And she was telling me this because…?
I brought the cigarette to my lips with my other hand and took a drag. I met Will at the beginning of high school, and he’d played around with drugs for as long as I’d known him. Weed, X, pills, coke… It all ran rampant in our school. The only reason we didn’t have the heroin epidemic the inner city did was because we had the money and access to good shit from the town M.D.
And Mom’s medicine cabinet.
It was almost the only thing Michael and I ever agreed on.
We didn’t do drugs. We were the drugs.
“I’m sure you all will take care of it,” I told her.
“You whined earlier because you weren’t there for him in jail, but you can be there now.”
“Go home,” I said.
For someone so smart, she was good at stupid. I was the last person Will wanted or needed help from.
She paused a moment, as if waiting for me to say something or still holding out hope maybe, but then finally turned around and headed her ass for the door.
But something caught her eye, and she stopped, lifting up a small black box off the sofa table and inspecting the contents.
My heart thudded a beat, recognizing what she was holding. I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached, and then I was up, dropping my cigarette into the ashtray and charging toward her.
Ripping the box out of her hands, I slammed it close, hearing the contents jingle inside as I tossed it on the sofa again, and then grabbed her collar, backing her up into the wall.
Her blue eyes glared up at me, all tough and ready, but her little panting gave away the small amount of fear she still held of me.
“Keep me in this perspective.” I stared down, towering over her. “At any time I could snap you in half and shut you up for good. You need me. I don’t need you. We’re not friends.”
Stay out of my place. Stay out of my shit. No more chit-chat.
“Glad you know that,” she replied, her voice surprisingly steady.
I released her and turned, going back to the sofa, tucking the contents of the box back in, and fastening the latch. I’d cleared some stuff out of my father’s house and brought it in for the driver to take to my apartment at Delcour tonight.
“I look like her.” I heard Rika say. “Don’t I? That’s why you’ve always hated me.”
I hesitated.
Like her. Like Winter.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, same age, same wild purity… Like the innocence of a tornado or a raging hurricane.
“I hate all of you,” I mumbled. I don’t even blink saying the words.
I hate all of you. Hate all of who? Their little group I was once a part of? Women? People, in general? Who knew, and she didn’t ask.
But part of me wanted her to understand.
Jesus Christ.
We needed to get back to business.
She reached for the door, but I called her back.
“Erika?”
I saw her stop out of the corner of my eye as I walked for the cabinet and pulled out one of the two handguns I had stored there. I ejected the magazine from the Glock and checked the chamber to make sure a bullet wasn’t loaded and then held the gun and clip out for her to take.
Her eyebrows shot up.
“It’s untraceable,” I said.
I wasn’t allowed to own firearms, being a felon and all, but oh well.
Her eyes shifted side to side, and she looked confused.
Impatient, I closed the distance between us and pushed the shit into her hands.
“Learn to use it.”
“Why do I need this?” she asked, still holding the handgun like she was debating on whether or not to drop it and run.
“Because my father is smarter than we are. He’ll be onto us eventually. You might need it.”
“So if your dad comes after me, you’re giving me a gun to kill him?” she asked, sounding sarcastic. “So he doesn’t kill me instead?”
I let out a sigh. “Fuck, you’re dumb,” I said. “Like he’d come after you himself. That’s for the guys he’ll send. If anyone kills him, it’ll be me. Now get out.” I jerked my chin toward the door, pulling another cigarette out of the pack. “I’ll call you when I have your shit.”
I lit the end and tossed the lighter onto the table in front of me. “Unless you want to stay,” I said, softening my voice and letting my eyes fall down her body. “Your fiancé is out of town, and it’s my wedding night. We could…play chess.”
And by chess, I meant…
But she just shook her head. “That’s how I know you’re not half as dangerous as you pretend to be,” she said. “You only ever threaten.”
I tapped the cigarette into the ashtray, my mood turning solemn as the smoke streamed into the air. “Sometimes,” I nearly whisper. “And sometimes I mean exactly what I say.” I looked up at her. “So trust me when I say you’ll never escape me. None of you will.”
I watched her, trying so hard to look defiant, but the barest hints of awareness, fear, and doubt still seeped through. She knew I wasn’t going anywhere.
Without a word, she turned and left, leaving the door wide open and letting the music pour in as she disappeared.
Fuck you. This won’t go how you think it will go.
You won’t change me. I’ll change you.
My phone rang, and since Rika just left, there were only two other people who had my number. My father and my security.
“Fuck,” I breathed out as I picked up the phone.
“Yes?” I answered.
“Well done today,” my father said. “I thought for sure I was going to have to strangle you at some point.”
I took a drag and set the cigarette in an ashtray as I blew out the smoke. “I’m sure it would’ve been difficult.”
“Yes, I don’t really want to kill you,” he added. “You’re my only son, after all.”
“No, I mean I’m not eleven anymore.” I grabbed a clean T-shirt and hoodie out of my duffel bag and kicked the door closed again. “I’ll be more difficult to strangle now.”
Prick.
He was silent for a moment, and I could just imagine the look on his face. My father was a master at not losing his cool. He rarely did.
But it would be in his eyes. That hint of aggravation. The distaste for my childishness.
If I weren’t his blood and sole heir, I have no doubt he would’ve killed me long ago.
“The town is buzzing with the news,” he continued, changing the subject. “I want to capitalize on the momentum. The Crists are having an engagement party for Michael and Erika in a week. You’ll go with Ari, and bring the other two, as well. They’re your family now, too, and their reputation needs repair.”
“And they’ll achieve that by showing up with me?” I thought out loud. The irony of my presence helping anyone’s reputation was not lost on me.
“I have to go.” I cut him off. I’d do what he asked, so no argument from me on this one. I wanted to go to the party because everyone would be there.
“Just a heads up…” he told me. “Luka and Dower stopped Winter and some guy on the road tonight. She had a bag packed.”
I stopped, waiting for the rest. “And?”
“And she’s back home where she belongs.”
I relaxed, knowing she wouldn’t have gotten far, but I still needed the confirmation. I knew she would try, though. I hoped she’d try again.
Some guy...
Ethan Belmont. I fisted my hand on instinct. I hope she’d done him. Done him a lot and was still doing him, so I could get an eye full. It would give me one more reason to hate her and to hurt her. It was all the fun I was going to have in this marriage to her sister.
But my father chimed in, as if reading my thoughts. “Let’s make something perfectly clear,” he said. “I want Arion pregnant before the year is out. You know the rules. Do your chores before you play.”
I cocked an eyebrow. I’d never done chores in my life.
“And we need to talk about you taking on some responsibilities with Communica. It’s time you start earning what you’re going to inherit. I need you to come—”