The Destruction of Sevyn (The Vengeance of Luther Book 1)

by Ember Michaels

  "Not to mention, Logan wasn't the only girl they assaulted over the years," I added. "They've been in a lot more trouble since then and still managed to get off with little to no time."

  "Well, that's just ridiculous," my mother said. "It's still hard to lose a child."

  "It is, but I'm not going to feel sorry for the parents of criminals," Oliver continued. "In fact, whoever killed them, I hope they go after Sevyn and her little cunt squad."

  Don't worry, I'm already on it, I mused, taking a bite of pot roast.

  My mother shook her head. "Apparently, this isn't the best topic at the dinner table. Maybe we should talk about something else." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Um...so how's life for you, Oliver? How are Gina and Nicole?"

  I ground my teeth, staring hard at him. Gina was his secretary for years until he was caught sticking his dick in her during late night hours at work. Now she was his new wife and they had a four-year-old daughter named Nicole. When he locked gazes with me, he quickly cleared his throat and focused back down on his plate.

  "Um, they're good. They actually wanted to come, but I figured it was best if they didn't," he said.

  "You figured right," I ground out.

  "Luther," my mother warned.

  "No, no, he's fine." Oliver sighed. "I know I haven't been the best person lately. And I'm sure you probably feel as if I just abandoned you guys after everything that happened to Logan. I am sorry for how all of that happened. There's no excuse for what I've done."

  "Please," my mother interrupted, holding up her hand. "I don't want to hear that anymore. The past is in the past and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

  "Katherine—"

  "You're happily married now, Oliver. Unless you plan on divorcing her, there's no reason for you to plead your case as if you have something to prove," she said, her voice sharp.

  "You're right. I'm sorry," he said softly. The rest of dinner was quiet, no one daring to say anything even after we'd finished eating. I looked down at my watch, seeing it was getting close to 7:30. There were still things I needed to get ready at home to pack my Jeep with and I needed enough time to make sure I didn't forget anything.

  "Well, I really enjoyed dinner, Mom. It was delicious," I said as I stood from the table. "I have a long day at work tomorrow, so I think I'm gonna head home to get everything ready for tomorrow."

  She gave me a little pout as she also stood. "I feel like you just got here! I wish you didn't have to leave so soon." She moved over to me and hugged me tight. "You should stop by more often."

  "I promise I will," I said, hugging her just as tight.

  Oliver stood and cleared his throat. "I should probably also leave as well. Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Katherine."

  "Of course," she responded, not bothering to look at him. She walked us both to the door, waving us off as we walked down the driveway to our cars.

  When we were far enough from the house, he lightly grabbed my elbow to stop me. "Can we talk a second?"

  "There's nothing to talk about," I said, snatching away from him and continuing on to my Jeep.

  "Did you kill those guys?" he blurted out. I paused but I didn't turn around. "I won't be upset if you did."

  "Goodnight, Oliver," I ground out.

  I could hear his footsteps rushing toward me before he grabbed my arm again, not letting go this time. "If you did, I hope you get the rest of those bastards for what they did to Logan," he said under his breath. "You make every one of those bastards pay."

  I ground my teeth and pinned him with my gaze before snatching out of his grip again. I couldn't even trust this man to stick with his family through one of the toughest moments of our lives and he thought I'd trust him to admit to what I did? I didn't know what kind of delusion he was living in, but he was about to get a rude awakening.

  "Don't put your hands on me again," I growled. "And I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

  "You don't have to hide from me, Luther. I'm your father," he said, his tone practically pleading with me.

  I shook my head. "My father left five years ago. I don't know who you are anymore," I said and walked away, leaving him in the driveway his tears in his eyes as he watched me pull out of the driveway and drive off.

  Oliver's words bounced around in my head for the next couple of hours as I went around my house packing up everything I needed in multiple duffle bags. Guns, ammunition, knives, keys. I had so much suffering planned for all of them. I couldn't wait to hear them scream, to see them bleed, to watch them die. I picked up a box of condoms, debating on whether or not to bring them. After a few moments, I shook my head and tossed them aside.

