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"The only people who think that are people who haven't met you," Slade said. He sat quietly in the corner until now. Watching and listening, his eyes following the conversation back and forth across the room.
"See, Slade is all for killing Zachary and getting it over with," Parker said.
Slade raised his eyebrows. "On the contrary, if this helps to deter other people from causing problems later, then I'm all for playing cat and mouse with Zachary. Although six of us against one of him… I almost feel sorry for the asshole."
"Don't," Lila told him. "There's nothing to feel sorry for him for. He made his bed and now he has to lie in it."
She lifted her chin, her dark eyes darker than ever. She was absolutely fucking gorgeous and glorious. She was the flame and I was one of the moths drawn to her heat and light, not caring if I got burnt to a crisp. I couldn't think of a better way to go.
"Why would he come here?" I asked. "He failed to kill you. He must know he's not gonna get away with that."
If I was him, I'd be shaking in my shoes, not packing up to come to Brutham. Although, I wouldn't be him, because when I tried to kill people, I succeeded. That was one of the reasons I preferred the direct approach. Bombs and gases, they're too hit and miss. A good gunshot to the brain, or sliced throat, were much simpler and more effective. Not to mention much more personal.
Waiting to hear through the grapevine whether or not your victim died, would be very unsatisfying. That was a level of patience I didn't have.
"If he wants to be considered for the head of the family, he has no choice but to come here," Lila said. "It might be that he didn't necessarily intend to kill us. That was his way of throwing his hat into the ring, of letting us know he's in contention too."
"Nothing says ‘I'm not necessarily trying to kill you’ like a bomb," Chloe said dryly.
"It wasn't a very powerful bomb," Lila pointed out. Her brow was furrowed, contradicting her own words with an expression that clearly said she was remembering the explosion. She tried to let on that she wasn't bothered by it, but I knew her better than that.
I sat forward. "Enough to kill you if you were too close to it." For a while there, I thought we'd lost her. For the second time in only a handful of days, I was worried. Seeing her alive and whole…
Words couldn't express my relief. And my anger.
"But I wasn't." She gave me a soft look. One that melted me in places I hadn't known existed before I met her. I would have said I was made of stone and cum. I refused to be soft, but for her I'd be slightly less rigid.
"So we're supposed to let him transfer here and welcome him with open arms?" I asked, borderline disbelieving.
"Exactly," Lila said. "You've made no secret you want to build a bridge between the Bell and Brantley families. Let Zachary think you were using me to achieve that, but now he's put his hand up, you'd rather work with him. Tell him you think men deserve to be in charge. Whatever you have to do. When you've won him over, then we can strike."
"We're going to have to be very convincing for him to believe we're on his side." Parker looked doubtful.
"If anyone can bullshit, it's you two," Dane said. "You've had lots of experience. I, for one, would totally buy the suggestion you're only using Lila to get what you want." He gave Parker a scathing look.
Chloe put a hand on his knee.
"You can be next in line to have your balls ripped off and shoved down your throat, if you like," I said darkly. "In fact, I don't mind if you're first in line."
Dane rolled his eyes. "Typical Brantley. You throw out the threats, but we all know you're not going to follow through. Your brains are as big as your dicks."
"Thank you," I replied. "Both are very big. It's nice of you to acknowledge that." I gave him a nod, coupled with a sarcastic smile.
Dane barked a laugh. He opened his mouth to say something else, no doubt something derogatory.
"That's enough," Lila snapped. "I know we've been at each other's throats all year, but we need to put that aside. This may come as a shock to some of you, but we're all adults here. It's time we started acting like it. If we don't, we'll be dead at the end of this. If you want to keep carrying on like this, you can fuck off right now, because I'm not going to let childish behaviour get me killed." Her gaze swept across all of us.
I turned to Parker. "That was hot."
"It really was." He nodded. He raised his hands to either side. "I can be a mature adult. If the rest of them can."
"I can," I said. "Lila is right. Fighting amongst ourselves is going to work in Zachary's favour. Him and anyone here who is working for or with him. That's another thing. We can't assume he's going to act alone. It would be naive to presume it's six against one. He's not stupid enough to come here with odds like that. Especially not while Lila and Chloe are alive."
"Good point," Slade said. "There were a couple of new transfers in the last month or so, but no one that stood out. No one else with the last name Sinclair, or anything that ties them to his mother or Samuel Bell."
"It's more likely whoever they are, they already attend Brutham," Dane reasoned.
"Or work here." Parker raised an eyebrow in Dane's direction.
