PART SIX: CHAPTER 216

I grip the side of the casket tight enough that my fingers turn blue while peering down at the man I thought of as father. There’s a twist in my gut, a feeling that many would call caring. It surprises even me. Victor chose me for my lack of emotion and turned me into his perfect killing machine. He cared in his own way but was never affectionate, which I didn’t want or need anyway. I was his problem-solver whenever the problem required a permanent solution. I was also his boogeyman to show off and put fear into his friends and enemies alike. If I had a conscience, our arrangement never would have worked.

Victor rescued me from a juvenile facility when I was twelve. To this day I have no idea how he managed my release into his custody. It’s one of the great unsolved mysteries that died with him. When I first arrived at his home, I thought he was a dirty old man. My plan was to kill him when he touched me. At twelve, I was already aware of the dangers men presented. Victor picked me up