  "Pregnancy won't matter when she's dead," I mused. And after what I planned to do with her body when I was done with her, there wouldn't be much DNA left to begin with.

  My phone rang in my pocket, displaying Paul's picture when I pulled it out.

  "About to leave my place now," I said upon answering.

  "Same. We're all leaving from my place. We'll meet you at the club."

  "Sounds good. Park on the first level of the parking garage. We're going to need an easy getaway to transport them without looking too suspicious," I ordered.

  "You got it, brother. See you there," he said and hung up.

  I zipped up the duffle bags and picked them up, rolling my shoulders. Glancing at Logan's picture taped in the corner of my mirror, I sighed deeply.

  "This is all for you, sis," I murmured and turned off the light before leaving my home.

  A little while later, the guys and I pulled up at the club. Everyone was in their individual cars in the parking garage across the street, watching the girls in line as they waited to get in. My hand tightened on the steering wheel, trying to control my anger upon seeing Sevyn again and knowing how close I was to getting her. She was the one who started all of this shit; the loss of my sister, my family being torn apart, my insatiable thirst for blood. Just knowing that I'd soon get my revenge sent a surge of adrenaline rushing through me. Seven years of waiting, planning, and preparing and now the day had finally come.

  It was fucking show time.

  SEVYN

  "I'm glad you called me, Sevyn," my therapist, William Kennedy, said as he sat down in his leather seat across from me. He was only a few years older than I was, handsome as sin, but unfortunately very professional. His sharp jaw line sported a light five o'clock shadow, his blonde hair styled in a sexy quiff. His navy dress shirt fit him to perfection, his black vest fitting over his broad shoulders and strong chest. If he weren't my therapist, he would've been one of the warm bodies that ended up in my bed. His ocean blue eyes studied me as he waited for me to respond.

  "Thanks for being able to see me so quickly." I ran my hands up and down my arms, chills still going through me at the thought of my dream.

  "Of course. As I've always told you, I'm here for you when you need me." His bright blue eyes focused on me as he crossed his leg over his knee and clicked his pen. "You sounded pretty urgent on the phone. What would you like to talk about?"

  I ran my hand through my dark hair and dropped my gaze to my lap. "I learned that Hunter York was killed yesterday," I murmured as I wrung my hands.

  "Was he a friend of yours?" William asked, scribbling something down on his notepad.

  I shook my head. "Not really."

  "So, what about his death triggered you?" he asked. A part of me felt as if it were pointless to even mention the truth. I wasn't in the mood to have people tell me that I was making up my own fears or to get another lecture about my paranoia and asking whether or not I was still on my meds. William looked up at me expectantly. "Sevyn?"

  "Even though we weren't really friends, his death just brought some...thoughts to the front of my mind that I've tried to forget."

  "What kind of thoughts?"

  "Thoughts about...Luther," I admitted.

  "I see." He scribbled something down and then looked up at me. "Care to t
ell me about what kind of thoughts you have about Luther?"

  I stood from the leather couch and paced the room for a few moments in silence before I moved over to the window, looking down at the busy, downtown Miami street below. "Josh, Tyler, and Hunter were all guys that I went to high school with," I started.

  "I remember you telling me that. I also remember you just saying you weren't friends."

  "We weren't," I ground out, never taking my eyes off the window. "But they were very involved in my life during that...year things went to shit."

  "I see."

  I turned around to face him, leaning against the windowsill. "They were the guys that raped Luther's sister," I stated and dropped my gaze. "And every time one of them was killed, I keep having these nightmares that Luther is coming back to finish me off, too."

