Page 157 of XO Karma

“A tough call is deciding to tell the Westerfords to piss off cause they want to keep another five percent,” she counters. “Not killing your own blood.”

“You two are exhausting together,” he says, pressing his fingers against his temples. “Do I need to worry about you, Annabelle? Does this change anything?”

Her jaw ticks, a forced smile on her face. “No, Dad.”

“Change what?” I glance between them. “What the hell is going on?”

“Well, as you mentioned,” my father says, “I’m in the market for some new management in Cleosville.” His eyes drop to the floor. “And thanks to your trigger-happy finger, it looks like there are two positions to fill. So welcome back, son.”

“I’m not working for you,” I say, scoffing in disbelief.

“Would you like me to make your pretty little girlfriend disappear for real?” he asks, and rage bubbles inside, the weapon on my hip begging to reconnect with my hand like a magnet. “Because I do have that power.”

“Dad,” Annabelle says, her tone sharp. “We don’t need him. I’ll take over for Jude.” Excuse the fuck out of me, she’ll do what?

“That still leaves us short with Vetrel gone,” he reminds her.

“Okay, well, it will be my first responsibility to figure that shit out.” She glances at me, and I wish we could speak with our eyes like when we were kids. Now it’s as if we hardly know each other. “Aster doesn’t trust us anyways. It’s for the best.”

“So, what?” I ask Annabelle, a sickening feeling in my gut. “You’re moving to Cleosville? Just like that?”

She shrugs. “Looks like it.”

“I’m not going to let you keep doing all this shady shit,” I snap.

“Don’t you have bigger issues at the moment?” She cocks a brow, and my mind wanders back to the reason I came here in the first place. Lily.

“Where is she?” I grit out.

My father tsks. “If you’re doing nothing for me, why should I give you that information?”

“What if we tell him as an offer of good faith?” Annabelle cuts in.

“As if Aster’s earned that,” he replies.

“I’ll tell you where your girlfriend is, and you’ll agree to stay out of our way,” she suggests, and I’m still in disbelief. I truly don’t know her at all. The woman I’ve been speaking to has been nothing but a memory of the girl she used to be.

My eyes fall to Jude’s corpse. “And what about him?” I ask.

“As you may be aware, there are a multitude of ways to dispose of a body on the premises. That shouldn’t be too hard.”

“And Isla?” I ask. “Won’t she wonder where he is?”

“Just leave that to us.” My father smirks. “I have a feeling she will be perfectly content with the arrangement.”

This is ridiculous.

I guess it’s true. You cut off the head of a snake and two more grow back. I just never thought the serpents would have eyes that match mine.

And for the security of ensuring my own head isn’t chopped next, I force out the word, “Okay.”

46

LILY

ONE HOUR EARLIER

My head pounds as loud voices blur into my consciousness.