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Leaning against the wall behind me, I use it to get up rather than stay in the puddle of some of Nikolaos’ beloved whiskey. Fuck, he’ll have my head for wasting some of his best shit. Then again, I don’t really care about that.
Crouching down to my level, Alexander snaps his fingers in my face to get me to focus on him. “William!” The way he says my name makes it clear he isn’t happy with me, a feeling that’s more than reciprocated.
Fucking dick.
Who plays dead and hides behind other men for years, while allowing their daughter to mourn them? Alexander the-not-so-Great, that’s who.
“What?” I growl, annoyed with him and my inability to stand up. “What the hell could you possibly want now?” I hate how slurred my words are, not at all portraying how little I think of him. Then I remember he isn’t allowed downstairs either, and I smirk at the thought of him possibly being as distressed as I am. I might not want his company, but my misery does.
“How is it you’re the only one who walked away unscathed?” he menacingly asks. “Two Leaders were killed. The fate of my brother, my nephew, and my daughter is unknown. Yet you’re well enough to mope, drink, and throw tantrums. How is that possible?”
The words reverberate in my head as I try to grasp onto the meaning, or rather, the insinuation—the words he’s very careful not to speak.
I let out a bitter laugh. “How the fuck would I know?” I angrily retort. “Maybe the real question is why I wasn’t given medical attention.”
As soon as we got to Nikolaos’ mansion, I was discarded like a casualty, left to throw my guts up all over the dining room before I clawed my way to the bathroom. While I don’t know how long I spent puking water and stomach acid, it was long enough for me to fall asleep in between bouts of it. And when I woke up, I was still alone.
“You didn’t need any,” Alexander growls as he gets in my face. “Let’s get one thing straight here, Liam. You. Are. Nothing. My brother may put up with you, but I’m not him. When I take my rightful place back as Leader, there’ll be changes I don’t think you want.” His eyes flicker between mine and something on the wall behind me.
He mouths something, but my drunk ass can’t make out anything but “Acacia.” When he looks at me again, I get the feeling that he’s expecting me to cower, which won’t happen.
Clearly feeling the need to fill the silence, he adds, “There will also be an investigation, and possibly a trial. If I have to, I’ll make sure you’re dragged in front of the Tribunal.”
What the fuck is the Tribunal?
Though it feels like my insides are freezing over at his words, I try to remain calm so he doesn’t see the effect his words have on me. Even through my drunken stupor, I know not to show any weakness. “Do your worst,” I spit. “I have nothing to hide.”
Alexander stands up and kicks at my foot.Dick.“Look at you, you’re pathetic. What hope could you ever have to make it in this world? I don’t know what my daughter sees in you and… actually, you know what? I don’t want to know.”
I finally manage to get to my feet, still clutching the bottle in my hand as I stagger. “Consider me reminded of my place,” I say with a wide, fake grin.
It’s been four days with no news of my agápi’s recovery, and it’s becoming harder and harder to force myself to think happy thoughts. My arguments with myself have subsided, and I feel like I’m becoming numb to my new reality. Though I refuse to leave the house, I’m acutely aware that I might need to at a moment’s notice. Alexander’s daily threats as he refuses to leave is the rude awakening I need to keep myself alert, and I’m no longer letting the bottles tempt me.
By now, I’ve stashed a bag with necessities in each room—in case I need a speedy and silent getaway. Alexander’s words keep coming back to me, and as much as I don’t want to let them fester, I can’t stop them.
He’s right… it looks suspicious that I’m the only one who’s unharmed, so it’s an actual possibility I’ll be dragged before the Kronos Society once the Russos and Hatts have picked their new Leaders.
Speaking of the devil, I look up as he struts towards me in his pristine, black suit. His appearance is immaculate and he’s oozing power. Not the face of someone that’s nervous about their family if you ask me.
“The Ruler is on his way, so you may want to consider cleaning up,” he says, eyeing me with disdain.
So Kai is alive… I wish I knew if that’s a good or a bad thing—or if I even care. “No offense,” I say, insincerity dripping from each word. “I don’t really care what you think I should do. You. Are. Nobody to me.”
Alexander sighs and runs a hand through his short, dark hair. “William, I—”
“That’s Liam,” I angrily interrupt. Cia calls me Liam, so why the fuck would I accept being called anything else? Right now, when I don’t even fucking know if she’s alive or not, I’m clinging to that like it’s my lifeline.
Ignoring my outburst, Alexander continues. “Liam, you may not know me, but I’m your rightful Leader and I know you’re aware of what that means.”
“Says a lot about you that you’re assuming that title and throwing it around like it means I owe you something,” I reply, biting the inside of my cheek so I don’t keep talking.
I know it’s stupid of me to keep antagonizing him. I can’t say I care, though. Until I have my agápi in my arms again, nothing matters.Nothing.
Where I’m taller than Cia’s dad, he’s wider than me. The suit he’s wearing shows off his muscles, and I know I can’t take him in the state I’m in. While he looks like a fucking walking advertisement for healthy and clean living, I’ve barely eaten, no training for over a week, and I’ve only taken care of the most basic grooming. All I’ve done is shower, brush my teeth, and change my clothes. Everything else has been neglected, so I have no doubt I’d scare myself if I bothered to look in the mirror.
Without a word, I leave and head for the bathroom. I’m showering as quickly as I can so I can get back to… back to what, exactly? There’s nothing I can do apart from watching the door to the basement. I feel better when I have my eyes on it, though—and as soon as I don’t, my anxiety and rage at the unknown spikes.
After my shower, I take a long look at myself for the first time since the claim between Kai and Cia, and I’m not surprised by my haggard look. My dark beard doesn’t look all that bad, not compared to the hollow of my cheeks or the dark circles under my eyes. I don’t know how my eyes manage to look wild and dull at the same time, giving me the appearance of someone that’s survived in the wilderness by their hands alone.
