“You’re sick!” cried Tyler.
Finn reached across the table, gripping the man’s throat and pulling him toward him.
“If you want to see something sick, just look in the mirror. But I’ll be happy to show you how good I am at beating the sick out of you,” said Finn. “You were getting help from someone. Who the fuck was help-“
Finn froze, releasing his neck as he coughed, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Finn? What’s wrong?” asked River.
“The kid. The kid at the car lot. That’s who was helping him,” he said staring at the others. “Brett. That fucking little kid was helping him.”
“No! No, don’t touch him!”
“You and that boy got something going on?” asked Kev.
“No! That’s sick. He’s the son of one of the elders. I’m responsible for his safety.” River glared at him, leaning toward his face.
“Well, you’ve done a fucking terrible job.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Brett looked around the corner and shook his head. Where did he go? He was right behind him, following him back to the car lot. He told him to stay close but he didn’t listen. He never listened.
Although appearing to be only seventeen, he was actually twenty-two. He’d been sent by the elders to watch over Tyler Moses because his behavior was erratic and he wasn’t acquiring what they needed. A wife for himself, and possibly others for them.
Brett was always respectful, playing his role perfectly but behind the scenes he was telling his own father of the incompetence he was witnessing with the older man.
Taking out his phone he tried dialing his number but it went straight to voicemail. He angrily stuffed the phone inside his pocket and continued along the street, pushing people aside as they reveled like the devils they were.
He hated this city. He hated everything about it. Women were scandalous and inappropriate. If he were bigger, stronger, he’d be taking them all by the hair and dragging them into a room and beating the devil from them.
For now, he would find Tyler and get him out of the city. His father and the others would deal with him later. He’d left the lot unattended but it really didn’t matter. There were no parking spots available and everything was pre-paid. Besides, he didn’t care if they fired him. He didn’t need the job other than to keep his cover.
That fool Tyler, thought that he was mentoring him. He thought he was teaching him how to manage a woman, how to get a woman. He was truly stupid.
Brett often wondered if perhaps he’d been hit in the head too many times as a child. He wasn’t a terrible looking man. He was relatively smart, in a book-sense. Yet he seemed completely unable to get a woman that would agree to his terms.
It’s not like they were unreasonable terms. They were terms that all women had to follow. Obey your husband. Do as you’re told, no matter what it is. Cook, clean, tend the animals and children, keep your mouth closed unless asked to open it, and provide more children for the compound.
It was simple. Even in this city, you should be able to find at least one woman willing to follow those rules.
“Poor bastard,” frowned Brett.
He continued to push his way toward the lot, hoping he would find Tyler waiting for him there. Instead, he found more crowds, many lingering around the vehicles, spilling their drinks all over the various cars.
“Hey! Get off those cars,” he yelled.
“People are something else, aren’t they Brett?” asked Fitch, Sor standing behind him.
“Oh,” he said staring at the two men. “Hello, sirs.”
“You lied, Brett,” said Fitch. Brett looked up at the man, noticing others moving in closer. There were three that seemed identical in every way and he blinked, thinking he was hallucinating.
“Lied? I don’t lie, sir.”
“But you do,” said Finn. “You lied about how well you know Tyler Moses. You lied about seeing him with women. You liked about not knowing where he lived. I don’t like liars, Brett. And I really don’t like liars that cover for other liars, that are hurting women.”
He stood staring at the men, unsure of what to do next. He could make a run for it but he suspected they would catch him quickly.
