Aiden looks up from the paperwork in front of him, his body tense as soon as our gazes meet. "What do you want?"
I shut the door behind me, turning the lock. "To talk."
"Weapons?" He pushes back, leaning in his chair to reach beneath the wooden desk for what I'm sure is a gun.
I lift my shirt, turning around before propping one foot and then the other on the desk, showing off the lack of a calf holster.
Aiden finally nods, easing back in his chair, his eyes still tracking my every movement. "What do you want to talk about?"
I don't know how to force the words out, but I have to.
As I ease into the hard vinyl chair on the other side of the desk, a lump lodges in my throat, silencing me.
My father wouldn't want this. He'd be ashamed of me for being here right now and not putting a bullet between Aiden's eyes.
My father would say that I'd become weak in my old age. He'd tell me that I'm letting the family down. That I've been letting them down for a long time. Fuck, he'd threaten to disown me if he didn't kill me himself for not following through with what I know would be his final wish.
Aiden scoffs. "If you came here to waste my time, you can get the fuck out."
"Why haven't you killed me yet?"
It's not what I wanted to say first, but it's the thought that's been lingering at the back of my mind, pressing me over and over again.
Aiden shrugs, leaning back in his chair, his gaze darting past me to the door. His arms are crossed, fingers drumming on his bicep. "What use are you to me dead right now?"
"You don't have to worry about anyone coming after you. Free to do whatever the fuck you please."
Aiden's lips press into a thin line. "And then I'd have to deal with Summer. For some reason, she thinks that you shouldn't be killed, and what I can't figure out is what you did to change her mind when you've never been anything but a bastard who slaughters people for fun."
"You say that like you have." I grip the arms of the chair.
Any moment now, he's going to have someone burst through the door behind me. There's going to be a bullet in my head.
Coming here was stupid. I don't know what I was thinking.
Aiden shifts in his seat, his finger stilling on his arm. "Why are you here?"
"Don't feel much like dying anymore." I tense as footsteps echo outside the door.
My blood rushes in my ears as I get ready to jump up and try to defend myself.
And then the footsteps fade, and Aiden smirks like he's having fun messing with my head. Can't say I blame him much for that, but if he could make this even a little easier, it'd be helpful.
He leans forward, clasping his hands together on top of his desk. "Can't be the only reason. Why don'tyouwant to killme? Why the hell did you march yourself in here knowing that you're likely going to die?"
"Summer."
Aiden gives a slow tilt of his head just slightly to the side, his eyes narrowing and the muscle in his jaw ticking. "Don't know what you want with her."
"Didn't know what you wanted with my sister."
The corner of his lips twitches. "Guess you have a point there, but I'm not going to let this happen. And what makes you think she even wants to be with you? Based on the way she's been slamming everything around whenever she's at the family house, I'd say you did a good job pissing her off."
"That's for me to figure out."
How I'm going to do that, I don't even know where to start. Hell, if I had to think about it too long, I don't even know what I really want, beyond her.
I don't have a fucking clue about any of this.
