A Necessary Evil(53)

“Me?” Franklin put his hand to his chest. “What about me?”

“What about what you’ve done? You’re no innocent victim. You killed my father in cold blood!”

“I only did what any man in my position would have done. Any man with balls, that is. Most people talk about getting revenge when their loved one is murdered, but I took action.” He lowered his feet to the ground and leaned forward with his palms on the desk. “Your father kidnapped, raped, and murdered my girlfriend. She was only eighteen. You might not know what it’s like to love someone, but I do. She wasn’t only the love of my life, we grew up together. And your father treated her worse than an animal. He used her and killed her and dumped her body in the river. Now, you tell me that your father didn’t get exactly what he deserved.”

Collin couldn’t argue. He knew what his father had been. But that didn’t give Franklin Cartwright the right to execute him. All the grief and misery Collin had experienced throughout his life came as a result of this man’s actions.

“What? Cat got your tongue?” Franklin asked.

“What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry? Would it make a difference?”

“It might,” Franklin said matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, Collin felt as if there might be hope for him. Could it really be that simple? He wasn’t sorry. Not one bit. But if saying he was meant staying alive, why on earth would he not at least try? He sighed heavily.

“All right. I’m sorry.”

“For…”

“I’m sorry for what my father did to your girlfriend. I’m sorry for taking your granddaughter and for hurting her.”

There was a moment of pregnant silence. Collin stared at his feet. He couldn’t look up at Franklin, afraid he’d see how insincere he was. The more time that went by without the detective banging down the door and rescuing him, the less likely it became that he would make it out of this warehouse alive. Not only that, he knew he would suffer tremendously. So, if it meant he got to live, it was worth it.

After a few more seconds dragged on, Collin lifted his head and looked at the old man. He was staring at Collin with squinted eyes as if he were really considering what he’d said. Maybe it had worked. Maybe that was all he’d wanted to hear all along. For the first time since Franklin had dragged him out of The Vault, he felt like there might be hope for him.

Finally, his eyebrows narrowed, and he opened his mouth to speak. “Do you really think sorry is enough? Do you really think there are any words you could say that would make up for the pain and misery you’ve caused, not only me and Addie’s family, but six other families, as well?”

So, he’d just been toying with him. Buying time while the jury deliberated his fate. He never had any intention of letting Collin go. He just wanted to hear him apologize. He probably wanted to hear him beg too. Well, he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Collin lifted his chin and pursed his lips.

“Nothing else to say?” Franklin asked. “Well, that’s okay. Unless you want to give your last confession. You’re a Catholic, right?”

Collin didn’t answer him. What was the point of saying anything? The old man was just playing with him the way a cat played with a mouse before he finally sank his teeth into its neck.

“Okay, fine. Be that way. You don’t have to say another word if you don’t want to. But I’m going to tell you a little secret. Something no one knows. Maybe once you hear what I’m about to tell you, you’ll understand exactly why I killed your father. Are you ready? It’s kind of a big deal.”

Collin didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore. He was going to die soon, and probably in a slow and painful way. The past was irrelevant. So was the future.

“You see, Addie wasn’t just my girlfriend. She was carrying my child. I was going to be a father. So, you see? It makes perfect sense. Not only did your father steal away the best thing that ever happened to me, my reason for living, but my child as well. So, I stole him away from his child. It’s kind of poetic, don’t you think?”

Collin lunged out of his seat, over the table, and crashed into Franklin. He was seeing red, and adrenaline coursed through his veins. His hands, which were still bound together by rope, just managed to fit around Franklin’s neck. Collin squeezed with all his might. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and food, and the pain in his shoulder was unspeakable, but the rage that poured through him in that moment made him stronger than he’d ever been. If he was going to die, he was going to do his best to take the old man out with him.

The door crashed open and Bruno bounded across the room, wrapped his arms around Collin’s waist, and pulled him off Franklin. Collin’s heart was beating a million beats per minute and his pulse pounding at his temples as Bruno slammed him back down into the chair. Franklin struggled to breathe normally again and pulled at the collar of his shirt. It was satisfying to see the old man so rattled. Now maybe he’d have Bruno put a bullet in his head and be done with it.

The brute held Collin down with all his body weight and turned to his boss. “Want me to kill him? I’ll shoot him right now. All you have to do is say the word, boss.”

Franklin shook his head. “No. Don’t kill him. His time is coming. He’ll get what’s coming to him. Now I’ll just enjoy it even more.”