Page 81 of Caged
“Is this in reference to Mom’s plans to convert my bedroom into a Pilates studio? Because I can assure you, I don’t care.”
“No,” he sneers, taking the bait, “it’s in reference to yourfeelings,which seem to be getting in the way of our plans.”
“I have nofeelings,” I say, straightening, because even though I know it's a lie, the bitter taste of Monroe’s betrayal still lingers in my mouth, and I’m so angry and worked up that I can’t sort out how I really feel about her right now. I cannot believe she fucking tried to escape like she’s a goddamned hostage. A Greyhound bus? Really? That took planning. Was I going to bring her home with me to meet my parents? Absolutely not, but had I sorted through alternatives like staying with her at a nearby hotel? Of course.
But Monroe cannot help herself. She’s obviously convinced I’m the bad guy and had the audacity to look me in the fucking eye and tell me she was done. She admitted she wanted to walk away, and I thought I had made myself perfectly clear that she is never, ever leaving me. Evenifthe feelings were mutual, you don’t justwalk awayfrom your duties as a Sigma Little Sister, definitely not when you’re a figurehead like Monroe. Now, she’s made a mess of things, and this is yet another clusterfuck I’ll have to clean up. The work of a martyr never fucking stops, does it?
“Bullshit,” my father sneers. “If that were the case, you’d have no problem sharing her as all Sigma brothers are required to do with their Sinners. And now, thanks to yourfeelings, you’ve managed to piss off X.”
“Fuck him,” I snap. “Can’t he be satisfied with the dozens of other Sinners waiting around to suck his demon dick?”
“Well, thanks to your stubbornness, hisdemon dickis now focused on her, and he doesn’t just want her body. He wants her blood.”
“You’ve never been able to see the bigger picture, have you Kieren?” my father continues. “Too focused on yourself. If you were strategic, you would have immediately seen the chess pieces at play, but mental stamina has never been your strong suit. You continue to think like a child, always focusing on the moves right in front of you, never thinking ahead. I have half a mind to ensure you’ll never inherit this firm, because your shortsightedness will drive it into the ground within the first year.”
A manic laugh bursts from my lips. “Do you honestly think you’re in a position to judge me when you’re the reason I’m up to my knees in this shit?”
“I knew you didn’t have it in you. Your grandfather would be disgraced to learn you’ve chosen pussy over power.” The sneer on his face makes it clear that he’s ignoring my valid point.
I bristle at the slight as my gaze instantly flicks down to the Sigma ring I forcefully inherited. Four years ago, my grandfather was a ruthless savage before the onset of dementia turned him into an innocuous vegetable, and while I’ve always known I possess similar traits, I’d like to think my barbarism is more refined. My grandfather was overt with his greed and callousness in a way I always found unbecoming. Even as a young child, I admired him, but I knew I could do better.
My father knows I have it in me, but he wouldn’t be my father if he didn’t find some way to belittle me. It’s his way of keeping me hungry, but what dear old Dad doesn’t realize is that someday, I’m going to fucking eat him.
“Let me be clear,” I snap, jabbing my pointer finger on his polished oak desk. “I’mthe one doing the heavy lifting.I’mthe one cleaning up your mess. If you weren’t so fucking dumb to…”
“Call me dumb again, son, and I’ll rip out that repulsive nose ring of yours with my bare hands, you insolent child. It’s badenough you have those tattoos. You have no idea how the world works.”
“Oh, I have a very astute understanding, Father. You forget I’ve worked at Hunt Wealth Management. You forget I spent the majority of last year helpingyoucover up the moneyyoulost your clients because the Ponzi schemeyouwere using to pad returns and pay yourself a fat management fee went belly up. I’ve always been the fucking scapegoat for your mistakes. You weren’t even man enough to own up to what you had done. You were going to take the easy way out, remember?”
My father’s face goes pale at the mention of his botched, pathetic attempt to take his own life.
“And Iwillinherit this firm one day,” I continue, “and I’ll be damned if I inherit a steaming pile of shit. X has gotten everything he wanted. I’m under no obligation to share her or offer her, so he can take his extortion and fuck right off.”
“Understand that X will get what he wants one way or another, Kieren, so your attempt to protect your little girlfriend is futile, and I’d rather you not drag our family name down in the fucking process!” my father shouts.
“Will that be all, Father?” I sneer, pivoting on my heels.
“Give X what he wants or kiss your trust fund goodbye,” he states with cold-blooded finality.
I whip around to face him, having already turned to leave. My father cocks his head to the side, smirking like he’s cornered his prey, as I glare at him with roiling indignation.
“You wouldn’t fucking dare,” I seethe, because Monroe was never part of the deal. Four months ago, when I was finally able to leave Connecticut after cleaning up my father’s shit, bringing back the Ritual of Sacrifice for X and the rest of the sick fucks was all I had to do tograduate to my father’s satisfaction.
But I knew this would happen. I knew as soon as that fucker X set his red, bloodthirsty demon eyes on Monroe that he wouldgo running back to my dad like a little bitch when I didn’t let him have her. And I knew once my weasel-dick dad found out I had been keeping my pet hidden, he would see this as the perfect opportunity to extricate me from my own fucking inheritance.
As expected, Monroe has become a pawn in his money-grabbing chess game. How fucking predictable, Father, but once again, you’ve underestimated the ruthless monster you raised. You don’t think I have it in me, but you don’t realize how far I’m willing to go to ensure I get what’s rightfully mine.
“Let me remind you who receives the funds within your trust if I decide you haven’t graduated Dornell to mysatisfaction.”
I grind my teeth because he knows I already know the answer, and I’m sick of rehashing this same goddamn conversation.
“Me,” he smirks, delighted with himself. “Part of me hopes you’ll try me, because there’s an awful lot of cash sitting in your trust. So much so that you’d never have to work a day in your life if you choose that path. X might pull the plug on our deal. Hunt Wealth Management might fold, leaving you and your mom to fend for yourselves, but me, I’ll be just fine. Your trust is stashed in an offshore account, one the Feds will never find. I’ll be long gone by the time the news breaks, sitting on an island in the Caribbean with a beer in my hand and whores on my lap, living out my days on your tab.”
My father shifts in his seat, grinning with pride at the notion he was able to outwit his protege son at last. “Fuck with me, and I’ll fuck you right back, boy. Now, be a good heir and go visit your mother at the Club. Serenity Fitzroy would be quite the perfect match for you. Perhaps you should swing by and say hello to your future wife.”
36
KIEREN
