Page 89 of King of Ruin

“He’s not coming, Mom. He’s dead.” I sigh, placing one hand on my desk.

She only relaxes a hairbreadth. “Are you sure?”

“I mean, I killed him. So, yeah.”

She takes a hard swallow, her lashes blinking rapidly in what I hope to be relief. Her chin juts to my injured shoulder. “Is that from him?”

I shake my head, ignoring the sharp pain in my chest. “No.”

Her lip disappears between her teeth as she saws them back and forth. I can tell there’s something she wants to say or ask, but with everything that’s happened–everything I’ve seen– in the past few months, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want her to finally be the one to speak up. To be the one to say something.Anything.

Protecting her and my sister was second nature, but part of me, the child I never got to be, wishes she would own up to at least some of her shortcomings. To at least take responsibility for me sitting behind this fucking desk.

I suck in a hard breath and shake my head. None of this is her fault. Not Phineas, not her addiction, nor her way of coping. I made the choices that led me here. I made the decision to take over instead of running. To kill instead of saving.

To love instead of hating.

Another ache stretches across my chest and I rub at it, the phantom pain becoming stronger than I can handle at the moment.

I look back to my mother who is quietly sitting still, her chin pointed toward her chest as she fiddles with the hem of her dress..

“I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but in a few hours, all of Phineas’ money is mine. I’ll have enough for you and Fiona to leave and start over wherever you’d like.”

Her light eyes seem to glow when she looks back up. “And Bunny?”

Bunny.Harlow.

A new pain gnaws at the back of my heart. The way she just asked about her like I’ve known all this time. Like my father’s death made it safe to speak a name that didn’t torment me for years.

“My men are currently looking for her. Seems as if she stole some money from Phineas and ran.”

My mother shakes her head, tears almost instantly filling her eyes. “She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t leave me.”

I huff, swiping a hand down my face. “You’d be surprised what people you think you know will do when their backs are against the wall.”

Her hands clasp the hem of her dress, her nails leaving angry red marks as they scrape against her thigh. “You have to find her, Zek.”

“I just said that’s what I’m doing, Mom.” I steady my voice as I push out the words I know aren’t really sincere. “But she’s not my responsibility nor my priority right now.”

“How could you say such a thing? She’s your sister!”

Heat flares in my gut. “A sister I thought was dead. A sister I didn’t even know existed, despite your incoherent confession, until I saw her. She’s another woman I was unable to save. Another woman who could be dangled in front of me like a toy to force me to do everything in my power to protect her. I’ll find her, but it won’t be right now.”

She jumps to her feet, tears streaming down her face now. “She’s my daughter!”

“And he’s your son.” Fiona’s voice makes both of us snap our faces to the door. “And I think a ‘thank you’ is in order.”

I stand without a thought, rounding the corner of my desk, and embracing Fiona in a hug. It’s tight, and void of any fear or doubt that I may not see her again.

“Thank you,” I whisper in her hair.

“I’m just glad this is over. I need a damn vacation,” she says in my chest.

I release her after another moment, and look down in her big eyes. “Anywhere.”

She pokes out her bottom lip in a pout I haven’t seen since she was eight. “Can I take a friend?”

“It depends. Is this friend a–”

---