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“You’ve become just like our father,” I tell him, something he knows, but I feel needs to be repeated.
“He was a great man,” King shrugs.
“Until you killed him?” I ask plainly.
“He became complacent. He forgot to look behind his back. I think in the end that he was proud of me. I did no less than he did when it came his time to take over the family empire.”
“So, you come from a long line of murderers. Congratulations for upholding the family name,” I mutter.
“If I were you, Rory, I’d watch my tongue. You’re in a tenuous position here and I have no patience for your mouth today. Today has a greater purpose.”
My brother is a bastard. He truly has become our father’s clone. Looking in his eyes now, I see nothing to remind me of the little boy I loved and played with as a child. In his place is a cold, evil businessman, who only smiles when he’s torturing someone.
I know that better than anyone.
“Where’s Tony?” I ask, as my eyes move around the room.
“I had to take care of him. He jeopardized the welfare of my child by coming to you before it was time. I meant only to teach him a lesson, but so great was my frustration…” he shrugs. “I got carried away.”
He killed Tony.
I hate to be grateful to my brother for anything, but I am for this. It’s hard enough handling one cold hearted viper, handling both of them is a challenge that I’m not up to just yet. I don’t comment on Tony’s death. I don’t really care. It probably sounds cold as hell, but I just figure karma has caught up with my ex finally. Instead, I’m more focused on what King said.
“You have a family? Did you get married while I was gone?” I ask, feeling sorry for his wife.
“So simpleminded, Rory. Stupidity is always your downfall. It’s really how I keep locating you day in and day out.” I take that and let it lie between us. If this comes down to it and I have to make a run for it, I need to be levelheaded.
“I have a child. A result of a weekend romp with a hooker trying to earn money for her next high. It was stupid, and I knew nothing of the child until a few years back. He’s been without his father too long. I need him to grow up and learn this business just as our father taught me.”
A shudder runs through me at the thought of King getting his hands on a small child. Poor thing won’t know what hit him—or maybe he will, the first time he disappoints my brother he will pay with his blood.
“Yippee. Maybe you’ll train him right and he’ll kill you and continue the family tradition,” I taunt him.
I was expecting it, but I wasn’t prepared. His hand comes out and slaps me hard along my cheekbone. My head falls back with the force of the hit and the loud smacking noise echoes around us as the fire from his hit burns my skin. I fight the urge to hold my cheek, even though it is pulsating in pain. Fighting back just excites King… I do my best to swallow the tears that spring to my eyes from the pain, not letting them fall. It’s not that hard… I’ve perfected it over the years.
“There’s that mouth again. You’ve forgotten to watch your step around me, Sister Dear.”
“Or you could just leave,” I suggest, praying silent prayer after silent prayer that he agrees—even while knowing he won’t. I expected him to hit me again, but he doesn’t. Instead he straightens his cufflinks and sleeves and smiles at me so coldly that I have to fight back the fear. This is a game to him. He hasn’t revealed all of the game to me yet, but from that smile and the look in his eyes, I brace myself. I know it’s going to be bad, my brother is too…happy.
“And have you miss out on meeting your only nephew?” he questions and my stomach rolls over and over. The thought of my brother with a child in his hands is something that chills me to the bone.
“How did you find me?” I ask, knowing at this point I’m not getting away—not this time—but maybe if I know where I went wrong… I can again. “Was it like Tony said? Because of the job application?”
“Is that what he told you? I don’t have time to monitor school board hires all across the country or to even bother checking on your references,” he says, his face telling me I wasn’t worth that much trouble. “I mean I would have, if it was necessary. I actually think Tony probably did—but then… he was a moron.”
