Ezra was nervous. Phantom could tell by the way the corner of his mouth twitched every time he tried to smile. He'd been quieter all day, which was odd, considering this getaway was supposed to help them unwind.

It had been a few weeks since he left the club. As promised, he'd set Esai up well enough to keep things running, and if they ever needed help, they had his number.

They'd honored his request to leave. Alvarez and Esai had clearly been sorry to see him go, and Ant had said it was a real loss. But the rest of the club didn't seem to care. Some even looked relieved—and Phantom had a strong suspicion that had everything to do with his sexuality.

He couldn't care less. He hadn't regretted leaving for a second. Just that week, he'd applied for a job at a music venue. He'd been invited back for a second interview and felt confident about it.

He'd turned in his kutte. The Black Dahlia was now hidden under a black patch on his back. He was planning to ask Raine to turn it into something beautiful.

His mind had been calmer, too. Ezra had cut ties with his brother, which made things easier for Phantom—and, in turn, for himself.

All of which made Ezra's current tension even stranger. He had suggested they go for a walk after dark. They were staying on the edge of a small city where there wasn't much to do, but the surrounding countryside was beautiful, and they'd spent the past few days exploring it.

It was well past midnight now, and the street was completely deserted. If it had been anyone else, Phantom might've grown suspicious.

"Is something wrong?" he asked anyway. Under the glow of the streetlamp, he tried to read Ezra's face.

"There's something I have to do."

"At this hour?"

Ezra took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah."

Phantom didn't press. Instead, he reached for Ezra's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. Ezra squeezed back.

They stopped in front of a house on the corner. A separate staircase led to the upper floor. Ezra climbed the steps, pulled a key from his pocket, and slid it into the lock.

"What is this? A second home or something?" Phantom whispered, confused.

Ezra turned to him, pressed a finger to his lips, and then pulled something else from his coat. He shoved it into Phantom's hand.

Phantom's eyes went wide. Stunned, he stared down at it—his own damn gun. "What the hell is this?" he hissed.

Ezra inhaled deeply. "I don't want to be the one who stole your chance at revenge."

"What?"

"Wait in the hallway. I'll ring the doorbell. He'll answer with his back to you. Hold him at gunpoint and force him into the living room." He swallowed hard. "And then... do what your heart tells you to do."

Phantom shook his head wildly. "I'm not going to—"

Ezra silenced him with a kiss. Then he pushed him over the threshold and shut the door. Phantom cursed under his breath.

The gun felt heavy in his hand. The doorbell rang through the house. With no better plan, Phantom slipped into the bathroom. The bell rang again.

Upstairs, he heard something close to a curse. Heavy footsteps echoed through the building.

Was the man armed?

Grumbling, the man opened the door. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Phantom stepped out of the bathroom. Jacob was only wearing his boxers. The click of the safety made the man freeze. What was going through his head? He had to be even more confused than Phantom.

Jacob turned around, eyes wide.

Despite his own disbelief, Phantom grinned. "Good evening." He gestured with the gun for Jacob to move into the living room.

Jacob took one step, then lunged toward a cabinet against the wall. Phantom cracked the gun against his head and slammed the drawer shut with his hip. "Don't even think about it. Try that again, and I'll put a bullet through your kneecap."

"Better that than my skull."

"I haven't decided on that yet." He pressed the barrel to Jacob's side. "Move."

Clenching his jaw, the man walked into the living room and sat down on a chair. Phantom stood beside him, gun still raised.

He had assumed Ezra would stay outside, but his boyfriend stood silently at his left.

"You absolute piece of shit," Jacob snarled at his younger brother. "You'd sell out your own family?"

"Phantom understands the meaning of family better than you ever did," Ezra replied coolly.

Phantom swallowed. He raised the gun. Confusion still gripped him. Did Ezra really expect him to kill his brother? Right here?

He couldn't, could he?

Ezra must've sensed his hesitation. He brushed a hand along Phantom's back before stepping away. "I'll be outside."

The door clicked shut behind him.

Now it was just Phantom and Jacob. The man glared at him furiously. "Well? Go on, then," he snapped. "Blow my brains out."

"You probably don't even remember, do you? Fifteen years ago. Two boys in an alley. You shot the older one, laughed, pointed your gun at me—and then walked away like it was nothing."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

The bastard sounded like he couldn't care less. Phantom's finger tightened on the trigger. He had Ezra's blessing. Nothing was stopping him from finally taking revenge. Making the bastard pay.

Jacob didn't beg. He just sat there like he didn't give a damn what happened to him.

But Ezra cared. It was still his brother, even if he hated him now. And his mom...

Travis was dead. A bullet in Jacob's head wouldn't bring him back. Still, the man deserved to suffer. Deserved to hurt. Deserved to live the rest of his life haunted by what he'd done.

Phantom exhaled one last time. Then he raised the gun and fired.

He was the one grinning now, ignoring the screams behind him as he walked away, calm as anything.

As he closed the front door behind him, Ezra stood there, pale as a ghost. "I heard the shot. I thought—"

"That I wouldn't do it?"

Ezra dropped his head, breathing hard. The sound echoed in Phantom's ears.

Phantom pulled him close and lifted his chin. The watery shine in Ezra's eyes gave him away—he would've been devastated if his brother had died. And still, he'd taken that risk, even if he told himself Phantom would never actually go through with it. And maybe he was right.

"He'll live," Phantom said. "I shot him in the knee. It'll never fully heal. I hope the pain reminds him every damn day of what he did."

Ezra took a shaky breath and blinked away his tears. Though he smiled, the corners of his mouth trembled. "Thank you."

Phantom's hand slid along his jaw. He rested his forehead against Ezra's and looked into his eyes. The love he saw there reflected the warmth he felt every time they were together—a warmth stronger than his thirst for vengeance.

"No," he said softly. "Thank you."

Now, at last, he could let the past rest and start building something new with Ezra.

. . .

The end

Thank you for reading Phantom's story! <3

The book will be published in Dutch in Fall, so if you have any feedback or suggestions, I'd happy to hear about them! 

I have also a queer romantasy that's finished and that I could translate, is there anyone interested? (: