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“I told you I was coming for dinner so here I am.”
“You need to leave.”
“Why? I was just having a heart-to-heart with your brother.”
“You aren’t having a gotdamn thing with me. More like telling more lies. That’s all you fucking do. If you’re smart, you’ll leavenow.” Elias’s eyes and voice were dark when he addressed his mother. He turned to leave but that wasn’t good enough for her. She kept pushing.
“I know you hate me.” She moved closer and so did Cress who was a few feet away from their exchange. “And you probably should. But one thing you know for sure is I’ve never lied to you. Mostly because I don’t care enough to waste the words. The truth is you are, and have always been, a disappointment. Since your brother no longer wants to pay for my silence, I might as well give you the truth. He never will.” She glanced at Ezekiel who narrowed his eyes on his mother. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
I was confused, having just walked into the middle of whatever the conflict was, however I sensed Ezekiel had a firm grasp on what she was about to say.
“You’re the one who hates liars, son. I think it’s time he knows the truth.” She focused on Elias again.
“You’re unbelievable. I have never in my life met someone so vile and uncaring. Elias, let’s go. There’s nothing she can tell you worth listening to.” Cress placed her hand on her husband’s arm.
“Oh honey, don’t be so sure. You might want to hear this too,” their mother said and smiled devilishly at Elias. “Not only did your father think you were damaged goods and not capable of upholding your responsibilities within our family but your brother believed the same.”
She pointed to Ezekiel. “When your name was tossed in the hat to marry Sasha, your brother begged your father not to make you do it. His exact words werehe’s not strong enough to do this. He’ll fail and you know it.”
Elias’s eyes moved from his mother to Ezekiel. Neither of them said a word but she kept going.
“Your father agreed and guess who was next in line?Lucas. Your father needed Ezekiel to be his puppet. Marriage meant commitments that would get in the way of his control over your brother. They both decided that unlike you, Lucas was strong enough, very much capable to do what needed to be done. Lucas was going to marry Sasha, not Ezekiel.”
Everyone’s eyes swung to Ezekiel and the look of defeat on his face was proof of what she was saying was true.
“Elias, please, let's go,” Cress tried again. I sensed she felt the same thing I did. This was only going to get worse.
“No, let her talk,” Elias growled with his eyes on his brother. “She might as well get this shit off her chest because after today, she will never get my time again.”
“Fair enough.” She shrugged. “What your father and brother didn’t know was that Cole Devereaux was in love with Sasha. Even if she had never once given him a second thought he wanted her. Sasha’s family didn’t wanthim. Not for their daughter. Cole was a fuck up and a cokehead. No one ever told you what Lucas and Cole argued about that night, did they? Cole threatened your brother. Told him that he needed to stay the fuck away from Sasha. Lucas, however, needed to make your father and brother proud. He died because of it.”
“Lias…” Ezekiel stepped forward but the look his brother gave paused his steps. It was a warning.
“How the fuck would you know that?” he growled at his mother.
“There was a club full of people, Elias. Your father found one willing to talk before he shelled out a lot of money to shut the rest of them up. The right price can keep the ugliest secrets buried. Your father caring more about his image and his decision to push Lucas toward Sasha is what ended your brother’s life. He made sure you never knew, so he could put that blame on you. I also believed he was fearful of what you would do to him.” She shrugged as if unbothered. “Your father knew everything about that night, didn’t he, Ezekiel?”
Elias’s eyes were on his brother again.
“Ask him, sweetheart. Ask him who was responsible for what happened to Lucas. It wasn’t you…” She smiled smugly. “Your father and brother put him in an impossible position. All these years he let you believe it was your fault. You were there, you should have protected Lucas. Not once did he tell you the real burden laid on his shoulders. I blame both of you, butyoumore than him because Lucas shouldn’t have died that night. I lost the only son I loved and look what I was left with.”
Something in Elias snapped. His hand wrapped around his mother’s neck and his eyes turned dark and dangerous.
“Elias, let her go.” Ezekiel took a step forward. I could feel the panic pulsing from him but Cress was the voice of reason.
“Elias, you’re not doing this. If you hurt your mother, you hurt me and our kids. We might lose you. Let her go,please.” She spoke calmly and softly from beside him. It took a minute but he listened. With one last look of death at both his mother and Ezekiel he turned to walk away.
“Elias…”
“Don’t, not now. The truth is in there. He knows she’s only using you to hurt him but you have to let him get there on his own. You know how his mind works. You can’t force this. Because you’re aware of what happens if you try. Let me take care of him.”
“She’s twisting this shit.”
“I know and he does too. Regardless, he’s going to need time to process. I’ve got him.”
With a tight nod, Ezekiel allowed Cress to walk away but not before she slapped their mother so hard I was impressed the lady managed to remain standing.
“I owe you so much more for the way you hurt my husband all these years and if you think about raising a hand to me, I promise you will wish you hadn’t.”
