He stood completely still in the middle of his own driveway, staring at the newspaper in disbelief while the morning wind stirred around him.
This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. For years, revenge had been the thing keeping him alive. Every sleepless night. Every ruthless decision.
Every ounce of hatred inside him had been built around one goal: Watching Seron Brown die. Not hearing about it. Watching it. He wanted to see fear in his eyes. Wanted to see regret.
Wanted Seron to suffer the same helplessness Max had felt when his wife was taken from him. He wanted a final moment. Closure. Instead… All he got was a newspaper headline.
A burned prison. And ashes. His hands slowly loosened. The paper slipped from his fingers and fell onto the pavement.
The wind immediately caught the loose pages, scattering them across the driveway in frantic little circles. Max barely noticed.
