There’s a moment of silence as everyone looks in shock at Dad and Colt before a wave of noise follows. A couple of the older members of The Fallen look ready to give Colt an ass whooping.
My dad is frozen, his eyes hard, his scent getting all bitter and nasty. Which isn’t a good sign for anyone. And the vein that pops out on the side of his neck isn’t a great sign either.
Hayes jumps in to pacify the situation, “Sir, we are doing what you said we had to. All of us. I got a job, and we’ve got a plan now.”
“What about Reid, huh?” King looks to Hayes, but Reid interrupts and answers.
“I’ve been learning my father’s business.”
King shrugs, making the movement overexaggerated and clearly condescending as hell, “Yeah, well that ain’t work, is it?”
“Working for my father is work!” Reid bites back, his eyes narrowed. He’s failing at King’s test today. I know it, everyone knows it, and it adds to Reid’s crappy mood.
King’s eyes lock on Reid, and despite the easy smile on King’s face, it’s clear he’s pretty pissed off. He doesn’t answer straight away, he just watches Reid struggling not to squirm under his stony gaze. “And that’s the issue, it’s his business. Which for the record, he’s fucking shit at doing. Being in an elected position is one thing, but the whole world knows what he did to get elected.”
From either side of the garden party comes a clash of conflict at Dad’s obvious slur. It’s not wrong, though. No one could dispute the desperate shady games Reid’s father is renowned for. He takes being a slimy politician to a whole new level; corruption, dishonesty, and intimidation are words regularly associated with him. Sadly, it’s Reid’s mother who is worse.
Dad takes his ‘don’t give a fuck attitude’ even further. “In my books, I reckon that means he should be representing all the people in his electorate, but the picky fucker can’t see past his inner circle of rich golf buddies. So, while those numb skulls get richer, and your daddy gets fatter, all the other people are left wanting.” Dad takes a moment to watch Reid’s reactions before he gets more direct in the way he speaks to Reid. “You get that’s what I have issue with, right? That’s the life you want my daughter to be a part of? And before you try to bullshit to my face, I want you to at least admit you realise there’s no way your parents will let you or your brother deviate from the life your family has planned for you both. No shit, yeah? They would have started planning your life, since the time you were still sitting in his hairy ball sack.”
Some people actually take a visible step back like they don’t want to be here anymore. But King ignores it all, his attention still locked on Reid.
Reid does an angry slow exhale before standing up to King and ignoring his comment about his family. “You said we needed to provide for her. Me going into his business would mean I could. So yes, I’ve been busy learning every part of it, so I can take it over one day.”
“Interesting you’re living in his shadow, Reid, but so is the fact those two turds next to you came into their alpha designations. And junior here is looking like he’s about to too,” King jabs his finger in Colt’s direction before taking a physical step back towards Reid, Talon, and Hayes, “but none of you bothered to pick the phone up to let me know. Did Daddy tell you how to handle that too?”
Hayes throws his hand out to try to placate the rising tension. “Sir, we thought it better to do that face to face.”
“Yet, it wasn’t the first thing you did man to man, was it, Hayes? What about you, Talon? You’ve been here eyeing my daughter like she’s a tasty fucking treat, but you haven’t come up and taken me aside, told me you’re a big alpha now.”
Talon’s shoulders roll back, not too much, but I’m watching the four of them closely so I see it. “I thought it was more important to say hi to Lolli again, instead of telling you something you already sensed the second you took your helmet off,” he says. The lack of emotion in his voice and on his face is a clear indicator of how pissed off he is.
“Kudos mini alpha.” King smirks sarcastically before he glares at him. “You played it wrong. You need to remember, untilRaneyis packed, she is mine. And no shit, I’ve told you so many fucking times to be straight up with me. If anything impacts her, you tell me. Straight up. None of these bullshit games Reid’s pa is known for. The second I arrived you should have been waiting to talk to me. Not arriving late and doing it this way,” Dad’s eyes are dangerously half-mast, his anger’s swirling all around him as he stands to his full height. It’s hella intimidating.
And this is the other side of living in a world of designations. Alphas are the top of the society pyramid, and if you’re not strong enough to go toe to toe up against one, then it’s a slippery slope down to the bottom where power plays are a way of life. Add in my dad is King, and yeah, no one challenges him like Talon just did.
“Dad, he didn’t mean any harm. Please,” I say, dropping my gaze to my scuffed Vans.
“You’re apologising for him, Raney?” King laughs. And yeah, I know I’m currently dealing with the alpha asshole who rules over all the other assholes in The Fallen and not my dad.
And this time the sound that falls from my lips is loud enough to let him, and the world know how I feel about him making a scene. But one of the things Dad taught me was to own the moment.
I turn to him, flicking one eyebrow up. “You both want the same thing, and that is for me to be happy.”
He glares at me, but he also pulls back his surging alpha-ego. “I’m leaving you here with them. I’ll keep fucking grilling them forever if needs be.” And then he swings his attention back to the boys who stand waiting, though his finger jabs at Reid. “Pretending to work for your daddy is not enough in my books. You need to know how to survive without the handouts you keep waiting for.”
Colt scoffs, trying to hide it under a shuffle of his feet, but they’re all under the microscope, where every movement and word is a test. King zeroes his foul mood on him, trying to push him to a breaking point. “Colt, you old enough to wipe your own ass yet?”
“Only just, sir.” As soon as Colt answers sarcastically, he locks his jaw shut. I can feel his frustration from here. But we also knew King would be coming hard at them.
King keeps his attention on the youngest of our crew. “What do you bring to the table, huh? Seems like you’ve got a lot to say there.”
“No, sir.” Colt though isn’t afraid of conflict or confrontation. He never has been. He stands a little straighter before he gets ready to answer.
King’s impatient though, “No, sir, what? Nothing to say, or nothing to bring to the table?”
“Not my year to talk, sir. Supposedly I have to turn eighteen before I’m allowed to stand and say my bit. As soon as you say I can, I will be. And I’ve got no doubt you’ll be listening to what I have to say.” Colt’s being pretty dominant, but at the same time, he’s careful to keep his eyes away from the challenge in Dad’s.
“Big man, huh?” King smirks.
