Lay it on the Line : The Good Samaritan book two

34

CHAPTER 34

JJ cursed to himself and turned to walk back towards the living room. JJ noticed Annie standing motionless and staring at something as he walked closer towards his daughter. His eyes then followed to where she was staring as he exited the small hallway. JJ's heart sank into his gut. It was Marina and his aunt sitting on the couch. "Hello, My Little Cajun." Marina broke the silence and her cold voice echoed in JJ's mind. The old demon inside his head was screaming while he remained silent and unable to move.

"Meet your aunt, too bad your mother was not home, but...I am sure I will meet her soon enough." Marina patted the shoulder of his dead aunt.

"She prayed you know. she even told me that she forgave me." Marian looked over at the dead woman and smiled warmly. the way she was talking all sweet-like, made JJ want to puke.

"It reminded me of my grandmother. Oh, how we are such alike, Johnny. Both with strong Christian families, and look at us. We both turned out like this. A pity, really, how we didn't live up to their expectations. Your mother proved difficult to kill, my men informed me. She had your spirit, but she couldn't outrun a bullet." Marina rose from the couch and walked over towards Johnny. the Cajun stood motionless with clenched fist as he tried his best to calm the storm his demon was brewing.

"It really wasn't that difficult to find you, Johnny. Did you really think that FBI Agent Jefferson, could've helped you? It was noble of you to still try and aid them even after Kevin's betrayal. Believe me, I hated him just as much. Kevin betrayed me as well, but he got what he deserved in the end. Now you will too. You and everyone who helped you, Johnny." She unexpectedly reached out, grabbed Johnny's shirt, slamming him against the wall.

"I warned you if you crossed me, I would annihilate not only you, but everything you knew." Marina wasn't screaming, but spoke to him in a calm manner. It made JJ even more uneasy at her demeanor. Marina slowly took out her handgun and pressed it under Johnny's chin.

"Your troubles were all in vain. You do know that, right? You ended up neck deep and working for the same people who had your brother killed. Pretty ironic, but wait...there's more. Do you know how I was able to find you?" Marina sneered as her eyes grew wide.

"You will love this one, Johnny." she removed the gun and took a step back. JJ swallowed hard. This was some real Jerry Springer mess and everything was being laid out on the table. Marina watched the Cajun a bit before slowly holding the gun out to Annie to take.

"Do it or your Aunt dies." Marina kept her eyes on the Cajun and waited for Annie. JJ's eyes went wide and his mouth almost dropped from shock.

"Oh, what JJ, you didn't know?" Marina looked over at Annie who stood there silently.

"I had your little daughter here track you down. Told her if she took you out she and her aunt would escape my wrath." Marina looked back at Annie who was looking at the floor.

"Oh don't tell me you feel bad about it." Marina turned completely to face Annie. "You told me yourself it would be easy, since you never knew him." Marina shoved the gun in the young woman's hands.

"Do it."Marina hissed in a commanding voice. Annie took the gun in her chipped, nail polish hands and walked a few steps towards her father.

The gun shook in her trembling palms.

"Annie you don't have to do this." JJ was almost in tears.

"SHUT UP! Just shut up, ok!" Annie screamed at her father. JJ flinched a bit at her words. Marina took a few steps behind Annie and watched the whole scene unfold. A wicked smile was plastered across her face at the chaos she created. This was entertainment for Marina, getting the Cajun's only remaining family member to kill him...Annie rose the gun slowly, aiming at the Cajun's head.

"She took my aunt, the only thing I had in this world because of you. A father that didn't even know I existed, who didn't even care to reach out and learn of it. Marina told me if I killed you I could see her again." Annie's voice was raspy with a mixture of fear and hatred.

"Annie, they most likely have been killed already. Do you really think Marina would have left her or you live? You cannot trust these people. They are nothing but death and destruction, hell her name is Lucifer, and she worships a death goddess for heaven sake. Yeah she may talk a good game but in the end you just end up in a body bag." JJ grind his teeth as he looked over at Marina. He hated this woman so much and now she was making his daughter do this. Dragging her into this mess.

"You weren't there! You never were! This is all your fault. You got into this mess and now you brought me into it. I didn't even know you existed till a few weeks ago." Annie screamed.

"I had no clue about you!" Annie cried out.

"If you or your mother would have reached out to me! How can you blame me for what your mother did?" JJ screamed back.

"The same reason Marina is blaming me for your mistakes." Annie growled and cocked the hammer back.

"Annie, Marina is lying to you, she always lies. Once you kill me, she will kill you. Darkness dressed up as vengeance...is still darkness, but even darkness can show you the light. It can show you the mistakes you have made, and I have learned from that. Violence begets violence and Annie you become just like the people you swore vengeance against. You become a monster, a Demon. look at her!" JJ pointed to Marina.

"You become the very monster you try and take down if not worse. I know you didn't grow up in a happy, healthy home and for that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there, but like I told you before, if you would have just reached out to me. All of this would have been very different. I'm sorry, sorry you are paying for my mistakes, Annie, but please...please do not make them. Do not become like me. Give me the gun." JJ pleaded as tears streamed down Annie's face. The pistol shaking in her hand as she let his words sink in.

Annie lowered the gun and dropped it to the ground. JJ reached out and took his daughter in his arms. She began to weep in his chest as JJ patted her hair. Marina had enough of the whole touching moment. She went to bend down for the gun, but JJ took out his own. She paused midway and stared down at the barrel.

"Wow, you are a hypocrite you know that. That whole touching speech, and you are just going to kill me?" Marina stood up slowly, eyeing the Cajun.

JJ's trigger finger itched to pull the trigger. His voices screaming in his head. Sean saying "No!", and his demon yelling at him to kill her. He closed his eyes to try and calm his mind. Finally the image of Annie smiling and calling him dad, silenced the voices. JJ smiled as he lowered the gun.

"I'm not going to kill you, and you know what...I forgive you. I forgive you for all the pain you caused me and my family. God forgave me of my wrong doings, so I need to forgive others." Marina noticed him lower the gun and she quickly reached for her own on the floor. Marina let out a chuckle as she pointed it at JJ and Annie.

"Wrong move, Cajun." She kept a wicked smile on her face.

"I'm not going to kill you, but that doesn't mean he won't." JJ lifted his head up and motioned for Marina to look behind her. Marina whipped her head around to see Nate standing there with his gun pointed at her. Before she could say anything, Nate pulled the trigger. The bullet exited the gun and pierced through the head of the woman who called herself Lucifer. Marina fell back to the ground and lay dead. Nate lowered his gun to his side as he glared down at the monster.

All Nate uttered was "Ahuh". Paige came running in to see the woman on the floor and then over to JJ who was holding his daughter.

"Thank god!" Paige placed her hand on Nate's shoulder as the three were finally out of the grip of the mad woman.

"Devil, just come on back. If you ever wanna try again,

I done told you once——I'm the best that's ever been." He muttered to her dead corpse.