Page 68 of King of Ruin

I don’t acknowledge his comment and instead, look at Phineas. He downs the rest of his drink before wiping the dribble on his chin with the back of his hand. “I’ve thought long and hard about your proposal. With the amount of money I’ll make from having the ports open, I’ve decided to grant you a year’s time to make the integration complete.”

Sam sucks his teeth and takes back his drink. “I told him that was a mightygenerousoffer.”

Again, I don’t trouble myself with forming a response. I came here for one thing. The thing that has plagued my mind since I heard it. I tried to put the idea to rest. Told myself it was the ramblings of a drunk, emotionally drained mother. I hoped it was a story she created to deal with her grief, her loss. And with Oliver telling me he never saw anyone that fit the description of what I assumed Bunny would look like, I buried the thought.

But seeing that girl outside. There was something about her. Her eyes aren’t green like me and Fi’s. Her hair isn’t nearly as dark either. But I know siblings don’t always look alike. I know the girl can’t be a day over eighteen, which puts her at about the right age. Her height and frame are similar to my mother’s as well.

I didn’t see her much when I was at Embros estate, and I never thought to make the connection before. But now, having spent the time to truly look at her, combined with the fact she works for him, I know. And it’s time I rid myself of this last piece of selfishness and take responsibility for not trying to save her.

I swallow the lump that’s formed in my throat and push out the words. “That girl. The one I just caught when Onyx kicked her. Who is she?”

Sam laughs out loud, and this time I don’t ignore him. I put all my weight behind my punch, hitting him square in the jaw and knocking him off of his upholstered seat. He hits the wooden floor with a loudthwackand the sound loosens some of my apprehension.

“Jesus Christ. This feud between you two is getting rather tiresome, don’t you think?” Phineas slams his newly filled glass on his desk, his brows furrowing as he watches Sam scramble to his feet.

“Your second-in-command needs to show a bit of respect.”

“How about you do something to earn it? All you’ve ever been is his errand boy and punching bag.” Sam steadies himself, one hand on the desk while the other rubs his jaw. A deep red creeps up his neck and spreads across his bald head.

“Sounds like you and I are the same then.” I draw my gun, aiming it directly at his throat. He talks so much shit, I’d enjoy watching him choke on his own blood.

“You’re taking your anger out on him, boy. Put that gun down before you end up owing me a debt even your sisters’ cunts can’t repay.”

My face snaps to him, fury burning bright through my limbs. I’m shaking, I can feel it—–trembling as I soak in his plural use of the word. “My mother never had a stillborn.”

It’s not a question but Phineas answers anyway, “I’ve said it before, you can never have enough leverage. And your mother threatened to take you away too many times. Keeping her broke didn’t matter. I knew getting her hooked on a few drugs might not do it. I needed something stronger. I realized I could have two surprise elements that Embros had no idea about, should I ever need to use them.”

His words swirl in my gut, and I feel it the moment nausea turns into something more. I have to force it down twice as I work through all the times I was angry with my mother for forcing me to do her job. To raise Fi, and pay the bills when she could no longer leave the house. Really she was fighting this man all by herself, doing her best to keep us all alive.

“What did you use to threaten Harlow to give you everything?”

Sam smirks, and I consider pulling the trigger more than I ever have. “Pretty obvious, is it not?”

Fiona told me our mother was safe at Embros Hearts, but Harlow wouldn’t know that. She was in the same boat as me, just trying to save her family. My eyes flash to Phineas as I put my gun down. “Where is Harlow now?”

This makes Phineas visibly upset. His brows draw down and his face blooms pink. “Gone. On the run. But I’ll find her right after I deal with Onyx. Priorities, you know?”

And just like that, Phineas has sealed his fate. None of the women I set out to protect are within his grasp, which leaves him open to everything I have planned.

Sam pours them both new glasses before sitting back down, a grimace now decorating his face. “If you’re done with this family quarrel, we have a contract to go over.”

Phineas eyes me carefully before nodding. “Women are poisonous. They will kill you and do it slowly if you aren’t mindful, son. Remember that the next time you fall into one.”

I nod to my father’s drink before turning to leave. “As is a bottle of good whiskey.”

Ihad to force myself to sleep after Kane left, and since I’ve been awake, it’s been torture.I’ve spent nearly the entire day with the images of what transpired between us, playing on repeat, while also thinking of his plan and all the ways it could go wrong. It’s somehow simple, yet convoluted, and I’m almost certain it won’t work out how he envisions it.

But no matter what I try to convince myself, I trust him. Trust that he means well and by giving me his father, he will forfeit any chance of freedom he longed for. He will be forced to rule over a family he never wanted and will need to convince his army to change their practices or suffer the same fate as Phineas.

As much as I want to, I can’t foresee the former happening as much as the latter.

The Murphy family has been allowed to poison their people for too long. They have engrained the idea of what is acceptable and it will take too much work to purge them of it. They will rebel. Riot. Kill.

I give credit where it’s due, but I believe Kane will be in over his head. He won’t be able to change it all, and in turn, he’ll let some of their practices continue. As long as the trafficking stops though, I’ll find contentment because honestly, I don’twantto kill him.

The irony in this entire thing is that Kane, my enemy, has grown on me. Not just the idea of peace he brought me when I first met him, but something different–something deeper–has taken root.

I thought I rid myself of the seed he implanted in my chest but it turns out, it has already begun to grow, burying itself into places I can’t reach. And its ability to thrive in complete darkness is both astounding and alluring.

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