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Scanning him curiously, I rub my wrist where he gripped me. My skin hurts.Yeah, he is a villain, he's right about that. But..."Why do your brothers dislike you?"
"They don't dislike me. They hate me."
"Okay, but why? They seem certain that you're the worst pick to run their business."
He laughs--loud enough that his brothers will hear. He's doing it on purpose. "Come out, boys. Tell me to my face what you're plotting."
"Shit," Nathan curses. He's not the first to show, though. Trey turns the corner through a door a few feet down the hall. Heratio and Nathan follow. I wait anxiously for Marco to appear as well, heaving a sigh of relief when he finally turns the corner. His hair is disheveled like he’s been running his hand through it and his cheeks are flushed. I want to run to him and comfort him, but I don’t want to incur the wrath of Derek so I stay where I am.
Marco’s eyes snap to me andI can't tell if he's happy to see me, or if he's... suspicious? Derek's eyes follow Marco's gaze to me, and he grins wickedly. "Filia is keen to get involved in your discussion."
I feel a pang of guilt for eavesdropping, but also a sense of anger towards Derek for calling me out. "I didn't mean to intrude. I was just walking by."
Derek shrugs, his eyes flickering with amusement. "Since you're here, maybe you can help us settle this dispute."
"I don't know anything about your business," I say quickly, not wanting to get involved in their family drama.
"It's not about business. It's about family. Loyalty. Brotherhood."
Marco steps forward, getting between Derek and me. I've only known him for a short time, but I can tell he's a man of principle. "Filia has nothing to do with this."
"She does. She's an example of whyyouaren't fit to be the sole shareholder."
Trey grimaces. "Derek––" Nathan waves a hand by his hip, shushing his brother. I guess he wants to see this play out.
Hunching his large shoulders until his dark suit strains, Marco faces off with Derek. "Say it. Go on."
"You think with your dick," Derek says coldly. He isn't smiling anymore. "You always have. It doesn't matter how many ways you try to demonize me, in the end, you're the one who would break Mom's heart if you became the face of this company."
Marco breathes in sharply. I tense up, feeling the fury coming off of him in waves.
Looking down his nose, Derek says, "You're just like Dad."
I don't see Marco move.
But I see Derek fly backwards, bounce off the wall, and hit the floor.
Chapter Twelve
Blood streams from Derek's bottom lip. He sits on the ground, one knee bent, one hand going to his mouth to check the damage. His pupils are tiny dots as he glares with undiluted rage at Marco.
"Derek!" Nathan cries, hurrying to his side. Trey and Heratio rush to Marco, grabbing his arms. I back away to get out of the danger zone. My heart pounds in my chest. I've never seen Marco so angry. I've almost never seen him angry at all, really.
"Say it again," Marco snarls, flexing his neck. He leans forward; his brothers hold him tight. "Fucking say it again, Derek!"
With a bitter laugh, Derek wipes his lips. "See? Someone like you will never be fit for the job. You're an animal. Sex, violence, nothing but surface reactionary shit."
He pauses, no doubt waiting for a response. I watch, holding my breath, waiting for Marco to flip out again. "Is that all?" Marco asks, his tone casual.
Derek gets to his feet and smooths out his suit. He takes his time, daring Marco to move forward. "No, that's not all." He looks at his brothers one by one, ending on Trey. "You wasted more time scheming behind my back to force a vote against me. I wasted my time trying to argue for why I'm the right choice. All along, I should have shown you whyheisn't an option."
Marco lets out a growl so low I feel it in my gut. "No one here would choose you over me, Derek. Right?"
Heratio and Nathan share a look. Trey has his eyes on the floor. Derek stands there with his smirk growing bigger and bigger.
Standing to his full height, Marco shrugs out of his brothers' grip. "Fine." He turns, and spots me for the first time since he flung Derrek across the deck. I watch his anger melt into shock. He forgot I was here.
His shame is intense and overt––it darkens his face. He ducks his head, grimaces, then stalks down the hall away from his brothers and away from me. "Wait!" I yell, chasing after him. He's fast, his arms pumping as his long strides keep him away from him. "Marco! Stop!"