  William gave me a small smile and put down his pen. "I know that this is probably a scary time for you, especially with this hitting so close to home. Maybe it was a coincidence that—"

  I scoffed and shook my head. "I'm getting really sick of people telling me that," I muttered as I looked down at the street. Downtown was busy with life. People walked their dogs, had lunch outside with friends or family, and people rushed up and down the sidewalk to their destinations. I wished my life wasn't so complicated where I could have lunch out in public or casually stroll down the sidewalk without having to wonder if Luther would pop up at any moment to fulfill his promise of avenging his sister.

  William sighed. "Trust me when I say that I hear what you're saying, Sevyn," he said.

  I turned and narrowed my gaze at him. "You hear me, but like everyone else, you're gonna try to explain to me how my fears are just things I'm making up in my head. Or better yet, you'll tell me that the death of those guys have nothing to do with me."

  "I don't believe it has anything to do with you," he said, his voice soft. I rolled my eyes and stomped back over to the couch, pulling my calendar out of my purse.

  "When Josh was first killed, I wrote it down," I said, pointing at the date. "And then wrote down when Tyler was killed."

  He looked at the calendar and raised an eyebrow. "Why's Hunter's name on here with a question mark?" he asked.

  So, you see when Josh and Tyler were killed?" He nodded. "I wrote Hunter's name in case my theory I had about the other deaths were right."

  "And what was that theory?"

  "Josh and Tyler were killed seven days a part. Hunter was killed last night, which makes it seven days from Tyler's death."

  William furrowed his brows and shook his head. "I'm not following."

  "These men were killed seven years after they were acquitted for rape in which there was a video proving that they were guilty. And then on top of that, they were killed seven days apart. You're trying to tell me that this isn't something to grab my attention? I mean, hello? My name is Sevyn and I'm the catalyst of the whole fucking thing that started this bullshit!" I all but screamed.

  He nodded, his gaze intense as he gazed at me. “Is this what triggered your nightmare?” he asked as he scribbled something down on his notepad.

  “Yes,” I said and exhaled deeply. “It just felt so…real, you know?”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, his voice soft.

  I moved away from him and sat back on the couch, memories of the dream flooding my mind all at once. “It was pretty weird with how it started off,” I began, wrapping my arms around myself. “It started with him saying that all he wanted was an apology. We talked a little about that and for some reason, I wanted to hug him.”

  “I think that plays into the guilt that you feel about everything that happened back then,” William said. “It’s almost as if his forgiveness is what would make things better for you mentally.”

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  “So, what happens next? Do you hug him?” William asked.

  “Yeah…” I trailed, the memories coming in so fast it nearly crushed me. “But it was a trick…”

  One…two…Luther’s coming for you…

  “What kind of trick?”

  Three…four…gonna skin a whore…

  I ran my hands through my hair, my palms clammy as my heart climbed. “Um…he um…”

  Five…six…you’re next on my list…

  “Sevyn?”

  Seven…eight…time to meet your fate…

  “He…um…he stabbed me,” I mumbled. William scribbled something down on his notepad as my mind spiral out of control. Though he spoke to me, the sound was muffled as if I was underwater. All I could hear was Luther’s voice, taunting me with that fucked up song. I could still smell my blood, feel the fear and terror coursing my body as I ran from him. I could—

  “Hey, hey, hey,” William coaxed, his warm hand covering one of mine. I blinked to bring myself back to my current surroundings. William's warm, concerned eyes looked at me, grounding me back to our session. "Take a couple of deep breaths for me."

  I followed his lead, breathing in deeply and slowly exhaling. Breathe in, breathe out.

  One...two.....

  I closed my eyes and forced myself to focus on breathing.

  Three...four....

  "Just focus on breathing, Sevyn," William reminded me, but it didn't block Luther's voice from my mind.

  Five...six...

  "I am...I am..." I say, forcing air into my lungs and pushing it back out.

  Seven...eight...

  "Are you coming back to me now?"

  "Nine...ten..." I mumbled.

  "There you go. Just breathe out and open your eyes," he coaxed, his voice soft and comforting.

