by Nikki Ash
Aris snorts. “Since Mamá died? Where the hell have you been all our lives, man?”
All our lives?
He’s fucking with me.
Our mother may have cheated on Father, but my father was loyal to her. He’s the whole goddamn reason why I’m so obsessed with loyalty. It’s been drilled into my head for as long as I can remember.
“Lyssa’s been on the payroll for years, Kostas. Don’t be obtuse.” My father scowls my way.
Obtuse?
Don’t be fucking obtuse?
The woman in question shrugs as if it’s no big deal to fuck a man three times her age who can’t even go to the bathroom by himself.
“What about Mamá?” I hiss.
Father’s face softens. “I know you’re having a rough time since your wife left you—”
“She didn’t fucking leave me,” I roar, making the woman jump.
Aris seems pleased as hell to see me lose my shit over our father’s indiscretions. The smile is wiped off his face when his phone rings. As he scrambles to pull his phone from his pocket, something hits the floor and bounces. A pacifier. For a baby. I stare at it in confusion as he picks it up and shoves it back in his pocket. He answers the phone in a hateful tone that makes me wonder, again, if he even likes that woman he’s shacked up with. His dumbass bitch can be heard screeching on the other line. He pales and then pure fury morphs the charming Demetriou prince into a dragon. For a split second, his hateful eyes find mine, and if they had the power, he’d slay me where I stand.
“Emergency with Selene,” he growls out as he pushes past me, knocking his shoulder into mine on the way out.
Lyssa takes his exit as her cue to leave as well. As she steps past me, I grab her bicep. She shoots me a panicked look.
“You fucked him while he was married to my mother?” I demand in a cold tone.
Her eyes flicker over to my father, but he doesn’t save or defend her. I can see it in her eyes. The answer is clear as day. Yes.
“Lyssa is a tigress in bed, son. You can’t tell me you haven’t fucked anyone since Talia left.”
“She. Didn’t. Leave. Talia was taken.”
“And with all those pretty maids walking around, you’re telling me you didn’t get your dick sucked not once this entire time?”
“I’m fucking married, Father!”
He snorts. “Marriage is something for everyone else to see. It’s an illusion of happiness. Everyone fucks around. Even me.”
But what about loyalty to your motherfucking wife? He’s drilled loyalty into my head since I was old enough to learn what the word meant. It was all a fucking lie.
“Adrian,” I bark out.
His heavy footsteps thud down the hall. “Sir?”
“Take Lyssa home. The long way.”
He doesn’t argue or balk at my orders. Adrian’s a good man. Without explanation, he’ll do what needs doing and that’s burying this dirty little secret today.
I release her once he has her in his grip. He stalks away with her. My gaze falls to the stack of bills on the dresser—money she’ll never touch again.
“You lied to me,” I tell him, bitterness creeping into my tone. “My entire life I thought you were devoted to my mother.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” he bites out. “You know your mother slept with Niles fucking Nikolaides of all people.”
I couldn’t understand it before. How she’d even step out of her marriage in the first place. But now I wonder. Did she know about my father’s whores? Was she trying to hurt him like he hurt her?
“When did you take your first whore after marriage?” I ask, my voice deadly and cold.
He glowers at me and his jaw clenches. My eyes skirt over to the pillow beside him. My mother’s pillow. A smear of Lyssa’s lipstick taints the pillowcase. A framed picture of my mother on the nightstand faces the bed as though she’s punished even in death to take my father’s abuse.
“This is none of your business,” he says, cutting through my thoughts.
Slamming my gaze back on his, I crack my neck. “Everything’s my business now.”
His nostrils flare at my words. The double meaning behind them. “I’m still in charge here,” he seethes. “You’re my son, but you mustn’t forget who built this empire from the ground up.”
His skin is grayish and his muscle tone is gone. Father is nothing but a decaying bag of bones. It’s a wonder his dick still works because his legs sure as fuck don’t. He’s a pathetic excuse for a man lying in his bed, unable to do a goddamn thing but listen to what I have to say.
