My gut twisted, and acid shot up my esophagus. He was right. How many times did I stake my claim on Lexi? And I never gave her a real chance to deny me.
“Tell me, Killian.” Stan puffed the cigar, blowing smoke across the desk and into my face. “Was her pussy as wet for you as it was for me?”
There was no stopping the explosion of fury that detonated inside me. Like he’d pressed the button to release a nuclear missile, his words set off a chain reaction.
I lurched over his desk and ripped him out of the chair.
“Get off me!” he yelled.
I slammed my fist into Stan’s face, warm blood spattering mine. “Say one more fucking word. I dare you!”
My control had evaporated, and I rushed forward, howling at the violence spilling all over my stepfather.
What would I tell my mother after I killed him? Because nothing would stop me from beating the last breath out of him now. I couldn’t stand up against my real father and protect those I loved. I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Stan grabbed the crystal ashtray and aimed it at my nose, but I turned at the last second and caught it in the cheek.
Pain erupted across the side of my face, stars popping in my vision. Warm blood oozed from the cut.
Ringing echoed through the room.
Was that my head or just my phone?
“Did you forget about your list of victims, Killian?” He aimed a letter opener at my eye. “The vault in the catacombs holds all your secrets. Your betrayal of the order won’t come without a hefty price.”
That hadn’t slipped my mind. The brotherhood held our secrets to keep us in line. Death wasn’t punishment enough for them. Micah Preston would have learned that had I not helped him escape.
If Stan had his way, I would be stripped of my Lord title and all my power.
Marked a traitor.
Humiliated.
All my deepest, darkest secrets would be revealed to the world.
And then, after suffering for however long they saw fit, I’d probably be gutted and then buried somewhere no one would ever find me.
“Maybe it’s a price I’m willing to pay.” I snatched the letter opener out of his hand, tossed it aside, and pulled the gun from my waistband, pressing it to his forehead.
Stan froze, blood dripping down his chin and left eye already swelling. “Killing me will not solve your problems, son. In fact, it’ll create a whole host of new ones.”
“I’m beyond caring.”
“Let’s just calm down.” The fear staining his blue eyes gave me a fleeting moment of satisfaction. “We can compromise.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket as my finger slid back and forth over the trigger. This asshole wanted tocompromise?
“Perhaps you should answer that,” Stan said. “It’s been ringing incessantly for the last few minutes. It could be important.”
Obviously, he wanted to stall.
I stepped back, keeping the gun aimed at him. “Try anything, and I’ll shoot you.”
Stan peeled his back off the desk and sat on the edge, wiping his mouth. “It’s not too late to fix this, Killian.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I snatched the phone from my pocket, my heart clenching when Lexi’s number crossed the screen.
How long could I ignore her before she did something reckless? I couldn’t risk her coming here.