  "Now you'll die, my friend," I whispered.

  "Sevyn?" William said. "What did you just say?"

  I opened my eyes, tears burning my eyes as I looked into his concerned gaze. "In my dream, Luther was singing this song as he was chasing me through my home," I started, taking a shaky breath. "It's literally all I can hear in my head right now."

  "Do you mind telling me the song?" he asked. I repeated the song again. A chill ran down my spine as I said the last line, a fear I couldn't explain nearly strangling me with anxiety. I watched William as he stood from his crouched position and walked back over to his chair. He scribbled a few things down on his notepad before he looked back up with me. "Have you been watching anything scary before bed or anything?"

  I rolled my eyes. "And what, you're going to tell me that some horror movie is the reason I had a nightmare?"

  "It was just a question, Sevyn. Sometimes all kinds of things can trigger fears and situations in our dream that we don't realize."

  I ground my teeth as I stuffed the calendar back into my bag and snatched my purse from the couch. Sometimes I didn't even know why I even bothered trusting people with my inner personal thoughts. No one believed me anyway. A sick part of me almost wished that Luther would just pop up and do whatever he wanted just so all of these fuckers could feel terrible for telling me that everything I was worried about was in my head. I almost started to wonder whether or not my parents paid him to specifically douse out any Luther flames that would cause me to spiral. I wouldn't put it past them; they were so controlling over me even though I was an adult now.

  "Where are you going?" William called out.

  "Out of here, obviously," I snapped back.

  "Just wait a minute, Sevyn," he said. I slowed my walked, but I didn't turn around. "I didn't say I didn't believe you. I just know that dreams manifest things that we tend to suppress. I'm only trying to make sure there are no outside triggers that are influencing your dreams."

  "There aren't," I stated.

  "Then come have a seat and let's get to the bottom of it," he said. I slowly turned around, half expecting him to have a smirk on his face, but he looked rather neutral. He gestured toward the couch and after a beat, I sighed inwardly and took a seat. "So, you believe that your dreams and the coincidences in your old classmates' deaths mean that Luther is back."

  "Yes, as I'
ve said many times in this session already," I said, my tone flat.

  "Fair enough." He wrote something down and then cocked his head as he looked at me. "You know, we've been meeting for a long while and one thing you've never talked about is why you did what you did. Do you think the guilt of that is trying to rise to the surface now that your old classmates have been killed?"

  I swallowed the forming lump in my throat. It wasn't something I was proud of, nor was it anything I wanted to talk about. Anytime anyone asked, I gave them generic answers that weren't really the truth. The truth? I did it over a guy, but it wasn't the guy that people thought it was.

  "The why doesn't matter when it won't change anything," I finally answered. William shook his head.

  "It matters when it starts manifesting into other things like nightmares, self harm, and self-destructive behavior," he said. "The mind has a way of making you wake up and listen when you try to shove things to the back of your mind."

  "Well, talking about the origin of this would take its entire session by itself," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

  William looked at his watch and then nodded. "Then why don't we go ahead and schedule you a follow up appointment to have this conversation?"

  I shrugged. "Whatever."

  He stood up and walked over to his desk, looking at an open appointment book. "How about we meet next Thursday at one?"

  "If I'm still alive and Luther doesn't get me, sure," I said sarcastically as I stood up, smirking when he frowned at me. "Just kidding. I'll be here."

  "That's a better response," he said as he penciled it in. "For now, I have a homework assignment for you."

  I rolled my eyes "What's that, Professor Kennedy?"

  "Spend some time with your friends or family. Have a night out on the town with the girls or have dinner with your family. I think it'll do you a lot of good to spend some time with other people."

  "So...get drunk and party then?"

  "That's...not exactly what I said, but you should go out and enjoy yourself," he said and chuckled. "I know it can be hard to enjoy yourself when you feel guilty over your friend's death, but I'm sure she wouldn't want you wasting your life punishing yourself in your condo all alone."