Cain exhales like he already knows where this is going.
“Before I tell you, I need to know your play.”
“Kill him. That’s it.”
“Yeah… that’s what I figured.” Silence hangs between us for a second. “And what about your girl?”
“She knows I won’t let it go.”
“What if you fuck it up? What if you make the wrong move because you’re too close to it?”
“I won’t.”
“You’ve got something to lose for the first time in your life, so just think about that for one second before you go full beast.”
“You know, I’d expect this talk-down from Lucien, but not from you.”
“Yeah… Well, I’ve got my own shit going on, and I don’t need to add you banged up in jail to it.”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing really. Just thinking maybe it’s time for something different. Not just for me but for Lucien too.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“Only the fun kind.”
“Okay… So where’s the bastard hiding?”
“See, that’s the reckless shit I’m talking about. You know better than to ask for details over a goddamn phone call.”
“Then send it.”
“I will, on one condition.”
“What?”
“You don’t move, not yet. You sit the fuck down, you breathe, and you go fuck your girl. You remember what it feels like to live, and when the time comes, we’ll deal with him together.”
“And if he moves again?”
“We’ve got better eyes on him now. He won’t disappear again. I made sure of it.”
I drag a hand down my face, already feeling the burn in my chest that never fucking leaves.
“Fine. But this is happening. Sooner, not later.”
“I know you’ve been living to end him, but you’ve also been living for her, so pick which one matters more.”
It’s not even a choice.
It’s her every time.
As much as I want to watch the light leave my father’s eyes, there’s a small, absolutely fucking terrified part of me that doesn’t want her to ever look at me differently. I don’t want to cross a line I can’t come back from and turn into something she can’t love.
“So, how was it getting that first real taste of pussy heaven?”
I exhale a laugh. “Fucking everything. She ruined me.”
