Jesus, fuck. How the hell did I tell my kid this?
“Your mom wasn’t killed by a drunk driver.”
He frowned. “The cops arrested a guy.”
“I know,” I said.
“Dad, spit it out. Jesus, you’ve come this far.”
“Your mom’s death was a hit. On me.”
I watched my kid war with his emotions and it almost broke me.
“Her car had a flat that morning, so she took my truck,” I rasped.
I closed my eyes, memories of making love to her then kissing her gently before she walked out of the house.
“Who?” Orion demanded.
“Kong.”
Kong used to be the Apex Predators’ president, before he ‘disappeared.’ Six days after he’d gone missing, his burned remains were found deep in the woods. Only, he wasn’t technically missing to me. I’d taken my time with him, focusing all my grief and anguish on making him hurt before I finally let him die.
Orion swallowed and asked, “How?”
“They followed her from the cabin, ran her off the road, and shot her.”
“They fuckin’ shot her?” he hissed.
“Yeah.” I’d gotten to the scene to find my truck up against the barrier and a bullet hole in the middle of her forehead. Her beautiful face otherwise unmarred and I’d pulled her into my arms and held her as we waited for the ambulance. I’d kept the knowledge of the gunshot from my kids, unwilling to let that mess with their heads. “There was no way in hell I was telling any of you that at the time. It was hard enough you lost your mom, I didn’t want that visual in your head.”
Orion shook his head. “But the news would have reported it.”
“We paid off a few people to keep it quiet.” I sighed. More than a few people, actually. “Not sure how much longer we can keep it buried, though. I have it on good authority the Predators are being investigated, and this may come out.”
“Fuck,” he whispered. “Who was the drunk guy at the scene?”
“Some homeless guy they picked up the morning of, drugged, then left in the driver seat of the beater car they had at one of their shops.”
“Kong?”
I knew what he was asking, so I gave it to him. “I made him hurt before I killed him.”
Orion pressed his palms to his eyes. “So, the warehouse is payback.”
“No. Jaws and I had an agreement. This is something different. I don’t think Jaws knew what Zilla and Orca were doin’. And with Sonja orchestrating this…it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever wanted to kill a woman.”
Sonja was a club whore who’d been gagging for Orion for years. He’d kicked her to the curb a while ago and she decided revenge was better left served hot.
“Fuck, seriously,” he said. “Stupid cunt.”
“No doubt,” I agreed.
“Coup?” he deduced.
“Yeah, that’s where I’m leaning.”
“God help anyone who gets in the middle,” he breathed out.