“You’re not in charge,” I state coolly. “I’ve been running this shit ever since the accident last year.”
“Accident? Your mother’s attempted murder was an accident?”
“You provoked her,” I bark.
“You’re insane, boy.”
I crack my neck again before sliding my jacket off and draping it over the back of his wheelchair. His eyes track my movements. When I unbutton my shirt at the cuff, he narrows his gaze.
“You’re going to beat an old man up? What kind of son are you?” Despite his rage, fear glimmers in his eyes.
I slowly roll my sleeve up to my elbow. The muscles in my forearm flex and the veins throb with the need to inflict pain.
“You’re my father,” I hiss. “I’d never strike you.”
He relaxes some, but his weary gaze remains fixed on my actions. I take my time rolling up my other sleeve as well.
“This is my empire, Kostas. I am the Demetriou name. You can’t forget that,” he tells me with false bravado.
“What happens when you’re gone?” I ask, already knowing the answer. “That’s right, everything goes to me.”
“To both my sons,” he lies.
Now that I don’t have the alcohol buzzing through me and wreaking havoc on my brain, I took the time this morning to analyze every facet of my life. According to our family attorney, I’m still listed as sole heir to the hotels, the Demetriou fortune, everyfuckingthing.
“I used to think loyalty was the backbone of our family name.” I make a tsk of disapproval. “I was wrong. It’s lies. Lies are woven into every aspect of our lives like fucking snakes in a garden.” I smile at him. “It’s time to cut the head off the biggest viper in the nest.”
“You won’t cut me open like I’m one of our victims in the cellar,” he growls. “I know you better than that, Kostas. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m your father. We’re exactly the same.”
“You’re right,” I admit. “I won’t make you bleed.” My gaze drifts to my mother’s picture. “But where you’re wrong is that we’re not the same. You may have destroyed Mamá, but you will not destroy me.” I flash the picture a sinister smile. “This is for what you couldn’t finish, Mamá. I heard your dying wishes loud and clear. I won’t let you down.”
“What the f—”
Father’s words are silenced when I reach across him to grab Mamá’s pillow that’s stained with another woman’s lipstick. I shove the fluffy pillow down on his face. His attempts to drag the pillow away and then trying to hit at me are futile. I’m a monster. A motherfucking fire-breathing beast. He’s a lowly snake in the grass waiting to be stomped on. With my eyes on my mother’s picture, I smother my father with her pillow. He should have died when she shot him. It’s my duty to end the disloyal bastard’s existence. My father struggles for longer than I expect given his weakened state. I’ll give him that. At one time, I thought he was the most powerful man in the world. I fucking looked up to him. And the way he looked after Mamá and loved her was admirable.
Lies.
All lies.
Mamá may have broken my heart when she killed herself, but she opened my eyes. She tugged on the veil of deception my father had slipped over my head. She made me see there was more to life than money and mayhem.
Love.
She wanted me to see that love was more important than so called loyalty.
It was har
d to believe considering she’d deceived my father, but now learning he was the root of everything, I feel as though I finally understand her message.
Love is everything.
Love is loyalty and forgiveness and hope.
The rest is just bullshit.
I’m not sure how long I hold the pillow over Father’s face, but when he’s stopped moving for some time, I pull the pillow away and gently put it back where it goes beside him. His eyes are glazed over but still open. I slide my fingers down over his lids, closing them. When I check his pulse, I learn he’s, in fact, dead.
I feel nothing.
Not victory or sadness.
Fucking nothing.
Once I undo my sleeves, I pull my jacket back on. I grab the picture of my mother and then head downstairs. As I wait for Adrian to return to pick me up, I make some coffee and sit in the kitchen on a barstool. My mind drifts to times when Mamá would busy herself in here, despite the fact we had a cook, and try to give us some semblance of a normal life. She’d sing and teasingly brush flour on my nose as we baked together whenever Father was away on business. I loved those simple moments with her. When I forgot I was destined to be a mob boss and could just be her little boy. Back when I would dream of racing cars in Monte Carlo and surfing with sharks. I was innocent and my father ripped that innocence away from me no matter how hard my mother clutched me to her, trying to preserve it.
