The Broken Road_Large Print by A. E. W. Mason

Author:A. E. W. Mason [Mason, A. E. W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781691598861
Amazon: 1691598860
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2019-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Him

Leaning on the hood of my car, I study the family in front of me and think how perfect an image they make.

The man kneels next to his son in the park, adjusting his baseball cap, and winks, while the kid laughs at something his father says. His beautiful wife gazes at them with love and pats her son’s head gently. They continue their walk, the man hugging her close and whispering what’s probably some stupid shit into her ear, and I ponder how appearances might be deceiving.

People rarely pay attention to those who fit into the mold of the perfect or well-put-together person, never wondering what hides beneath their skin. It’s easier to pass judgement on someone from a bad neighborhood or someone who doesn’t wear proper attire; they rarely think real monsters live among them too.

They are just excellent at hiding their true nature.

Footsteps from expensive leather shoes echo next to me. I know the owner well, and he asks, “Is he the last one?”

I turn my attention from the happy family and look at Emilio, who takes out his Cuban cigar and lights up, awaiting my reply. Why he’s stuck with me through the years, I’ll never know, but nevertheless, I’m glad we have this fucked-up friendship that usually covers only the dirty aspect of our lives.

After all, with my alter ego, our professional paths rarely cross. The private ones merge only due to our women, and certain roles have to be played. “Yes.”

“And they call us screwed. They certainly don’t know what that perfect man is capable of.” He is right, of course, but on the grand scale of things, none of it matters.

Violence done out of honor or good, or violence done in the name of sick desires… it doesn’t change the actions and variables in the equations.

We’re all the same, even if we have different justifications for our crimes. “You will end her nightmare once and for all,” Emilio says and squeezes my shoulder. “I just hope you know what you are doing.”

“Everything is going well.”

Emilio chuckles, although it lacks any humor. “You intend to live a double life, my friend. But things like that have the tendency to come to light. What will happen when Lila knows the truth?”

She won’t ever know it, because my alter ego will never touch her. She is so pure and so beautiful, something that solely belongs to me and is not tarnished by the horrific events in my past. The only source of light in my darkness, and she deserves to keep it.

After what those men made her go through, the truth about me would devastate her. “Don’t worry, Emilio. Tonight, it will be over.”

“For them. But not for you,” he replies, and with one last squeeze, he leaves me alone while I give the man in the park two more hours to enjoy his life.

Not for his sake, no. I’m not that fucking generous. But for the little boy who watches his father with so much awe it reminds me of me.

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