Page 12
He wanted Forty and Pacman dead?
“Pac– What the fuck does he have to do with anything?”
“You can’t leave a son to avenge his father. You just can’t,” Birdman quietly explained.
I snorted and shook my head. Even wetting my lips didn’t help me find the words any easier. “You been watching too much of that historical shit. You ain’t no fucking Henry the Eighth, alright? People don’t just off each other for position and power. Even if you had a legit reason–”
“You didn’t hear me just say he’s a fucking snitch? You want to ride under a snitch?”
“Wh– what fucking charges? You have to be involved with law enforcement to snitch and no one is caught up in anything.”
“It wasn’t law enforcement he betrayed me to.” Dad slammed his hand on the table, unused to being questioned.
“And Forty being a snitch, that's reason enough to bury his son?” I shrugged and let out a laugh that was as dramatic as their plotting, “Why stop there? Why not his daughter.”
“Your brother has that in hand.” Birdman shot back, knocking the fire out of me altogether.
“Right.” I sniffed, shifting in my chair.
I was usually better at hiding my thoughts, but my gaze inadvertently ventured toward the door.
“If you walk out that mother fucking door without agreeing to pull your weight, I’ll bury you with them.”
He hadn’t injected any venom into his voice. Hell, he didn’t even raise his tone. He said it like it was simple.
As if I had done something that left him no choice.
And what was fucked up, was that somewhere, deep inside, I knew he wasn’t bluffing.
He wanted to lead, and it was clear that nothing and no one would get in the way of his ambition.
Not Kennedy. Not even me.
“Keep me informed.” I shot out of my seat, and King did, too. He flung his chair and stepped into my space. I didn’t flinch or back up, I tilted my chin to keep out of his headbutting range and stared down at him.
I knew I was playing with fire, but I couldn’t stop the laughter that crawled from me.
“In a world of dogs, you’re not the vicious Pitt you think you are, King. You’re just a guardian Pyrenees. Big and dumb. Unable to do anything but guard your master's property and do as your handler commands.”
His eyes flashed and Birdman shoved his way between us.
“Enough.” He roared, backing me up a few paces. “Are you fucking family or not?”
I hated that he still had the ability to cut me with those words alone.
I was family, and yet I wasn’t. I was the mistake he’d put on his sidepiece. The proof of the pudding that he’d forced Kate to suffer. I didn’t belong here, and never did, and yet, it was all I had.
“You know I am,” I growled.
“Good boy.” Birdman winked, reaching up to roughly palm my cheek.
I wanted to knock his jaw off its damn hinge, especially when I saw the condescending smile on King’s face.
“I gotta go,” I barely managed.
Chapter Six
All Rigged Up
