Page 68 of Black Hearts
“And why would I do that?”
And then I told him the truth: “Because you’re fucking old. Because you already retired. Pick one. I don’t care about the reason. I just want you gone.”
“I’m your father, Markus. Even if I leave, a part of me will always remain in this house through you, through your brothers, through anyone who walks through that door.” My father got to his feet, standing on the opposite side of the desk. He’d finished his glass of liquor, now giving me the full brunt of his attention. “This is my legacy.”
“Perhaps that was true years ago, but now it’s mine.”
He laughed. “Now this legacy is yours? How so?”
I hoped I’d given everyone enough time to assemble outside. I had no idea if Stella would be back yet with Tori, but if this wasn’t the perfect time to show him, there wouldn’t be one.
“Let me show you.” I said nothing else, turning and walking away from my father. He’d follow me, I knew he would; he’d be too curious about what I meant not to. I pushed out of my office, sharply turning right to head back out the front. By the time I reached the vestibule, my father was twenty feet behind me. I stopped only when I had an arm on the front door. Even though it might be considered snide, I muttered, “Come on, old man, try to keep up.”
He scowled at my insult, his mouth thinning into a line.
Now it was my turn to smirk to myself, and I pushed open the door. Out into the light of day I walked, stopping just before the steps. My father came out behind me, standing beside me, and together, we gazed out at the vast array of cars parked on the concrete.
Or, more accurately, at all the people.
Juliet stood in the front with Theo, Will, Jaxon, and Bennet. Lincoln, Ed, and Killian stood near them. Behind them, I saw Travis, who was busy smirking like this was one of the most entertaining things he’d ever seen.
Vaughn was near an unfamiliar car, along with the same man I’d seen outside Oliver’s house, the one with the mostly shaved head and the tattoos. Jaz stood in between them, arms folded. Of course, I was surprised to see her here, but given the fact that I’d helped her somewhat after her mother was killed, it wasn’t too shocking.
What was shocking, however, was seeing Oliver and Kyra near them. Two faces I hadn’t expected to see at all.
And, of course, there were others. Some of which I hadn’t seen in years, since they’d been out of the house, in the world, whether it was gathering secrets or other intel, or waiting for their next field assignment. We didn’t just kill people in our basement for our clients. Our clientele varied, as did what they wanted.
A sea of faces, a few dozen, along with the cars to go with them, greeted us both, and I couldn’t fight the proud feeling rising in my gut. This was not my father’s legacy anymore. This was mine.
All of these people? Mine. All of their influence and connections? Mine as well. My father would be foolish to not recognize it.
“Tell me, father, is this your legacy, or is it mine?” I asked, feeling a slow, smug smile grow on my face. I didn’t often smile, but this… seeing all these faces here together for the first time, it was something else. I might not have any children of my own, and some of them might be my own brothers and sisters, but sometimes it felt like they were just that. My killer children. My psychotic flock. My legacy.
It took my father a few moments to say, “You brought them all here to show me that they’re on your side?”
“It was actually Stella and Theo’s idea, and everyone went along with it,” I explained. “You see, no one here really likes you. They don’t much like me, either, but they like me better than you. And, anyway, if you didn’t see reason, we could always kill you.”
He chuckled. “What makes you so sure I see reason? These faces mean nothing to me, even if some of them are my children, just like you.”
“Perhaps. I already know we mean nothing to you as your children. It’s why you send all your kids here, as soon as they’re off the tit. This house, the ones who live here—they raise your children. Not you.” I paused, glancing out at the crowd. “And I’m not asking you to care about them as your children. It’s what they stand for, what they do. Without each and every one of them, we’re nothing.” I lifted a hand, setting it on my father’s shoulder and squeezing it hard. Hard enough to be uncomfortable. “Or would you disagree?”
My father was silent for a while. I could see the wheels turning in his head, and I was slow to release his shoulder as I waited for him to process it. “No, I suppose I wouldn’t disagree.” He turned to me. “Are you really prepared to kill me if I don’t agree with this… whatever this is supposed to be?”
I shrugged. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone else pulling into the driveway. There was only one person it could be—or two, rather. “I’m prepared to do whatever I have to in order to get the job done, something you can appreciate, I’m sure.”
“I’m not sure if I should be proud of you for that or not,” my father remarked.
The car finally reached the end of the line, and someone short and slender jumped out of it before it was even parked in place. Wearing her schoolgirl uniform, Tori raced through the crowd, her backpack slung over her shoulder. She barreled her way to us while yelling, “I said don’t start without me!”
A few people chuckled at her enthusiasm, but considering the fact that she’d tried to kill my father herself a few times while we were gone, I knew exactly where she was headed.
Tori threw her bag on the steps, hands extended as if her fingernails were claws. She made it past her fathers, and she was seconds from colliding with mine, but I stepped in. I used her forward momentum against her, sweeping her off her feet and tossing her over my shoulder. Her skirt was long enough to cover her backside, thank goodness, so she didn’t flash anyone in the process.
“Put me down Uncle Markus,” Tori hissed out, still reaching for my father. “We’re killing him, right? Let me go!” She started to struggle against me. “He took Juliet away—she was my friend!”
I sighed. “Did you even see Juliet standing right there, or were you too busy trying to get to your grandfather?” That seemed to calm her, so I bent to put her down.
Tori whirled around, seeing Juliet. Juliet smiled and waved at her, and that was it. She took off in a full-blown sprint toward her, colliding with her as she hugged her. Juliet let out a small whimper, but didn’t push Tori off her.
