Page 71 of Deadly Little Games

“This is the day I’ve been waiting for. My son taking over The Brotherhood and being the ruler I raised.” Mom pulls me in for a tight hug, plants a kiss on my forehead, and I close the front door. Apparently, news spreads like wildfire around here. Jesus.

“Thanks, Mom, but Dad has to agree first,” I say, letting her go, and she laughs and pats me on the arm. “Don’t worry about your father, dear. He’ll do it.”

She’s right, I doubt he’ll refuse initiating his son to lead, but I’m still worried. Do I want to lead The Brotherhood? Yes, this is what I’ve been training and waiting my whole life for. I’m eager to shake things up and have a say in what goes on in our town. We’re already the most feared ones, but now it’s official.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like without The Brotherhood, without all the stress, just living with my best friends and Freya. It’d be all right at first, but then I’d start missing all of this. The authority, the will to make people fall to their knees in front of us, the action and shit that goes on every day.

I was born into a world of chaos, and I never want to leave. But now I want Freya by my—our—side. She’s the missing puzzle piece for us, and I just hope to fuck she’ll say yes. I’ll force her to if she doesn’t. She’s one of us now, and that means she doesn’t get to walk away. She can try, but I’ll bring her straight back and land her where she belongs: on my cock.

I follow Mom into our mansion’s elevator and ride it up to herand my father’s level. Then we exit into the long hallway and come to a stop outside his bedroom. She refused to have his machines and everything in her room, so he’s been here, rotting away. I take a deep breath and force back the tears that prick the backs of my eyes when I think of him dying someday–someday soon. My father may not be a good man, but he has always gone to great lengths to protect me.

He’s never told me he loves me or shown any affection at all, but he’s always put me first. Gave me the most treats as a kid, gave me the deadliest knife on my fifth birthday, and taught me how to kill someone in one move. For as long as I can remember, I’ve admired him, but in the past few years, I’ve watched him slowly lose himself. Fuck, it hurts.

Taking one, then two steps inside, I freeze just inside the door, struck by the sight of my father, who looks pale and translucent, like a washed-out ghost. In the corner of the room, he sits up in a chair while a nurse stands before him, carefully examining him. She is holding a needle as she looks for veins. With a soft click, I close the door behind Mom and me, and he raises his eyes to meet mine, a subtle smile forming.

“Son,” he says in a husky voice, and I move over to his side. The nurse finishes her work and goes away. Watching us intently, my mother takes a seat on his bed.

“Hey, Dad, how are you?”

He chuckles before coughing. “Well, they haven’t managed to kill me yet, so that’s good.”

“Listen, Dad, I know Dominic’s meant to initiate us in, but he’s been arrested.”

He frowns. “What for?”

I look at Mom and she shrugs. Clearly, she hasn’t filled him in about Alec. “Killing Alec LeClair,” I tell him.

My father’s eyes widen, and he exchanges a glance with Mom, silently communicating something. “He didn’t do it.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, kneeling beside him.

Mom springs off the bed and is standing in front of him in just two quick strides. “We don’t have much time. Will you initiate them or not?” my mother asks, grabbing my father’s hand.

He takes a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly, before nodding. “Of course I will.”

“What were you—?” My words are cut off as Mom claps her hands together and ushers me out of the room. I look back at my father, and his mouth is slightly ajar as if he wants to say something, but then the door slams shut, trapping him inside.

What did he mean, Dominic didn’t kill Alec LeClair? How would he know that and what did he want to tell me? My mother forcefully pulls me down the hallway, heading toward the stairs.

I yank my arm free, and she stops. “What the fuck was that?” I snap.

“Just forget it. He said yes, so we have to do this now. You go to the graveyard, and your father and I will meet you there.” Before I can ask her more, she quickly spins around and disappears back into his room. I should follow her and demand answers from my father, but I don’t want to jeopardize our initiation while Dominic is detained. Who knows how long they’ll be able to hold him?

I take the stairs two at a time, slam the door to the garage so hard it shakes, then slide into my black Ferrari 812 GTS. Reversing out of the garage, then switching gears, I rev the engine and speed down my driveway, using voice commands to get my phone to call Gage.

“Is it done?” he asks by way of greeting.

“No, hello, or how’s your day, sweetie?” He grunts and I laugh. “I’d like a warm welcome before you fuck me, brother.”

“Just answer the fucking question,” he snaps, and I scoff. Someone isn’t in the mood for a little banter.

“Yes, I’m on my way, and they will meet us at the graveyard. You guys there?”

“See you soon,” he says, then hangs up. Fucking grumpy asshole.

Turning up the stereo, “Bad Things” by I Prevail fills the car, and I tap against the steering wheel. Are we really going to take over leading The Brotherhood? Am I ready for this? I thought we’d have more time before this happened, but it feels right. It’s time for change.

I roll into the dirt parking lot next to Gage’s Range Rover twenty minutes later. Slamming my door shut, I follow the familiar, well-worn trail into the forest that leads to the graveyard. Here, in this sacred ground, all members of The Brotherhood find their final resting place, regardless of their rank or role. This is our private estate, where all significant meetings are held.

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