“The next day, my brother started flirting with her little sister. Her thirteen-year-old sister. He showed Lori how easy it was for him to manipulate the girl, said he’d only stop if she agreed to date him and do everything he wanted. If she didn’t, he’d make sure he ruined her little sister in every conceivable way.”
History was repeating itself. Jason blackmailed Lori by threatening her sister and he’d blackmailed Amy by threatening her daughter.
“And your parents did nothing?”
“The opposite, actually,” Frankie said, disgusted. “My father encouraged it. My mother wasn’t really in a position to do anything. Neither was I, really. Lori agreed to date him. He used her like his own personal sex slave and punching bag, and she was too afraid for her little sister to say no. When she turned up pregnant, she asked for money for an abortion. Instead, he strangled her and tossed her body on her parent’s front porch.”
“Didn’t he care about getting caught?” Nico asked, shaking his head like he couldn’t fathom it. Mal couldn’t really, either. Micah was a homicidal maniac, but he’d been meticulous about covering his tracks.
“Jason had no sense of self-preservation back then. He would be too blinded by his rage. In our freshman year, a kid turned him in for cheating, so Jason killed his cat. That’s just how he was. It was no different with Lori. He was so furious over her demanding anything from him, even if he would have forced her to have an abortion anyway. He snapped. But killing her wasn’t enough. He needed her whole family to suffer. He gets off on it.”
“Jesus,” Nico muttered.
“He came home and confessed everything. Bragged about it, even. He couldn’t stop talking about how her face looked as she died.”
Frankie’s eyes had a sort of far-away look like he was right back in that moment.
“My mother begged my father to turn him in, and, for a second, I thought he might actually do it.” He huffed out a bitter laugh. “But as soon as it hit the news, my father changed his mind. He said Jason had his whole life ahead of him. That one girl shouldn’t ruin everything. He went to the police and confessed to everything an hour later.”
“And they just accepted it?” Nico asked. “There was no investigation?”
Frankie scoffed. “My father was a career criminal who’d made evading the police into a game. They all but rolled out the red carpet for him. You’d think that him showing up at a police station and confessing would raise red flags, but no. They made no attempt to corroborate his story. There wasn’t even a trial. He didn’t even ask for a lesser sentence for confessing.”
“That’s…selfless,” Nico mused.
Frankie shrugged. “He died a few years later of terminal lung cancer. I think he knew he didn’t have much time left. Or maybe not. Maybe he really thought Jason’s life was worth trading for his own,” he said.
“You’re disgusted with your dad, but you just called yourself your brother’s keeper. How many murders haveyouhelped cover up for him?” Nico asked.
Frankie shook his head, looking flummoxed. “Look, after we returned to Hong Kong, Jason got…better.”
“Better?” Nico barked. “Like he was just magically cured?”
Frankie made a frustrated sound. “It wasn’t like that. After we came back, the previous Dai Lo stepped down, and his son took his place. That man took an interest in us not only because of my father, but because we were close to Leo. Well, Jason was close to Leo.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Mal asked.
“Jason is cruel. I’m not saying he isn’t. But the new Dai Lo took care of us and our mom financially and basically turned Jason into an enforcer. That gave him plenty of outlets for his ugly temper, all under the guise of just doing his job. He knew that if he brought any unwanted attention to the Red Lotus, the Dai Lo would have him put down like a stray dog. So, he became two people.”
“Two people?” Mal prompted.
“Whenever others were around, he’d be an angel. Calm. Collected. Charming, even. Anytime anything bad happened, my brother would subtly hint that it was my doing, not his. But as far as I know, he hasn’t hurt anyone. At least, without their permission.”
“Do you think he killed Amy? We know she tried to reject his advances and he threatened her daughter. She was blackmailing Leo, trying to get him to keep Jason off her by threatening to tell the Dai Lo about your business.”
“What?” Frankie asked, his confusion evident. “How do you know that?”
Fuck it. “Amy had a journal. She referred to you guys by your zodiacs, but she said that not only was Jason assaulting her, he was threatening her daughter. Apparently, Leo knew about it, too.”
Frankie shrugged. “That makes sense. Leo’s weak. Jason has him terrorized. He knows my brother would rat him out to the Dai Lo without thinking twice. He’s already poisoned him against Leo, just like he did me.”
“And you…let him?” Nico asked. “You don’t look like someone who’s easily pushed around.”
Frankie’s jaw clenched, hands fisting beside him. “Lori wasn’t the only one my brother blackmailed. Jason knows I’m gay. If that were to get out, my lifespan would be shortened considerably. I have to be discreet.”
“He’d even sell you out?” Nico asked.
Frankie snorted. “My brother doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He’s a narcissist and a sociopath. He will do whatever he has to do to get what he wants, when he wants, and woe betide the creature who gets in his way. I have no intention of getting in his way.”
