Page 114 of Boss

Some people never changed.

He got out of the car and dashed across the street. He used his brother’s birth date to open the gate. He kept his head down as he passed the security cameras. His cap was pulled down low to his head. He darted over to the stairs instead of the elevator and took them up.

When he finally arrived on his brother’s hall he saw him struggling with the key and bags in his hands.

“Henry?” Tarek said.

Henry froze. He opened his door and rushed inside. Tarek was faster. Before Henry could close it he knocked it all the way open. Henry ran into his living room area. Tarek closed the door and stepped on his brother’s grocery. Egg’s, bread, something in a carton squished under his feet. And Henry being the coward he was turned with a gun. “Get the fuck out. Now!”

Tarek stared at him and the gun. He smirked. He stepped into his brother’s living room.

“I’m serious Tarek. I’ll shoot. I won’t put up with your shit anymore. Get out!”

“Dale and I have been fighting since the day I came into this family. When I was four Dale pushed me down the stairs. I bit through my tongue. Had to have stitches in my mouth.”

“Get out!” Henry said.

“But you little brother. You never had the balls that Dale had. You just always found yourself caught in the middle of our war.”

“Not anymore. Both of you are going to jail. I’m the one that’ll be left here to run the company. To clean up your mess.”

Tarek smiled. “My mess? Or the mess you created.”

Henry frowned.

“At first I thought, why would Cash turn on me. And then I figured it out. Dale was lining Cash pockets. Everyone has a price. But what didn’t make sense was why Daniel, the goody two shoes moral crusader, would try to kill Kassidy. I mean, Dale would dispose of Daniel once he sent Cash after us. He wants that USB destroyed. Because he thought it had incriminating evidence against him. Daniel knew the truth. That USB had incriminating evidence against me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the biggest play between Dale and I. The one you made. You found out Daniel and Kassidy were hacking our servers. You’re our technology guru. The one that deals with our cyber security. And somehow you set this up, not to get Dale. Though I’m sure he was part of your plan. But to get me. Am I close?”

“Stay right there!” Henry said with the gun trained on him. “I’ll shoot. I swear to God.”

“Am I right?” Tarek asked.

Henry smiled. “Very good. You’re right. I put up with your shit and abuse for years. Dale pounding on me, and you pounding on me. Dad, never seeing me. I’m just the whipping boy. Not anymore. Six weeks ago I found access that EPU was using to dig in our company. I traced it to Daniel Messina. He denied it. So I started my own digging. Found out how he had a spurned lover, named Carmen. For money, and a shoulder to cry on she gave me all of Daniels secrets. Including how his little brother died and what his parents did to cover his crimes. I guess everyone has secrets. I told Daniel I was going to have the prosecutor reopen the case into little Timmy’s death in his swimming pool. I would l flood the internet with the story and ruin him, just on speculation. He freaked. He gave me Kassidy and told me about the account numbers with the Russians. The rest was easy.”

Tarek nodded. “Well done.”

“Not quite. You’re still here. Cutting deals. You need to go prison with Dale and father. And I’m not done with you yet.”

Tarek smiled.

“Why are you smiling? You think I won’t shoot. The feds won’t arrest me. They all know you’re the real villain. I’ll tell them you attacked me and it was self-defense.”

“Go ahead. Pull the trigger. Show me you’re a man Henry. Do it.”

Henry held the gun with both hands. He strained. Tarek could see him struggling. The weakness was still there.

“Not so easy to kill a man, is it?” Tarek asked.

“Get out!” Henry lowered the gun.

“You made a big mistake coming after me Henry. And I will be able to pull that trigger.”

“You are going to jail Tarek. You can’t touch me.”

“Not yet. But a year from now, maybe two years, when you’re comfortable, and thinking you’ve won. A person’s going to come and pay you a visit. When he puts you on your knees and puts the gun to the back of your head. Think of me. Only me Henry. It’s my finally gift to you little brother.”

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