The Evil That Men Do | $UICIDEBOY$ | $CRIM

20: Unlucky Me

Winnie's POV

There lie my best friends. Heads hung back, Ripley's eyes remained open, strained completely red. I stepped back instantly, covering my face with my hands. There was a retched smell that wafted out of the car when I pulled open the door, something that smelt unlike death, but almost like a chemical.

"Fuck," I muttered, turning away from the scene. Scott was the first to grab me and pull me away from the car as the rest of the crew gathered to assess the situation. He pulled me into a hug and held me tightly, yet I was frozen. Everything in that moment felt like it stopped, like things weren't real anymore.

It felt like I was falling apart while simultaneously losing my whole soul. This was different from my mom or dad, this was different from everything else. It was the fact that my own blood, someone our gang considered as family; how someone like Gavin could do that to any of us.

Ripley's father might pass away if he found out his son died before him, right as he was about to pass himself. Isn't that just fucking cruel?

"It's gonna be okay, baby," Scott murmured, gently cradling my head as I began to sob into his chest. I couldn't even feel the tears coming or the emotional dam break down, but it just did. Scott was there before I could even tell what was happening to me.

"They were fucking poisoned," Rami said to Mac. "I don't know what gas was used, but it must've been something very lethal. We need to get away from the car for a while."

Why the fuck does this keep happening?

I felt so powerless in that moment because every single lead we had was a trap. It's like Gavin planned every single bit of this. Was I that easy to manipulate? Is he just that insane?

"We need to get away from Florida," Rami said, as I pulled myself away from Scott and wiped my face of tears. "We're not safe anymore."

"I doubt we were safe to begin with," Scott muttered. I nodded in agreement, but the guilt was seething under my skin. This was all my fault.

Nothing was going to fix this mess but me.

"I need to go to Buffalo. By myself," I said again, this time actually meaning it. I was determined to find my brother and do something about this. I don't know if I have the guts to kill him, but what choice do I have anymore? He's not going to stop. He killed people we considered to be family, or at least I considered to be. I can't forgive that shit.

Honestly, knowing what I know now, I wish Scott had actually killed him when we were teenagers. As much as it would've changed my gang, Scott and I wouldn't have met, or let alone be fond of one another. But it would've prevented this and the death of my friends.

Regardless, I'm just thankful I have someone like Scott on my side, someone who understands and wants the best for everyone. It's just this life isn't kind and it's never rewarding.

"You need to knock that shit off," Scott snapped at me, which I raised an eyebrow at him in response. The attitude wasn't necessary.

"What the fuck do we do then?" I asked, getting upset. "We came here to find answers and it got two of my people killed. Pouya was killed. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Of course it fucking bothers me!" He yelled, now turning to me. Rami slowly walked away, leaving me and Scott to argue. "But going directly into his trap is what he wants! Don't you see the more he toys with you, the more it entices you to leave?"

"If we just go home and wait until Christmas Eve, he's going to get what he wants from this, which, I don't even know his goal. He wouldn't expect me to show up, alone, right now. Obviously he's been planning this."