by Livy North
My heart constricted in my chest.
“Are you going to—”
“Kill her? If you need me to spell it out for you, son, then no. I’m not going to kill her. You are.”
“You can’t be serious,” I roared. “This isn’t some conspiracy… it’s the real world!”
“Do you want position in the company back or no?”
I fumbled for some explanation he might listen to. “She just changed her will. Wouldn’t it be suspicious if she ended up dead all of a sudden?”
A psychopathic laugh bubbled up from my father’s throat and my eyes darkened.
“You are so naïve, son. She’s rubbed off on you. You don’t need to worry about that, and you know why?”
I forced myself to stand tall when my father rose to his full height, staring me down in a challenge I refused to lose.
“Because I already offed a Lauder before, or maybe three of them, and I got away with it.”
The air vanished from my lungs and I stopped breathing. My heart beat in my throat, and the room spun. I’d never felt this powerless, so out of control.
“What are you talking about?” My mind was spinning, backtracking to find some clue I’d missed in the past. Did he just admit to killing Emory’s family?
A vicious smirk spread across his lips and I had my answer.
I hated I could see the family resemblance between us, because I wanted to be nothing like him. I hated that it was his blood that ran in my veins.
“Why?” I demanded.
He leaned back casually, shrugging unceremoniously. “It was nothing personal. Or well… it was. Those Lauders had been on my neck for years. They were our biggest competitors, and our enemies in every way that counted. And then, they happened to find out a secret of mine… It’s not my fault they had to look where they weren’t supposed to. Anyway, I had to get rid of them because believe it or not, people respect them, and those goody-two-shoes would never keep their mouths shut.”
“About what? What could possibly be so bad that you had to kill them?”
Father leveled me with a deadly glare. “Don’t you worry about that, you little rat.”
I glared at him in disbelief. “What about Gabriel? He was my age! He had nothing to do with—”
“Oh, shut up.” Father’s chest shook with a menacing laughter. “You know as well as I do how a first-born son is a reflection of their parents. You and I are the same. Gabriel was their legacy. You can call it a happy casualty if it makes you sleep better. As for Emory, she wasn’t as compliant as I had thought. She’s defied me more than once, and I’m tired of it. So now, you get rid of her.”
How could he kill them and talk about them like they were nothing? I always knew the business world was brutal—I grew up with the biggest narcissistic psychopath as my father. But this? Cold-blooded murder? I couldn’t get behind that.
How he’d managed to do all of what he claimed to have done, I didn’t know, but I knew better than to underestimate him—and underestimate what money could fix.
And Emory.
My chest clenched painfully when I thought of her. She trusted me. She had to, because if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have put me in her will. And now my father wanted me to kill her.
I couldn’t.
I wouldn’t.
“I won’t do it.”
Father’s voice was dark when he seethed, “What did you say?”
I raised my head to meet his gaze. His eyes burned into mine and looking at him stung my retinas. “I said I won’t do it. I can’t do it.”
Chills ran down my spine as he leaned forward so our eyes were on the same level. “Are you defying me, River?” he said in such a calm matter, my bone marrow shivered.
“Yes. I can’t do this.” I straightened and backed away. “I refuse to. I won’t condone murder.”
Father laughed. “Are you trying to be a good guy? For her?”
I shook my head. “No. I know I’m not a good guy, and I’m not trying to be, either. I’m damaged to the bone—just like you. But she isn’t. And if you want her gone, then you have to get someone else to do it for you.” Rolling my shoulders back, I lifted my chin. “But good luck doing that, because I won’t let you hurt her.”
His chest shook with a cold laugh. “Have I really raised such a pussy?” He glared at me with repugnance in his eyes. “You, son, disgust me. Got you all worked up for some bitch? That is not how I raised you.”
I pressed my lips shut. “Excuse me for saying, but you won’t get any award for best parenting.”
“She will be dealt with. Whether you’re a part of it or not,” he seethed. “Trust my word. You’ll want to be a part of this.”
I shook my head. “No. I won’t.”
With a final glare, I walked out on him. My mind was full of new worries, and I couldn’t find a solution to them alone. There wasn’t anything I could do beside hope Nico and Seb wanted to help me.
Calling the cops was out of the question. First of all, they would take my father’s side, and second of all, I had no evidence for what he was planning or what he had done.
Bloody hell. What was I going to do with this new information? How did I tell the girl I cared about that my father may or may not have been involved in her entire family’s murder?
As I stormed out to my car, I dialed Nico’s number, because I was too freaked out to know what to do. At this point, Nico knew more than I did. He picked up after a few rings.
“My apartment, now. We have something important to discuss. Bring Sebastian. And for the love of Satan, do not tell Father I called you. Please.”
I knew River was at the Sinclair estate, but I wanted to be at his apartment when he got home so I couldn’t change my mind. I had to tell him I put his name in my will and why. To be honest, it didn’t feel like reality—only something distant.
I wasn’t planning to die soon either way, but if there was someone who would know what to do with everything, it would be him. If I could entrust him with my family’s company, I wasn’t sure of. I knew my parents wouldn’t approve, but I followed my gut.
