“Help me.”
The words were softly spoken and died off a faint whisper. Afterwards, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Where in the hell was I? Before I could answer my own question, claustrophobia clutched its hand tightly around my balls. What could have made the feeling any worse? I was lying on my back unable to move. I felt like an ugly prostitute, worthless. I panicked and tried moving around to gain something of my whereabouts, then I remembered. Someone had buried me alive. Whoever had done this was going to fucking pay. Just to confirm it for myself, I decided to feel around. Sure enough, I was in a wooden coffin.
“Fuck!”
I was six feet deep and all I wanted for Christmas was to be Beatrix Kiddo, genuis. I’d be blonde with a chest flatter than highway road. Not to mention, I’d be having the baby of a seventy-year-old man. It wouldn’t be so bad. At least then the five-point-palm exploding heart technique would no longer be a mystery.
"Help me."
Have you ever screamed like I little bitch? I just did. No one would hear it though, not even the person asking me for help. Doesn’t the bastard realize I’m in no position whatsoever to lend a hand? Guess not, because again the words died off a faint whisper. Who knew we took oxygen for granted, even in death. My breathing became shallow and I started gasping. I could hear myself say the words.
“Help me.”
They say your life flashes before your eyes, mine did. The happier times anyway. All of them were with Theresa. I realized at that moment my life couldn’t be over. The pain of death hurt less than the pain still in my life. I still had too many regrets and loose ends to tie. I will not die! Then, the sound of someone shoveling dirt was music to my ears. I was going to live. Finally, the shovel clunked down upon the lid of the coffin.
“Hayden, you alive?”
The last person I expected to save me from death was Brett Cordova. I could hear him push a crowbar through the bottom end of the coffin to yank the lid off. Once I was free, I quickly took in as much air as my lungs could handle. I stared up at the stars in the sky and pushed myself upward to my feet. Oddly enough, Cordova had already climbed out of the grave. I did the same. Before reaching the surface, I turned to look at the name on the grave.
“Kaydence Pierce? What the fuck?”
Cordova stood in front of me with a Desert Eagle aimed at the center of my chest. A devilish grin nudged his lips, as he pushed the cold steel hard into my chest. Something wasn’t adding up and figuring it out was impossible. Why would he bury me, only to dig me up and shoot me point blank in the chest? That was the million dollar question. I could take by his expression that he knew something I didn’t. I went to speak, but he put his finger over his lips.
“They know what you’ve done Hayden. As a matter of fact, they’re on their way to arrest you right now. Sorry it had to be this way, but if I kill you, my past transgressions will be overlooked. I can start a new life and take your place within the ranks of Sin. I can gain Pierce’s trust and then when he least expects it, put a bullet in his head. You won’t be able to stop me either. Not this time, so count your blessing Hayden. Confession your sins, so God can have mercy on your soul.”
“You’d do all of this just to end Pierce’s life. You do realize you’d burn in hell for eternity, no pun intended. Pierce wouldn’t allow you to even come close to taking his life. Just to break the record, the third time is not the charm. I stopped you in NLR. I’ve stopped in Sin and I’ll do it again.”
Cordova chuckled and kicked my left leg in, shattering the bone to pieces in the process. Have you ever screamed like a little bitch twice in a row? I just did. I turned my head away from him and focused on Kaydence’s grave. Her name had been name marked through in blood and mine was carved below it. Here lies Arran Hayden, a killer of daughters and an ungrateful son-of-a-bitch (1978-2006).
“Help me.”
Back to Cordova, but no longer did he stand with the Desert Eagle pinned into my chest. It was Trenton’s daughter. She was now the one who held death in her hands, my life as well.
“You’ve been a very bad man uncle Hayden."
I could feel her squeezing the trigger inch-by-inch and I flexed my chest muscles. Who in the hell was I kidding? I wasn’t the man of steel, so the bullet would pierce, no matter how much I prayed to God. Bang! I choked as the .45 caliber bullet ripped through the threads of muscles. My whole chest collapsed and I could hear Kaydence screaming “help me”. Her beautiful brown hair and her teary hazel eyes were nothing more than a memory of the day “I” killed her. Thud! My body was still and she looked down upon me.
"Forgive me."
She looked at me as though she couldn’t understand the words or maybe her ignoring them made the moment that must sweeter. I then awoke in a cold sweat yelling the words.
“Forgive me!”
Theresa stared at me from the bathroom doorway. She looked confused and continued to brush her teeth. I didn’t say anything; I just stared back into her green eyes. She wore nothing but bra and panties. I noticed she had her blonde hair tied up in bun as well. I threw the sheets of my bed aside and walked over to her. I hugged onto her and it startled her.
“I love you.”
I grabbed her hand and took the toothbrush out her mouth. I kissed her. A mouth full of Colgate and tongue was a good enough breakfast for me. I trace my hands over the curves of her hips and pulled her panties back. I let them go and they slapped up against her thigh. A slight moan escaped from her lips.
“You sure do know how to make it up to a girl.”
The night I stormed out of the house came back fast and I smiled nervously.
“Oh. What are you doing here?”
Theresa looked at me with a smudge look on her face. She punched my arm and pointed to a chair on the other side of the room. There she sat sound asleep, my sister.
“Erica and I flew into Philly this morning, remember. I called you last night and told you about it. Your sister suggested we all spend Christmas together. I wanted Brett to stay last night, but he decided against it. He said you wouldn’t allow it.”
“Brett can’t stay the night only because he can’t keep his hands off my sister.”
“You don’t have to lie anymore. He told me about Trenton’s daughter.”
I froze as a cold chill ran up my spine. How could he have done such a thing? How could he have told her that we took an innocent little girl’s life?
“He told you? Are you angry?”
“Why would I be angry?”
“He didn’t tell you? That son-of-a-bitch.”
“Tell me what?”
“We…we…accidentally killed his daughter."
My sister fell out of the chair and Theresa looked at me with fire burning in her eyes. She shook her head, the words that came from my mouth still not registering. Finally, she fainted in my arms.
Christmas gifts for Arran Hayden this year, one.