“Jesus Christ.” He groans. “I hate celibacy.”
“Then why the hell are you doing it?”
“Because I found myself a girl.”
“Fuck off. Since when?”
“Since… a while. She doesn’t know she’s mine yet, so I’m waiting.”
“Welcome to hell, brother.” I turn and lean back against the bathroom counter. “I give you three days before your brain caves in and you’re fucking someone or something.”
“He has no faith in me,” he mutters to himself.
“That’s because I remember when you were so desperate you shoved your dick in your stepmom.”
“I was being a good stepson. She needed the attention after my dad died—someone had to take care of her.”
“Well, that was thoughtful of you.”
“Lucien fucked her too.”
“No, he didn’t. But he did rail her sister the same weekend, if I remember right.”
Cain loses it on the other end—full-blown laughter echoing through the phone.
“No wonder I’m screwed up. I’m surrounded by people who are unhinged as fuck.”
“You adore me,” he says between laughs.
“Yeah, I know. Now fuck off. I’m going back to bed.”
“Wait,” he says suddenly, his laughter dying. “Have you killed Lawson yet?”
“No, I’m under strict instructions to let him keep walking around like he’s not a predator.”
“Yeah… and as much as I’d love to nail his fucking hands to the floor, slit him open from cock to chin, and turn him inside out while he screams through a throat I’ve already ripped out, Lucien wanted me to remind you not to touch him.”
“That was impressively graphic.”
“You’re welcome… now don’t do anything stupid.”
“I got it… I’ll talk to you soon.”
Before he can respond, I cut the call. The screen goes black in my hand, and I stand there staring at it.
Lowering the phone, I grip the edge of the bathroom counter until the ache in my knuckles starts to spread up my forearms. My head drops, and I force myself to exhale slowly through my nose, trying to push the violence back down where it belongs.
Shannen is healing me.
She has healed me, mostly.
But this part of me—this thing kept on a leash, this violent, rabid need to put my father in the ground—that won’t ever disappear. Not until he’s wiped off this earth and I watch the light leave his eyes and know, with absolute certainty, that he can never hurt anyone again.
Disappointment.
Worthless.
Useless.
