Page 99 of His Puppet

I turn my head to watch the door, and Victor drags my aunt in by her shoulders. She’s bound as well and has tape over her mouth. When our eyes meet, she yells pleas that are muffled by the gag.

“No witnesses,” Blade says, cupping my cheek and bringing me back to him. “It’ll help for her cause of death to be smoke inhalation. The police will settle with her snapping and murdering her husband, then setting the house on fire. She’s been abused for years.”

“You mean she has to burn alive?” I ask, frowning.

He nods. “We could knock her out first. If you want.”

I debate on arguing with him. Assuring him she would never tell a soul and that she’d even be willing to go down for her husband’s murder. Blade is right, she’s been abused for years. He hurt her.

And if I hadn’t been stuck in a basement, I would’ve helped her. We would’ve gone to the police. We would’ve gotten out together.

Instead, she let a little girl rot because she was too big of a coward totryto stop it.

I sigh, my shoulders sagging as I look at my mother’s sister. “I’ll do it,” I say, never looking away.

She screams as Victor starts sloshing gasoline on the bed. I pick up the lamp and flip it so that the blunt side is up, then I walk over to her. Tears stream down her face, and I crouch to eye level.

“I’m sorry,” I say, meaning it.

I stand and bring the lamp over her head. She thumps on the carpet, her eyes closed and body slack.

The bed catches fire as Victor lights it, and Blade takes my hand. “Let’s go,” he says, tugging.

I spot my uncle’s body and shrug out of Blade’s hold. “Just a second.”

I walk to the headless corpse and gather saliva in my mouth. My spit lands on his chest.

“Fuck you.”

Blade takes my hand and leads me out of the room, then out of the house. It’s a surreal experience, seeing everything for the last time, the home no longer so scary.

It’s over. It’s all over.

Blade squeezes my hand like he’s reading my thoughts, and I look up at him as we walk. I read his mind as well.

It’s over…

And yet, it’s just beginning.

Epilogue

Blade

“Truce?”

I stare at Victor’s outstretched hand and am, for once, not annoyed by his smile. Emily insisted he be invited to our wedding. She even broke down and called him her friend and said she wanted him to be her ‘man of honor.’ So not only did she want the snake to go to our wedding, she wanted himin it.

Needless to say, I didn’t like the idea. But, like the pussy Victor insists I am, I caved.

And I’m glad.

“Truce,” I say, firmly taking his hand and shaking it.

I let go and glance around at the guests dancing or standing around conversing at our outdoor reception. Emily stands on the other side of the dance floor with Settimo’s wife, Alex. There’s a seriousness in Emily’s expression as Alex talks, and you can tell Emily is listening intently to her new friend’s every word.

“I appreciate you looking out for my wife,” I say, turning back to Victor. His attention is on the dance floor, and I follow his gaze to a redheaded woman standing off to the side looking longingly at the dancers. Her shoulders slump slightly, and the way she holds her hands in front of herself makes me think she’s shy.

“Uh huh,” he says, turning to the bar and picking up a fresh shot. He downs it then slaps me on the shoulder and gives me a brief moment of his attention. “Congrats, man. You’re a lucky guy.”