He didn’t even stir when I walked in.
“Elliott.” My voice is hard but not too loud. His eyes flutter open, and he looks up at me, then swallows hard. “Are you ready to talk?”
“Yeah.” He coughs as though his throat is dry, which it likely is. “Yes.”
“Good. You have two choices, and I want you to listen to me very carefully.”
His eyes don’t leave mine.
“The first is, you can stay in a cell like this one for the rest of your natural life. You’ll be fed and watered, but that’s it.”
His eyes well with tears, and I clench my jaw shut.Take the second choice, son.
“The second choice is, I let you out of here, and you start from scratch. No money. No car, nothing. You’ll work as a janitor at one of my buildings, and when I feel that you’ve earned it, you can come back to the organization as a soldier. You won’t set foot in another casino to gamble ever again. You’ll also get a handle on your drinking.”
Elliott swallows hard.
“Neither option is easy. You’ll have to decide whichhardyou want to take on.”
“I can’t live in here for the rest of my life.” His voice is raspy, but full of conviction. “Where will I live?”
“You’ll have a small apartment. You won’t come to the penthouse or the mansion until you’ve been invited, if ever. I don’t want you anywhere near my wife.”
His eyes flare and then he frowns. “Wife? You got married?”
Ah, that’s right. He doesn’t know.
“I married Natasha.”
I stay still, watching him to see how he reacts to this news. He blows out a breath and then hangs his head.
“She deserved better than me.”
Those words both surprise me and give me hope that my son is actually capable of changing into a man I can respect.
“Yeah, she fucking did. You’re going to toe the goddamn line, Elliott. You’re twenty-five, not a child. I raised you to be a better man than this. If you fuck uponce, you won’t see the light of day again. And if youeverso much as lay your pinky finger on my wife, I’ll put a bullet in your skull myself.”
He presses his lips together, his lower lip quivers, and then he swallows it all down and nods his head.
“Yes, sir. I’ll take that option, please.”
“That’s maybe the smartest thing you’ve ever done. Prove yourself to me, and you’ll earn a place in my organization, but nothing will be handed to you because of your last name, and you’ll never inherit my empire. Do you understand?”
He nods once more, and I call out for Jack. He immediately opens the door of the cell, and three of my men follow him inside.
“Take Elliott to our infirmary and call Dr. Asgood. He’ll need medical attention. Make sure the apartment is ready for him when he’s been released.”
“Yes, boss,” Jack says with a nod. “Come on, kid. Let’s get you fixed up.”
The guys help my son off the floor, and before they can lead him away, I step forward and cup his face in my hand.
“You’re going to be okay,” I tell him.
“Thanks for not killing me,” he replies. “I guess you’re not as soft as I thought.”
“No, I’m notsoft. And you won’t make that mistake again.”
He shakes his head, and then he’s led away, and I make my way up to the penthouse.
