"Well," Lucian teased, knowing his son had no answer.
"I'm leaving," Talon spat, rising to his full height.
"Kage is out front waiting for you to bring him Cherish," I told him.
"Cherish is staying with?—"
"Nigga!" I gritted, tapping the gun against his jaw. "Cherish is leaving this property with Kage. You got an issue? We can Russian Roulette this bitch. But I'm warning you, my shit is loaded and doesn't jam."
Talon's lips twitched.
"Give Cherish to Kage Talon," Lucian said mildly, "unless you'd like to take Honor up on his offer."
Talon's eyes snapped toward Lucian.
"You'd like that, huh?" Then he turned to me. "You might be his favorite, but he doesn't love anyone other than himself."
"That's the difference between you and me. I never looked to him for love," I paused, letting it sink in. "Now go get Cherish. Help her finish decorating those cupcakes. Wrap 'em up, then leave out the back. I left Lucian a gift that Cherish doesn't need to see at the front."
I turned away from Talon, eyes fixed on the window behind Lucian. Talon sucked his teeth and left the room.
"It still amazes me," Lucian mused, "how much of a woman he acts like. I tried everything to correct it. I even tried forcing him to kill, but still nothing. I thought he'd want to save his mother's life, but unfortunately, he let Navy save her."
I didn't flinch or move. He wanted a reaction and to see how much I knew about the woman I loved. He wanted to catch me off guard.
"Did you hear?—"
"I heard you," I grunted, licking my lips. "The past isn't why I'm here. Whatever Navy did is done. I'm here to correct what you did."
"And what exactly did I do?"
Lucian's smugness curled into a cruel smile.
"We're better than this game you're trying to play."
"We are," Lucian smoothly agreed, leaning back in his chair. "I'll cut to the chase. I asked you to do something for me. You declined. In the spirit of retaliation, I sent a gentle warning."
"Anaskgives the person an option to say no."
His smile thinned.
"Correct. But I know how you feel about demands. Now, how do you wish to move forward?"
"Move forward?" I lifted the gun. "You see this? This is the only way we're moving forward."
"Kill me, Honor. I know you want to." He leaned in just enough. "You thought about it while you watched your mother die, dreamt about it every night you slept in my basement. I could name a dozen moments where the idea crossed your mind, but we both know you'll never pull the trigger."
"I won't?" I growled, lunging across the desk and gripping his shirt. The barrel brushed his lips.
"When it's time for you to die, trust me, I'll be the nigga sending you straight to hell."
"When it's time?" Lucian laughed, crude and certain. "Do it now."
His eyes gleamed. "Send me to the hell you think I deserve, and everyone you love gets slaughtered… your brothers, Gigi, the precious fetus that four-eyed bitch is carrying. All of them." His voice dropped, satisfied. "Don't worry, you'll live long enough for the suffocation to set in. Your family, the people you love, are oxygen to you. Without them, you can't breathe or function."
Lucian paused, just long enough for the play to reveal itself. Four men stepped in, guns aimed, synchronized. Licking my lips, I loosened my grip. Lucian fell back into his chair, calm as a man who'd already won the move.
"I saw it," he uttered. "The first time was with your mom. No hesitation, no thought for self. Just instinct."