I’m not innocent anymore.
But it doesn’t mean I can’t be the man my mother would have wanted me to be.
I’ll never be good, that’s for damn sure. I’ll be good enough for love, though, just as she would have wanted. I’m good enough for Talia. And one day soon I’ll find her.
“Good afternoon,” Tammy, a nurse of Father’s, greets as she enters. “How’s Ezio?”
I clench my jaw and think about my mother. About how devastated I was when she pulled that trigger on herself. Real emotion shines in my eyes as I regard the nurse.
“He went to be with Mamá during his nap,” I choke out.
“Oh, honey,” Tammy cries out. “He died?”
I nod and the woman hugs me. I let her. To be honest, it feels good to be drawn in a motherly hug. Resting my chin on top of her gray head, I let out a heavy sigh.
“You know Father. He’s so proud. It was his wish to keep his death quiet when the time came. Cremation. No service.”
She pulls away and furrows her brows as she cups my cheeks. “I’m discreet, honey. We’ll get it sorted together. Just tell me what I need to do.”
“Let me be the one to tell my brother,” I mutter. “To tell everyone.”
“Do what you have to do, dear. I’ll go upstairs and make sure he’s decent.”
“Thanks, Tammy. Don’t worry about not getting paid. I’ll have Aris wire you a bonus as a thank you for all you’ve done.”
She smiles at me. “The Demetriou men are good men. I’m proud to have worked for this family.”
We’re bad men, but I don’t want to spoil the moment with the truth.
I give her a nod, dismissing her. I sip on my coffee as I watch out the window for Adrian. It takes a quick call to Franco to have him come deal with Father’s body, and another call to the family attorney, Thomas, to inform him of the official change of power. The next person to know needs to be Aris. And it’ll need to be told in person. No one wants to hear their father is dead over the phone.
I’ll go back to the office, deal with some other affairs, and then drop by this evening to deliver the news over dinner. Kill two birds with one stone. It’s time to see what lies Aris has been telling, and if I know my brother, the lies are plentiful. I’ve just never really cared too much until now.
But now?
Now I care a whole lot.
I’m going to uncover every hidden truth.
And once everything is all laid out on the table, I’m going to make those who’ve been playing games against me pay.
Blood. Sweat. Tears. Limbs.
They. Will. Pay.
Every last one of them.
Talia
As I drive down the driveway, the winding road takes us to the front gate. I hold my breath, praying it opens from the inside. Over the last year, I’ve planned the best I could, but because I couldn’t see this far, I could only plan to leave. As the gate slowly moves to the side, I spot a black SUV driving up behind me. What the hell? There’s no way Selene caught up that fast. When I glance in my rearview mirror, I spot a man in the driver’s seat.
Without waiting for the gate to completely open, I press my foot on the gas, refusing to let this guy, whoever he is, catch up to us. Damn it! How did I not see him? Aris must have someone guarding the house, but he’s never been where I can see him. I’ve checked so many times.
Zoe sits in the passenger seat, babbling to me, as I drive down the curvy roads. I have no clue where I am or where I’m going, but my goal is to get to the city so I can ask someone for help.
I look in the mirror again, and the SUV is catching up to me. There’s no way I’m going to make it out of these hills unless I pick up my speed. I glance over at my little girl and she smiles up at me. I need to protect her. I need to get us to safety.
With one hand on the wheel, I reach over and grab the seatbelt, drawing it across her lap. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best I can do in a shitty situation. I press my foot harder on the gas and increase my speed, but when I glance back, the SUV is less than a car away from me now. I’m never going to make it.
All this work, all this planning, and I missed something. I slam my fist against the steering wheel. I was so fucking close. Aris is never going to give me this much leeway again. I had one chance and I messed it up.
The front of the SUV hits my back bumper and the vehicle swerves.
