The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1) by Matthew Newson (fun to read .txt) 📗

at the end of the call confirmed there was nothing left between us personally that could be salvaged.

The only thing that mattered then was saving every single life in the city. At least she agreed to meet me there, but I remembered she said she was already planning on going to the church. Why would she do that? Business? Pre-marital counseling? That last one pinched my insides, and I didn’t think the thought of them getting married would ever stop hurting. Whatever the reason for her going to the church, I had to beat her there and keep her out of danger.

I would go in first and get Phillip to confess that he was the one in charge of the Amaras, and then I’d let Lizzie arrest him, and we would be heroes. She’d be celebrated all over the city as the cop who ended the corruption that had run down to the deepest levels. Black Castle would be a safer place because of her. My part would only be known by Wrath, and possibly his brothers, as the guy who figured out how to stop their mission of destroying the city and saved all who lived in it. She would go on to have an amazing career in law enforcement, and maybe she’d even be able to enter politics afterward. I had no idea what I would do. Maybe I’d move to another city before Lizzie and Scott got married and put as much distance between her and myself as possible. My dad was dead, Lizzie and I were finished, and I didn’t have any other family in the city, so there was no reason to stay. I only stayed as long as I did after everything fell apart because I hoped Lizzie and I would get back together. If I survived that night, at least I’d still be alive, and I could figure something out from there.

I arrived at the church about ten minutes after my call with Lizzie, and I pulled into the church parking lot and spotted Phillip’s car in his designated spot. I delighted in the fact I had beaten her to the church since her car was nowhere in sight. I decided to park in the open spot next to Phillip, and not in the shadows away from it, so I wouldn’t raise the suspicion of anyone passing by.

Since the car belonged to Enzo, I searched it for a weapon just in case things got messy, and I found a snub-nose thirty-eight special in the center console. I wasn’t surprised by the type of gun since mobsters loved revolvers. They never jammed, and usually always fired. The shortened barrel wasn’t the best for accuracy. It worked best when you were up close and personal. Which was exactly what I needed it for. I opened the cylinder and inspected that all six hollow-point rounds were good, and I found a speed loader with an extra six rounds just in case. I expected no less from the primary hit man of the Amaras. I got out of the car and put the gun in my waistband under my shirt, and the extra rounds in my pocket. Everything around me seemed polluted after what Wrath had told me about Phillip. The building, the lights, the welcome sign, and even the slight breeze that flowed across my skin felt like it contained the embodiment of evil itself.

“Jesus, please protect me and be with me tonight. Whatever happens in there, please bring all of this evil in the city to an end,” I prayed quietly to myself, and waited for an answer. I didn’t hear God’s audible voice, but I felt a reassurance that what I was about to do was the correct choice of action.

I thought about checking the front main doors, but I assumed those would be locked. I decided to try the side door I used the last time I came to talk to Phillip. I approached the door cautiously and looked all around, but I didn’t see anyone. I gently pulled on the door, but it was locked. I couldn’t pick the lock and breaking in wasn’t a viable option. I was only left with one option to safely gain entry into the building without alerting anyone of my true intent. I rang the doorbell like I did the last time and waited. I stood there for what felt like an hour as my mind raced with all the ways to confront Phillip. Should I come right out and ask him? Or hold him at gunpoint and demand he confess to all he had done? I had virtually no idea of what crimes the man had committed other than what Wrath had accused him of. And then there was the task of obtaining evidence.

As the door opened and Phillip greeted me with his warm and friendly smile, I figured I’d wing it and see how he responded to my questions and take it from there.

Phillip stood there in a well-tailored dark blue suit. “Good evening, Brandon, it’s kind of late. Is everything okay?”

“No, everything is not okay, Phillip, and we need to talk right now.”

Chapter Twenty-TwoBrandon Farmer

The Holy Anointed Church

“OF COURSE, PLEASE COME in, I’ve been expecting you.” Phillip held the door wide for me to walk through.

I stepped in and quickly turned to face him. “Thank you, but why were you expecting me? Did someone tell you I was coming?”

His happy expression turned to one of bewilderment as he turned to me and let the door close behind him. “No one told me you were coming. I just meant that after the last time we talked I’ve been expecting you to come back and tell me about what you found in the records department at The Black Castle. You have also just been randomly dropping in, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw you at the door.”

I said nothing but stared at the man and wondered how he could lie