Page 10 of Relapse

“Well,” he said, lifting a filled glass up to me. “Here’s to the death of the Chief. Let’s hope they’re already packing up his body.”

I nodded, clinked my glass against his, and knocked the liquor back in one swallow. The warmth spread through my chest, taking an edge off that I hadn’t even realized was so strong.

Jace cracked a wide grin as he poured himself another. “Shit, I hated that motherfucker anyhow. Biggest piece of shit I’ve ever dealt with.”

I gave a grunt of agreement. What an understatement.

Jace’s grin faded as fast as it came. He studied me over the rim of his glass, like he was weighing whether I was still family…or already a liability. I watched nervously.

“Don’t make me regret this,” he whispered.

I didn’t answer. I knew what he meant. He had placed heavy faith in me. The entirety of the business and the future of Pinnacle was on my shoulders. It could have been anyone else in the family. Any of the cousins. But he chose me instead. And he was beginning to consider that relying on me was no longer the best course of action for him and his success.

His fingers tightened around the glass, knuckles whitening for just a second before he relaxed them. I knew the decision wasn’t made yet—not really. I was dispensable.

I eyed him carefully, expecting at any moment that he might break. Somewhere, deep down, he and I both knew the allegiance between us was thinning.

Sooner or later, I’d force his hand. I’d have to. And part of him could feel it.

Blood or not, he wouldn’t hesitate to make me pay.

When that day arrived, I had to be ready.

Chapter three

Pins and Needles

NOAH

“Will he be alright?” Delane asked, her voice tight with the same tiredness I knew I felt too.

We stood adjacent to the intensive care unit reception in the hospital, surrounded by white walls and the smell of antiseptic. Delane had made the trip alongside us, and she stayed at my side for hours, her hand firmly encasing mine. We had been waiting for news for a while at this point, but I wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed in total. The chairs in the waiting room were empty, but I couldn’t sit down. My mind was racing. The little rolling medicine carts that lined the hallway seemed to call my name.

“The surgeon is with him now,” my mom replied, wiping her eyes as she approached from behind the massive double doors. “They didn’t want to risk transporting him again. All we can do is wait.”

I honestly didn’t know if I wanted good news. My body was in knots and I couldn’t decide if I wanted the nightmare to fully end or if I needed something more. Closure, revenge—maybe both. I was fucked up in the head completely for even considering the two options. I wasn’t sure what was worse: having my father die right here in the hospital, leaving my life in this constant state of open ended bullshit, or have him come back to the home he abused me in so that we might have some sort of finality.

I closed my eyes tightly shut. I felt sick. I couldn’t believe that a stabbing would be the end of him. A man who at one point was my father. Somewhere. In the past. In a life before this one.

Delane squeezed my hand tightly. She could sense my unease and discomfort. Little did she know the real reasons for my anxiety.

I tapped my foot rapidly against the linoleum. I hated hospitals. The sanitized rooms, the constant chatter and movement. The noise. It all threw me into a place of paranoia that I could barely manage. I knew everyone was watching us. There goes the Hansen family, the fucking talk of the town. There goes Noah, the drug addicted wreckage of a son. And now? An attempted murder to add to our fucked up family drama. As if we needed another headline.

I wished I had some coke right now. Or a blunt. I could use a hit to calm my nerves.

My attention was directed to the hallway when, in the most orderly fashion, two police officers rounded the corner. Their eyes locked onto me and Delane. I couldn’t help but notice the uneasy drop in her expression, and the way she shifted closer to my side.

“Miss?” They addressed Delane smoothly, never once catching my gaze.

“Y-yes officers?” She fidgeted.

“We noticed the blood on your dress when you and the Hansen’s arrived. We understand you and your family have been through a tough time tonight, but we were told you may have seen the Chief’s attacker. Would you mind coming with us to answer a few questions and provide a description?”

I couldn’t have been the only one that caught the comment about Delane being a part of our family. That was a bold assumption, but my guard went up immediately when they asked for her, as though I needed to protect her further after tonight’s shit show. “Where’s my brother?” I asked. “Shouldn’t he be handling the investigation?”

My mom straightened her back next to me, her posture informing me that I might have overstepped the boundaries some. Oh well. Damian was in the running for Deputy Chief, and I knew these basic bitch patrolmen had to be aware of that. They knew who we were, and our position in comparison to theirs. It annoyed me to no end seeing these newbies try to throw their weight around, especially when it came to my family.

“Noah, now is not the time,” one of the officers snipped in my direction, greeting my fidgeting form with a glare. “We can’t miss any leads, and practically every person at that party is under investigation. Your family included.”