In the elevator, I tried to build up the courage to tell him. I didn’t know how he’d react. Would he think it was pathetic? When I was heading toward the door, I’d finally fought off the demons who told me to turn around.
To my surprise, the door was already unlocked. Worry flushed through my body, and I nudged the door open without a sound.
Why wasn’t it locked? He wasn’t supposed to be home.
Carefully, I slipped inside and glanced around. The living room was empty, the kitchen to the left was also empty. His ateliers and studio upstairs looked untouched, too.
For a split-second, I thought I heard someone, but if someone had broken in, the alarm would’ve gone off. It felt like I was breaking his trust wandering in here when he wasn’t home. I was about to leave when I heard a thud come from his spare bedroom under the stairs.
I walked closer, trying not to make a sound. My heart picked up an erratic beat. I hadn’t even thought of what I should do if someone was in here.
“How do I tell her?”
I breathed out in relief when I recognized the muffled voice from inside as Sebastian. Lifting my arm, I reached for the doorknob, but when I heard River’s voice next, I froze.
“That I killed her family.”
The second his words reached my ears, I froze.
“You didn’t,” someone said.
“But I might as well have,” River growled back.
I blinked as confusion filled me.
My family? Why were they talking about my family?
Without thinking, I tore open the door and three pairs of wide eyes stared back at me.
“Emory.” River looked stricken with fear. He stepped closer, reaching out to grab my hand but I stepped away. “How much did you hear?” he asked calmly, but his jaw clenched and unclenched.
I tore my arm out of his grip and stared at him with hardened eye
s. “You killed my family?” My voice shook along with my fists. “Tell me the truth.”
His face shot back up. “No!” he exclaimed. “It wouldn’t. My father—”
“You and your father have always done everything together. If he did it, how come you didn’t know about it? You used to worship him!”
Before I could retrieve control over my limbs, my arm shot up and I punched him in the face. But it was as stone-hard as it looked, and intense pain thundered through my arm.
The fear that everything we had together was a lie choked me up. The bitter taste in my mouth, I wanted gone but it increased instead.
River swallowed visibly and took a step back. “I am not a good guy, and I won’t pretend to be, either. But I would never kill someone so cold-blooded. I’m not a saint, but I would never orphan someone like that. Emory… I think I’m in love with you.”
Silence followed. Deadly silence. Everything became white noise as I zoned out and suddenly, everything about my family’s death washed over me like a flood, dragging me under. My gaze blurred and I fell into the wall next to me with a loud thud.
I knew something was off. In my gut, I knew something about their deaths was off. Why didn’t I listen to my gut?
I blinked and tried my best to zone in on his face again. His brows were drawn close in what looked like worry, but his eyes were widened in horror. Pressing up against the wall, I tried to increase the distance between us. He stepped over and grabbed my arm in his warm hold.
“Emory.” River’s voice was like a distant echo. When he didn’t get a response, his eyes went to his brothers. “Can you give us a moment?”
Nico nodded and inclined his head at the door. Seb followed him out, albeit reluctant.
As the door slid shut, River turned to me with darkened eyes. “My father and I aren’t and never have been close ever. I’m not a son to him or a human being. I am a pawn. I am his heir. But that is as far as fatherly bonds go. I was born and bred to carry on his legacy that is as psychopathic as himself. Nothing has ever been my own—my life hasn’t been my own.”
River breathed heavily and his nostrils flared. “I’m ashamed of it, but I always sought his approval. I did whatever he wanted me to, and I’ve done a lot of dirt for him. I can’t say I regret it, but I regret doing it for him. I didn’t realize before now that I can never be what he wants me to be, and he knows that. He’s been using me, and I won’t be a monster of someone else’s creation.”
I swallowed, too overtaken by the emotions that I couldn’t give back what River deserved—patience and trust. “Why didn’t you tell me first?”
His lips thinned. “Because it’s not even the worst part.”
I let out a choked laugh. “How is that not the worst part?”
He shook his head in warning. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”
“Tell me,” I urged, more vehemently this time.
He pressed his lips together, looking conflicted as he rubbed his mouth with his hand. “They’re planning something. Something bad,” he mumbled. “They want to kill you.”
My heart got stuck in my throat as it kept beating rapidly. “What?” I croaked.
River cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry, Emory.” His voice was choked. “I don’t know what to do. My father isn’t the man I hated, he’s worse, and now the whole board is with him. I can’t fight that. You need to be safe, and I can’t guarantee that now.”
So many questions flooded my brain at once, none of them I managed to vocalize. The letter from my mom made so much sense now. It had taken a place on the backburner of my mind, but now I could remember it clearly.
Trust no one.
Least of all, the Sinclairs.
Watch your back.
Their deaths weren’t random, nor were they an accident. And now I understood why I shouldn’t trust the Sinclairs.
Emotions clouded my head and I needed an anchor to ground me. I reached up to River’s cheek, stroking my thumb over it. Warmth flooded my chest. I was speechless, but he made me feel safe, even though nothing was.
His cheek was still red and warm to the touch. “Sorry I punched you,” I whispered.
