I open my mouth to speak, not having any idea what I’ll say, but a loud intrusion rings from the floor.
My phone, ringing in the pocket of my pants.
A groan slips from my lips, and Blair giggles as I roll my eyes. She rolls to reach for my pants and drag them closer, then hands me my phone as she sits up on the sofa.
I answer with reluctance. I wasn’t ready for that moment with her to end.
As I speak, I watch her gather her clothes to get dressed.
“Hello?”
“Simon, what the fuck happened with Jaco?”
My heart stalls.
“What do you mean?” I ask tensely.
“You shot him? You attacked him? They are saying you attacked him because you were jealous?”
Marlen is furious. His voice is an angry whisper as though he’s got company whom he wants to keep the call private from.
“Who is saying?!” I demand, standing up and grabbing my pants.
“The Marcas family demanded an urgent meeting. They are at the office in the boardroom. They are demanding justice for what you did to Jaco,” Marlen growls.
“He’s lying. I didn’t attack him. He attacked me,” I snap.
After a tense pause, Marlen mutters, “Get your fucking ass here right now.” Then he hangs up, and I am left fuming at Jaco’s audacity. He fucking ran like a little bitch to his family. He twisted the truth to make me out to be the bad guy.
Why am I even surprised? This is what he does.
“I have to go,” I tell Blair.
She’s staring at me with concern. “Was that your brother. I heard him say Jaco’s family is there,” she says.
“You don’t need to worry about this. I’ll sort it out. But I have to go. I can’t leave them to deal with my mess.”
“Simon, this is my mess too,” she argues.
“It was never your mess, Blair. Stay here where it’s safe. Please.”
I don’t have time to argue with her, so instead I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her close to kiss her. “Stay here,” I say sternly as I step away from her to leave.
***
By the time I get to the office building and up to the top floor, Jaco’s family has already left.
“Where are they?” I ask, walking into the boardroom and finding only my brothers waiting there for me. Marlen is standing at the head of the table, his knuckles pressed against the surface, his eyes narrowed in anger.
“They were furious. They left ten minutes ago, threatening war against our family,” Marlen says, his voice low and dark. “I suggest you sit down and tell me what the fuck is going on, Simon,” he growls, leaning forward over the table.
Too agitated to sit, I begin to pace along the window, feeling the intensity of my brother’s eyes tracking my movements. I have no choice. It’s time to tell them everything. The last thing I ever wanted was for them to be involved, but it seems it was inevitable.
“Jaco attacked first. He attacked first today—and he attacked first when all of this started.”
Marlen huffs and takes a seat, folding his arms across his chest.
I continue, starting right from the beginning.