No!
My eyes briefly fly to Zoe to make sure she’s okay before they’re back on the road.
I can do this. I can get away.
He lays down on the horn. He wants me to pull over. I make it around the bend before his bumper hits mine again. Zoe lurches forward and I use my hand to hold her against the seat. I can’t keep going. Whoever this guy is isn’t going to stop until I pull over, and I can’t risk him driving me off the road. I can’t put my daughter’s life in jeopardy.
Prickly tears of defeat burn in my eyes as my heart rate races.
I don’t want to give up. I’m not ready to give up.
When my gaze flits back over to my little girl, my eyes land on the gun in the center console, and my thoughts go to Kostas. He wouldn’t even hesitate. If he were in my shoes right now, he would kill this asshole. It’s me and Zoe or him. And I’m choosing me and Zoe.
I can do this.
I am Talia Demetriou, wife of a fucking mob boss.
I pull over on the side of the road and get out, not wanting him to make it over to where my daughter is. I flip the safety off and wait for him to exit the vehicle. And when he does, I’m momentarily stunned. Estevan Galani. The man my husband shot in the dick. Of course Aris would hire a damn enemy to guard his house. Those two roaches deserve each other. At least one of them is about to be exterminated. Kostas can deal with Aris.
Pointing the gun right at him, I pull the trigger.
Pop!
The gunshot echoes loudly, making my ears ring and Zoe scream. He stumbles back, but doesn’t fall. Fucking damn roach. Crimson swells where I clipped his shoulder.
“You bitch!” he growls, pulling his own gun out.
Before he has a chance to hurt either one of us, I pull the trigger again and again and again. Until he hits the ground. I stare in shock at the bullet holes littering his chest.
I shot him.
I fucking shot him.
My hands are shaking, and my body is numb. I just killed a man. One who would’ve done the same to me, I remind myself. As I turn around to run back to my vehicle, I run right into a hard wall. No, not a wall…
“That wasn’t very smart,” Aris s
ays.
I lift the gun to shoot him, but before I can, he snatches it out of my hand.
“Get your daughter from the vehicle, now,” he barks, “and get your ass in my car.”
My eyes dart around me, wondering if there’s any way I can still escape. There are woods on both sides, but there’s no way I’ll make it to grab Zoe and run without Aris stopping me.
As if reading my thoughts, he snarls, “Don’t even think about it. Get your fucking ass in the car.”
We walk a few feet, when I hear a moaning sound. That asshole is seriously not dead?
Aris hits me with a hard glare, then stalks over to him. With the same gun I used, he points it at Estevan’s forehead and shoots. His brains explode, and I lose everything in my stomach.
Everything’s a blur as I pull Zoe from the seat and clutch her to my chest. I can feel the tears falling, but I’m numb to them. I sit in the front seat of Aris’s Porsche and inhale my sweet baby’s hair.
Please don’t hurt us.
Please don’t hurt us.
Zoe is no longer crying now that I’m soothing her, and she babbles to Aris when he falls into the front seat. He says something to her before peeling out and taking us back in the direction we came. When we get back to the house, Selene is sitting on the couch with an icepack pressed to the side of her head.
“You fucking bitch!” she hisses.
“Enough!” Aris booms. “I have to go clean up the fucking mess you made,” he says to me. “And since you can’t play nice with Selene, and I can’t risk you trying to escape, you can now consider yourself a prisoner.”
“Oh, now I can?” I scoff. “I’ve been your damn prisoner for the last year.”
Aris smirks wickedly. “No, Talia, you were my guest. Now, you’re about to see what it means to be my prisoner.” He forces me into my room and I set Zoe in her crib, so I can deal with him, but when I turn around, the door is slammed shut and it’s locked from the outside. Motherfucker! I race through the bathroom to see if that door is unlocked, but as I twist the knob, the lock clicks in place. He locked me inside! With a hopeless sigh, I slide down the door and press my head against the wood. This was it. This was my one chance. And it’s gone. And now we’re worse off than before.