River shrugged. “I deserved it.”
“You didn’t. You don’t.”
He pulled away but cupped my hand with his. “But I can’t keep you safe. I’m trying… but I’m nothing against him.”
“I’m not blaming you. I trust you. I do. We’ll figure it out. He can’t hold that much power over people. I certainly won’t let him have that much power over me.”
“You don’t understand,” River grumbled. “He asked me to do it.”
My heart stung. “To kill me?” A short nod. “And what did you say?”
“No. Obviously. I might not be a saint, but I’m no murderer. Emory, I would never intentionally hurt you.” His eyes spoke volumes. He was being genuine and raw with me. “I think for the time being, Father is out of his game. I turned him down, so we have time to find a plan before he finds one.”
I couldn’t do anything else but smile. River was like no one else I had met in my life. He never hid things from me because he couldn’t. His emotions were always too strong to be swept under the rug.
Every time we were together, I could hear the emotion in his voice, see it in his eyes and feel it in his touch… I loved that about him.
“River?” I whispered.
His eyes locked with mine. “Yeah?”
“How did we get here? We used to hate each other—at least, you hated me. And now this thing between us…” Love. “This is the literal opposite of hate.”
His finger skimmed over my neck and he held my chin up with his thumb as it stroked over the column in my throat. His gaze didn’t meet mine and instead, he regarded me with the softest eyes I’d seen. “They say there’s a thin line between love and hate. So, this thing between us isn’t the opposite of hate. Indifference is. And I’ve never been indifferent to you.”
My chest ached. It was as if someone was shredding my heart to pieces, and it fucking hurt.
I couldn’t tell Emory what she wanted to hear, and that gutted me. I wanted to be the guy she needed me to be, the one who told her everything was going to be okay. Assure her I had strength to hold us both together when she needed to fall apart. But saying that would be lying, and I didn’t want to lie to her.
Truth was, I had no idea what was going on anymore. It was as if the town had moved forward for the last six months, and I hadn’t caught up.
I regretted arguing with my father. If I hadn’t done all that I did, he wouldn’t have kicked me out of the company, he wouldn’t have hated me. I’d have been kept in loop and then I could’ve prevented this.
Although, truth be told, I probably wouldn’t have.
Emory was right to hate me before—I wasn’t a good person, and I was my father’s errand boy. I would have chosen him.
But now I chose her.
I chose Emory.
I’d choose Emory over anyone in this town because she deserved it. She’d earned my respect and loyalty.
She’d earned my love.
Yet, it hurt that I knew I hadn’t earned hers.
She was a much better person than me.
Yet, it seemed she had chosen me, too.
I asked her to stay with me for a while until things calmed down, but she refused. The feisty, fearless brunette was as stubborn as ever. I couldn’t blame her for it. I would refuse to live in fear too, and she had a point about our advantage of playing normal, so my father felt less threatened. I’d weighed every possible outcome in my head since then. What could go wrong, how she could stay safe, how I could protect her. I let her go home, but I had surveillance cameras set up.
Two days had passed since then. I had eyes on her twenty-four seven. I slept lightly, and I stopped by every chance I could, but I kept my distance so I wouldn’t smother her. Nothing had happened, and I was beginning to feel like my father was taking a
break from his plotting, to the point where I managed to zone out while on my couch in the late afternoon.
I was wrong.
My phone buzzing in my pocket jerked me out of thought. For a second, I was grateful to be awoken, but that was until I looked at the display.
THOMAS SINCLAIR.
Warily, I hit answer. “What?”
“Good news, son,” he said. “You won’t have to deal with Emory anymore.”
“Really?” The evident hope laced in my voice was pathetic. I caught myself quickly, doing my best to remain calm and stoic again. “Have you changed your mind about—” I couldn’t even say the words.
A dark laugh rumbled over the phone. “No. But it’s being dealt with as we speak.”
Everything shattered to the ground. “What?” I went to the security camera overview on my laptop. They were blacked out. Disconnected.
My heartbeat grew unsteady and I started sweating.
“It’s being dealt with right this instant,” he drawled. “I’m heading over to her house as we speak.”
“No. No, wait.” I was headed out of the door quicker than I thought possible, grabbing my keys on my way out. “What are you going to do? You haven’t thought this through.”
“Please.” He laughed. “I had a backup plan, silly boy.”
“Y-you can’t… There has to be another way. Father, please. I’ll talk to her, I promise.”
Pressing the button to the elevator, it pinged open and I stepped in, continuing to attack the button to the subfloor with my finger.
“It’s too late, son. You disappointed me, but I’m in a forgiving mood.” The cold laughter that followed sent my stomach flipping and an ominous wave rippled through me.
“What do you mean, it’s too late?” I pressed the phone against my ear as I entered the car.
Father clucked his tongue. “It’s just… too late.”
Hanging up and swinging into my car, I hit the wheel with anger. “Fuck!”
Speeding out of the parking garage and down the street, cars honked and people barked at me, but I didn’t care. All I saw was Emory and these ugly pictures that popped into my head. I saw red. My mind was spinning to the point of dizziness, and my heart was like thunder in my chest.
