Page 129 of Restless
“I can’t, Joseph.”
“You’ve denied my son,yourfucking nephew, and now you’re making me sacrifice K-P in one way or the other for your son?”
Over a life spent on the road with his father, Bash saw many sides of Sebastian “Cee Cee” Caldwell. Regret, however, was a novelty.
“I can’t look at him, Joe, and not see her. If you ever tell him we’re related, I’ll kill him. She died, giving birth to him.” His eyes misted and his voice thickened. “I never want to hear her name on his fucking lips.”
“He thinks his mother is someone else entirely,” Joe said after a moment. “I took your warning to heart when you saw my kid in the hospital.”
“I’ll stay for now,” K-P said, “but one of these days, I’ll leave on my fucking terms.”
Daddy shrugged. “As long as you don’t betray me when that day comes, I won’t give a fuck.”
Sharper got to his feet and walked to the food. “Another reason I wanted to talk to you all is because I have some church events coming up. I need security.”
Poker in one hand and switch in the other, Daddy turned, aimed at Fred’s head, and squeezed the trigger, modified from a handgun to a mini machine gun. The bullets hit Fred’s cheeks, chin, nose, lips, eyes, and the center of his forehead. His neck snapped back in a mist of blood, skin, and gore.
Hatred gleaming from his eyes, Daddy rushed Logan.
“Wait, wait, wait,” he cried, spattered with Fred’s blood and brain, and scrambling back so fast he toppled his chair.
“Dad!” Joey screamed as he and Roddie hurried out of the bedroom, while Logan crawled away from Daddy, Sharper shook, and Rack burst into tears.
“Come on, son,” Boss said, taking Joey’s hand and guiding him toward the door. “Let’s take a walk. K-P, Roddie, come with us.”
Even as the four of them left, the chaos continued. “Please!” Logan hollered, darting away from Daddy on his hands and knees. “Please!!”
Daddy fired again, this time hitting Wally, Jr. in the upper shoulder.
“Cee Cee, no!” Rack cried. “I’m sorry!”
The boy’s screams finally halted Logan. He stopped and broke into sobs. Rack used the distraction to lift his son up and rush to the bedroom where Roddie and Joey had been.
“Strip, Donovan,” Daddy ordered after Rack slammed the door shut.
“God, no! No, no!”
“Cee Cee—”
“Shut the fuck up, Sharper,” Daddy snarled, returning to the fireplace and sticking the poker into the blaze. “I want to kill you so fucking bad. You knew what she meant to me. Youknew. And you let Joe be the scapegoat. You allowed my son to be fucked over.”
Roaring in rage, he shot Sharper, although the minister fell so quickly, Bash couldn’t see where the bullet landed.
“For the last fucking time, Donovan,strip.”
“I’m begging you, Sebastian,” Logan sniffled. “I-I-I’ll suck your cock if you let me live.”
Disgust dropped into Daddy’s face and he yanked the poker out of the fire, stalking to Logan and swinging. If the older man hadn’t scooted back at the last minute, he wouldn’t be hit with the heated weapon.
Sharper groaned, capturing Daddy’s attention.
“You have a blood oath, Sebastian,” Logan said wildly. “You can’t kill him.”
Crouching, Daddy stared at Logan’s exposed ankles. He wore loafers but no socks. Even though Bash knew what was coming, he still winced at the scent of burning flesh and Logan’s screams.
“Take his shirt off, son,” Daddy instructed.
“God, no!” Logan cried, a wet spot suddenly spreading on the front of his tan trousers.
