“Oh, god! Damian, no! Please, stop it!” Mum’s pleads filled the room as Damian walked us away from them. I could see Dad and Cain about to pounce when Damian pulled out a gun and positioned it against my neck.

“That’s close enough.” Damian growled as Dad lowered into a crouch and began to move forward.

“Back off!” Damian snarled as he cocked the gun and repositioned it against my left temple. Dad’s hands come up in a surrendering gesture, as backed us to the nearest recliner and sat himself down, forcing me to sit on the floor between his legs, resting the gun on his knee, pointing towards my left temple.

“There’s no way out, Damian. Help is coming.” Cain cautioned, as he tried to persuade his brother.

“I’ve killed before, you know I’m not bluffing.” ‘He has killed before? Apart from the obvious, what the fuck does that mean?!’

“And you know we have no intention of letting you walk out of here without being in handcuffs or better still, dead.”

“Ouch bro, that hurt. But testing me; playing it a bit risky there, aren’t we. Especially when I have the favourite child hostage. Playing games with her life, Kyle. That’s not funny, is it? Well, I guess it is, just depends on where you’re standing.” His laugh rang through my ears as I tried to wriggle free.

“Just try and …”

“Shut up! Alright, just shut up, and little Sophia here won’t have to face the consequences. Where were we? Urmm, Mum, do continue. You didn’t come to see me in Arizona because … Oh, and I want the truth, Sophia’s head literally rests on it.” He let out a dark laugh as he stroked my hair. “You have done this to me. I love you, but you are part of all this; part of everything that goes wrong. You,” His fingers trailing down the side of my face, where the bruise he had once given me had cleared and lowered his lips to my ear, “were the beginning of the chaos; it all started with you.”

“What are you talking about?” I whispered, not knowing why I had messed his head up so much.

“Killing those … others wasn’t enough. So, now, I have to finish it; once and for all.”