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“That’s not important,” Beckett said, dodging the question easily. “If Dad and the rest of his men leave Paradise Bend, they won’t bother you anymore, no matter where they go from here. That’s all you really care about, isn’t it?”
Abruptly, Kaige loomed over the kid’s chair. “I still don’t see why we should listen to you at all. Maybe this is one of your asshole dad’s twisted plans, huh? Why would you come here wanting tohurthim?”
Beckett’s voice tightened. “I don’t want to hurt him. I want to save him from the mess he’s created.”
“Oh, and we’re supposed to feel sorry forhimnow?”
“Can you please back off?” Beckett said, looking straight at Kaige. I had to give it to him: the kid had balls. “I’ll explain if you give me the chance.”
“Kaige, stand down,” Wylder said, quiet but firm. Kaige grumbled under his breath and sat down on one of the chairs, which creaked in protest under his brawn.
“How old are you?” I asked Beckett.
“Sixteen,” Beckett said. “But I’ve been on the sidelines of my father’s business since I was twelve, and I knew about it for much longer than that.”
Just like Ezra had drawn in Roland from the start, from what I understood, and then started shaping Wylder into his vision of an heir as soon as he’d lost his older son. Despite myself, I felt a trickle of sympathy I quickly tamped down on. Maybe that reaction was exactly what he—and the Storm—wanted.
Beckett was non-threatening. Even though he was almost as tall as us, he still had his boyish features, barely on the cusp of adulthood. But looks could be deceiving.
“Growing up like that must have been tough,” Mercy said evenly, but I thought I caught some pity in her tone. She knew what it was like being dragged into this kind of world as a child better than any of us in this room.
“I guess, but it was the education I needed,” Beckett said. “It’s a brutal world out there, especially for a family like mine, constantly surrounded by people who’d like to take a grab at our empire, but we still have to play nice with them. You should know that without my help, you’re unlikely to win this war in the long run. The Storm is far more powerful than you think. He has the resources to keep going and going until everyone who stands against him in this city is wiped out.”
“And why would you want to stop him from doing that?” Gideon asked, with a cock of his head as if he were genuinely curious rather than looking for proof. Knowing him, he probably was.
Beckett took a deep breath. “Over the last few years, Dad has become increasingly hungry for power. He’s been taking over any territories he can by whatever means necessary. He saw a power vacuum in the Bend, and decided to make a move, but the resistance you’ve been giving him has only made the change I saw before more extreme. He’s pushing our men harder than ever, giving more control than ever to that loose cannon Xavier, and neglecting our usual businesses.”
“Xavier isn’t the only one to be blamed,” Mercy said. “Your father sent him here.”
Beckett sighed. “I know. Dad would never have given him this much authority in the past. He’s… He’s insane. The things I’ve seen him do just around us…” He swallowed hard. “But he gets the job done, and these days that’s all Dad seems to care about. Unfortunately, that means that Xavier has gained considerable power, more power than I’m comfortable him having.”
“And now you’re feeling sorry for us here in Paradise Bend?” Anthea said.
Beckett shook his head. “I won’t pretend or lie to you. What happens to this place isn’t my concern. It’s my father I’m worried about. This new aggressive approach is earning us all kinds of enemies and setting a standard for the people who work for us that I hate. I’m afraid we’ll be dealing with the fallout for decades, long after his empire becomes mine. I want to inherit something more stable and even peaceful, not an organization built out of violence.”
Wylder raised his eyebrows. “Well, I hope you didn’t come to us thinkingwecare what happens to the bastard or your family’s ‘empire’.”
Beckett glanced around the room, his posture stiff. “I know, and I don’t expect that. You just have to understand that I love my dad despite the path he’s been going down, and despite our differences I don’t want to see him hurt. I want to see this crusade of his over with, and I also want it to happen without him ending up dead or with much more bloodshed on either side. I can give you information on his operations that will help you tackle him quickly, more effectively—and without the slaughter getting even worse.”
“Too bad,” Kaige growled. “Because I’d like nothing better than to get my hands on that cunt and rip him apart for bringing war to our doorstep.”
Beckett swallowed visibly. “You’ve got to understand. I know he’s done terrible things to you. But he’s still my dad, and he hasn’t been a bad father most of the time… He’s all the family I really have.”
A pang radiated through my chest. Every sign I could pick up on said he really was worried about his father, and I hadn’t noticed any holes in his story. I could usually spot a lie once someone really got talking. And something about his explanation and the anguish on his face resonated with my own past, bringing out a surge of emotion from deep inside me.
I’d always wanted to savemyfamily, to protect them from the crap I’d inadvertently brought into their lives and then my dad’s poor decisions. I’d failed. How could I tell this kid he deserved to fail too?
Whatever he could tell us might be useful. We’d gotten extra intel from the Long Night, but he wouldn’t know his opponent’s secrets as well as that opponent’s own family.
“Kaige, enough,” Wylder said. He turned back to Beckett. “Why are you herenow? The Storm has been tearing through the Bend for weeks now.”
“I heard about the ambush and the massacre of Storm men last night,” Beckett said, his voice rough. “My father was upset to the point of stomping around ranting about it. He gave Xavier more freedom to do whatever he feels he needs to do, which I know is only going to make things worse… I felt like I had to dosomething, and if I waited any longer, it might be too late for everyone.”
Could Xavier really get worse than he already was? Had his previous actions actually beenrestrained? I shuddered inwardly at the thought.
“You’ve put a lot of faith in us,” I said, watching him carefully. “Aren’t you worried that we’ll hurtyouor use you against your father somehow?”
Beckett gave me a pained smile. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Anyway, taking me hostage will only make the situation worse for you, not better. Dad’ll go totally berserk. You don’t want that any more than I do.”
