain.

"Victoria, talk to me please," he whispered, as he placed his hand on my face. "Did I do something? I know I've been overprotective, but I can't help it, I just worry about you—"

I placed my finger on his lips and took a deep breath. "Jen and Lisa are coming back tomorrow morning."

"What? Why?"

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Marco's gone," I allowed the words to rush out.

His eyes widened as he took a step away from me.

Everything I'd been told spilled from my mouth. "Avian tried to have Evelyn and Ethan killed, but Marco pushed them out of the way and...and took a bullet...he never got back up. Jen—"

"Stop!" Nickhun screamed at me.

I tried to reach for him but he pushed me away while shaking his head. "What are you saying? What? I don't...I don't understand. I spoke to him and Evelyn a few hours ago. Why are you saying this?"

"Nickhun."

"No, this is crazy. You're wrong." He snapped at me as I moved to him once more, this time I pulled him into my arms. He stood stiffly. "You're wrong."

His body began to shake as he held onto me. "You're wrong. I can't lose two fathers, Tori."

But he had and I wished I were wrong. I really did, because all I could see were dark days before us.

How did this happen?

BAMBAM

I needed to see her. It had been only a couple of hours without him and it still felt as if I'd just been told. It burned to think about reality. My throat felt as if it were closing, like my heart crawled through it, just wanting to be expelled. My eyes ached, and I wanted to rip them out if only to alleviate the constant stinging. Jen had taken Mom and Ethan home, leaving me with Lisa and Kain. None of us spoke. We simply sat in our private waiting room in silence before I couldn't take it anymore. I had to see her.

We refused to leave without our father. We refused to let him stay there without us in a cold box as if he were no one. It wasn't right. I had planned to stay at the hospital all night when Mina called for the ninth time. I'm not even sure why they bothered to leave her a phone, but I was sure it had to do with Avian—the fucking bastard. I was going to pull his lungs out of his ass.

The longer I thought about him, the more I thought of her. I had to see her, I had to know if she knew about this...if this had been a part of her plan all along.

Lisa didn't even seem to notice as I took my leave, she just sat there with Kain, who stood at her side like a fucking rock. It didn't even seem as if he were breathing. I didn't want to leave her, but I needed to know.

"Evelyn, stop, please!" I heard her strangled scream as I walked towards the basement. There, on the bed, was Mina trying fight off my mother who was on top of her. She continuously punched her, and her fists were covered in blood as they slammed into Mina's face.

"You bitch! I welcomed you into my home, my family, and this is what you do? This is all your fault! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to fucking kill you! How dare you! You filthy cunt! Die! Just DIE!" She pulled her arm back and punched her one last time, until finally, I lifted her off of Mina. Still enraged, she struggled out of my grip and smacked me hard across the face. With tears in her eyes, she glared at me.

"This is your fault!" she screamed at me, before pointing to Mina, who now had a busted lip, a broken nose, and cut forehead. "You brought this trash, this snake, this evil whore, into our lives, our family. She wanted all of us dead and now she's getting her wish. For once in your goddamn life, Bambam Manoban, stop being a disappointment! I've always been on your side, I've always wanted what was best for you, and this is how you repay me? By destroying me? I can't even look at you. How could you do this to me?!" She spat at my feet.

"Evelyn, come on," Jen whispered, but she refused to move. With a sigh, Jen pulled out a needle and stuck it in her neck. I went to help, but Jen shook her head before she wrapped my mother's arm over her shoulder and moved towards the door.

"I don't understand. What's wrong with her? What's going on? I haven't seen anyone in days. Not that I want to see anyone in this stupid fucking family. No one has anyone given me anything to eat—"

Something inside of me snapped. My hands were around her neck before my mind even made a conscious decision to move. I gripped her neck as tightly as I could.

"My father is dead and you're upset because someone didn't give you snack?" I asked her, feeling surprisingly calm as she struggled against me. Her nails scratched my arms as tears flooded her bloodshot eyes. Instead of the absolute dread I envisioned feeling when this day came, an unnatural calm took over my entire being. I felt nothing but an urge to rid the earth of this disgusting virus I'd blindly inflicted upon my family.

"Bambam...this...not...like...you..." she choked out.

"You don't know me," I said, surprising myself once again with how unaffected I felt. Pushing as hard as I could onto her neck, I felt something snap, not within me as I was used to when dealing her, but I literally felt and heard the harsh and sickening snap as her windpipe finally collapsed under the pressure of my grip and she stopped fighting. Her body went limp and I stared into her cold, empty eyes. There was hardly a difference now than there was last week.

That was it.

She was gone.

Just like that, nothing fancy, not by Lisa's or Jen's hands, but by my own. And I didn't regret it. I felt absolutely no remorse as I looked at her already cooling carcass.

"I'll handle this, Bambam, now go to your mother," Jen said from behind me. "She'll awaken at any moment, and right now she needs one of her children."

I gave Mina one more look before getting up.

Jen grabbed my arm before I could leave the room. "We will have our revenge, I swear it, Bambam."

I'm wasn't sure how to reply as my heart tried to escape by way of my throat once more. Heading to my parents' room, I walked up the stairs and it was as if someone was physically trying to pull me back. Perhaps it was Mina's demented soul. Or maybe I was just damned.

Walking into the room, I stared at my mother as she gripped onto what I guessed was my father's pillow. It seemed as though she was trying soak up whatever essence he'd left behind. Taking a seat at the side of the bed, I didn't even try to stop the flow tears.

What happens now?