Page 65 of King of Ruin

Then when he’s all done, he instructs me to visit a new ice cream shop he’s thinking of buying.

The body hits the ground before I take my next step.

“Where the fuck is he?” Red fills the corners of my vision as I stride through the foyer, ignoring the harsh curses of a maid complaining about cleaning up the blood now seeping across the floor.

One of the guards I’ve become familiar with points straight to where I’m headed, though I only make it two more steps before the office doors swing open.

Phineas appears, his face ever the rosy hue as he buttons the middle of his jacket. He eyes me briefly before scanning the mess I made at his front door with the fucker that told me what a great ass my sister has.

“Was that necessary?” Phineas says, so fucking calmly, so nonchalant, it’s as though he’s not asking me about killing his guard.

“Where is my sister?” I grit through clenched teeth.

Phineas seems so much smaller to me than he used to. Where he’s weak, I’m strong. Where he’s a complete fucking imbecile, I’m keen. To think I was once scared of him only fuels the raging fire in my gut.

“Think of it as insurance,” he says, his gaze flashing back to me.

I take another step forward, fury burning through my veins, causing me to shake. If he’s hurt her, I’ll kill every fucker in this building.

“She’s fine.” Phineas holds a hand up, still so full of arrogance as if he knows I’m all bark and no bite.

He likes that he’s made me this way. Volatile. Angry. Quick to lose my temper. He enjoys watching me unravel, taking out my anger on others when it should be directed at him. But even more so, he loves knowing that I won’t move a fucking muscle against him if it means my sister or mother are at stake.

My jaw aches as I clamp my teeth down and focus on the bite of my gun clenched in my hand.

“I’ve been able to squeeze most of that mushy shit from your heart, but your love of women is still a bit of a nuisance for me. Considering most of the people over at Embros have pussies, it’s only natural you’ll need to fall into one to get information.”

“I’m not there to fuck anyone. I can easily get the shit you need from a guard.”

Phineas shrugs, and steps back into his office, forcing me to follow behind. “Perhaps, but you never know. I don’t need you going over there and falling into some bitch’s cunt, and becoming a liability.”

White clouds my vision as I watch him walk to his desk. “If you touch one fucking hair—–”

“Save the threats for someone who you have leverage over, son. I thought I taught you that. She’s fine, and living in Murphy luxury. I’ll make sure you get to talk to her when you actually get inside the Embros estate. Until then, I suggest you work fast.”

Every instinct in my body is humming for me to end it all right now. To shoot the fucker in the head and kill every single piece of shit out there until I find her.

But one thing I don’t allow myself to be is a complete fool, especially when it comes to my father. Sam is probably watching to make sure I leave without a fuss, and if I were to have a tantrum, Fiona would be dead before I made it to her.

I run my tongue over my teeth and step forward, tapping my gun on the edge of his desk. “I’ll play your game for now. But if she’s hurt in any way, no threat will suffice for what I’ll do to you.”

Without giving him a chance to give his signature smug smile, I turn and leave, doing the best I can to quell the simmering anger still rolling in my gut. I brush past a collection of men who are helping haul off the piece of shit I killed before pushing through the front doors.

The cool night air greets me, but does little to calm my skin, which feels like it’s on fire. She wasn’t supposed to be involved in any of this. I was already irate with myself for taking her to the ice cream shop.

I shouldn’t have taken her. I should—–suddenly it becomes glaringly clear how much I’m already regretting. How much I should have done but didn’t. From here on out I need to plan thoughtfully, and act meticulously. I cannot allow for any more distractions or mistakes.

Everything is on the line, and now, my sister, the only one keeping me bound to my humanity, is somewhere I can’t protect her.

As if the universe wanted to collect another debt, the telling smell of tobacco enters my lungs. A quick glance to the right and I find a familiar face, hidden in the dark.

Oliver rests against one side of the wall. He’s among the very few in this place I’ve come to call a friend. He’s tried to convince me on more than one occasion to take over for my father, and has even gone so far as to find dozens of others that would join the cause, should I ever decide as much.

With everyone busy discussing the mess I left indoors, he’s alone. Still, he keeps his voice low, “sorry about your sister, mate. Fucking animals act like they’ve never seen a woman before.”

My teeth bare. “Did they touch her?”

He shakes his head, though it does nothing to relieve my anger. “No, lad. But I’m sure the vile catcalls they threw at her were disturbing, to say the least.”

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