✔Paint Me a Murder | Book 1

Chapter 30: Morning After

He dropped his sandwich, gaping. Mayo, turkey, and bread went all over the ground but he didn't care. Phantom leaped down to eat the dropped turkey. Kazimir lunged for the remote in Charlie's hand. He had to change the channel. He couldn't let her reveal what he'd done.

"Turn it off," Kazimir demanded, panic surging through him. "Turn it off now!"

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Charlie asked, shoving him back with his portly arm. "Calm the fuck down, chimp."

Kazimir realized everyone was watching him. Even Emmett.

"Please, just turn it off." Kazimir looked toward the television at his mother's beautiful face, how he resembled her so much.

It was too late.

Juliette faced the camera and announced to the public, "There's no doubt in my mind that my son, Kazimir killed that man. He was born evil. I know how terrible this is to say about your own child, but it's true. He even killed his own daddy when he was just seven years old."

They knew. The entire town of New Syracuse knew what Kazimir did.

The artist trembled like the flame of a flickering candle. Shame scorched his face as he gazed down, unable to meet their glares. He awaited the worst. Perhaps they'd even kick him out of the gang for his atrocious act.

"Did your father abuse you?" Emmett spoke up. "Is that why you killed him?"

"What? Heavens no. My father was a wonderful man. He loved me. In return, I killed him for that." Kazimir blinked fiercely, trying not to break as his voice cracked.

"Holy shit." Mal sprung up from the sofa, getting too close in his face for comfort. "I always wanted to meet a child psychopath! Have you always had thoughts about killing your family? Ooh, do you dream about killing any of us?"

"What? No way." Kazimir couldn't believe he'd even ask that.

"Fatlard over there has a lot of meat on him to carve up." Rylee gestured to the heavy-weight gangster.

Charlie spat, "Shut up, bitch. I'd be the last person Kaz would kill, ain't that right?"

"I'm not a psychopath." Kazimir adjusted his thick-framed glasses. "I'd never kill any of you."

Rylee tilted her head. "Why'd you kill your dad then? Didn't you say he loved you?"

Kazimir clenched his fists at his sides. "I don't know. I didn't think the gun would go off. I didn't know it had bullets in it."

"Ah, so it was an accident?" Emmett questioned. "You didn't intentionally kill your father?"

"I never wanted to hurt him. I loved my dad so much." Tears brimmed in Kazimir's eyes. "I shot him and broke our family apart."

"Aww," Rylee murmured. "You were just a stupid kid. You didn't know any better."

"That's some tough daddy issue shit you should sort out," Charlie said.

Alfie replied to Charlie, "You're just full of wisdom, aren't ya?"

"He stuffs all that wisdom in his gut." Rylee snickered as she stood up to grab a soda pop.

"Aren't you guys angry with me?" Kazimir removed his glasses to wipe away the tears. "Or scared?"

"If you said you ate your father like a cannibal, I might be," Rylee replied. "But what you did was an accident."

"Stop watching those creepy cannibalism crime shows all the time," Alfie told her. "It's fucking weird."

"But they're so interesting!" Rylee did a little twirl before plopping down on the sofa, propping her black combat boots on the table. "I heard human meat tastes like chicken."

"Don't say that in front of Fatlard." Alfie scoffed. "He'll eat all of us."

"Fuck all y'all." Charlie muttered. "I wouldn't wanna eat any of you. Bet y'all would taste horrible."

How did the conversation stray into cannibalism territory? Kazimir couldn't comprehend how they reacted so calmly to what he'd done. It made him wonder how crazy the gangsters really were.

"Seriously, Kaz. You shouldn't be ashamed of that. We all got shitty family problems," Rylee said. "Why do you think we're in a gang? Nobody else wanted us."

"Speak for your pathetic selves," Charlie mumbled through a mouthful. "My Grannie loves me."

"Charlie's Grannie is the best," Mal said. "She's such a sweet, chubby little lady. You gotta meet her sometime, Kaz. She took me in like her own son too. I go there and eat every Thanksgiving with them."

"You ought to come with us to her house for the holiday. I'm sure she'll like ya," Charlie said. "She likes these other dumbasses. Even Rylee."

"Really?" Kazimir thought he might cry again. "You want me to come over for Thanksgiving? I've never had anyone invite me to their home for that."

"Yeah, well don't make it fucking weird." Charlie leaned over for his beer on the coffee table.

"See, Kaz? You belong here with us." Emmett wrapped an arm around Kazimir's shoulders. "We take care of our people. We'll never let you spend another holiday alone."

Kazimir couldn't hide his smile. "Thank you." He nestled up against Emmett, savoring his sweet cologne.

Despite the joy that swelled in his heart, a nasty voice in the back of his head whispered horrendous things to him. He'd never belong anywhere. The gang members only pitied him and planned to abandon him, like everyone else. That's what he deserved. That was his punishment for killing his father; an eternity of suffering alone.