Page 22 of Memories of the Dark

And so he did, dropping out the high school, in spite of having stellar results at most of the subjects and working as a helper at the vegetable market and in the kitchen of a restaurant where he cleaned after the cooks and washed mountains of dishes every night. Seamus split his earnings wisely, between household expenses, money for Flint’s education and Tobias-related expenses.

His youngest brother was the ray of light in his oldest brother’s bleak life, the only one who didn’t constantly remind him of the sometimes desperate situation the whole family faced. However, Flint only saw the little boy as a source of useless expenses, thinking with bitterness about all the money which, otherwise, would have gone in his college fund.

The initial displeasure and annoyance he felt every time Tobias was around or his name was mentioned turned to hate. Nothing, not even Seamus’s trust or the numerous expensive presents, from sports cars and houses to jewelry and designer clothes, his older brother bought him, made Flint change his mind.

One year earlier, he accidentally overheard his older brother talking over the phone with a renowned oncologist about Tobias, who apparently suffered from an extremely rare form of cancer. However, the happiness Flint felt when hearing that was short-lived because it seemed that the condition progressed very slowly, and it could take years until it finally claimed the life of his detested younger brother.

The bloody boy is immortal, Flint thought, getting ready to step into his bedroom, not even an incurable condition can bring him down, I’ll never get rid of him. Or maybe I can. He froze with his hand on the doorknob, delighted by the evil idea crossing his mind. Closing the bedroom’s door, the man went back down the corridor, heading downstairs.

He looked around, cursing between clenched teeth until finally spotted the keys from the basement on the small table in the entry hall.Seamus shouldn’t be so careless with these things,Flint grinned evilly at the thought.You never know who could get their hands on them and what purposes they could use them for.

The basement’s door opened with a long, almost macabre creak, the stench of sweat, urine and fear invading the nostrils of the nocturne visitor. On the ratty mattress he lay, Greenwood shifted restlessly, eyes wide open, trying to guess who the silhouette projecting into the dark belonged to. When he finally realized, the man hatefully spat in Flint’s direction.

“What is it, pup? The mean, big dog sent you to carry out his orders? Is he too busy or does he consider torturing me a menial job, unfitting for his dignity?” Greenwood let out a throaty laugh, delighted to see the frustration altering for a second on Flint’s otherwise neutral expression.

“If I were you, I’d try to be a little more polite to people who want to help you. Throwing insults at them is not the best way to treat your future allies. It’s no wonder you don’t have any friends who come to your rescue.” Flint’s voice was flat and somewhat patronizing, which irritated the other man.

“You, my ally? Does the big dog know about the pup’s plans? Or did you leave the pack and go rogue? What can someone like you, who lives in his older brother’s shadow, do for me?” Greenwood continued in the same insulting voice, hoping to make Flint show his real intentions.

“Seamus does not lie. He is good at keeping things hidden from others, but every word coming out of his mouth is true. Your deceased husband really has a teenage son, and all the money will go to the snot. You killed the poor guy for nothing, and my brother won’t forgive you. I can help you to get rid of the only obstacle between you and the colossal Trevellyan fortune.”

Greenwood stared at Flint’s impenetrable expression, disbelief written all over his face. “You’re not kidding. You really want to help me. All things come with a price, so let’s hear yours. And don’t tell me you are doing it from the goodness of your heart because I’m not buying it.”

“No, I’m not. Once your problem is solved in a convenient way, I want you to take someone down for me. Also, I’ve heard you have a lot of nightclubs in England. I’m interested in becoming the sole supplier there. As you know, the stuff we sell is known for its purity, which means addiction will appear from the first time.”

“Isn’t that a little too much? I don’t think your brother would approve the partnership, plus you didn’t tell me how you are going to take care of my problem, as you put it.” Giving Flint a piercing stare, Greenwood waited for his answer.

“Oh, come on. You’re getting your hands on billions once your dead husband’s son goes to Hades, while I’ll make a couple of hundred thousand, a million the most. I have a plan, all you have to do is stick to it, and everything will be fine. As for my brother... well, Seamus has all these romantic ideas about paying for his sins and so on, and he’ll be in jail in about a week or so. We can’t do anything with him outside, so we’ll have to wait.”

“One week is not very long, considering I waited almost seventeen years to get what’s rightfully mine. Let’s hear the plan.” Greenwood examined Flint with great interest, rubbing his hands in excitement, the rough treatment he suffered at the hands of the young man forgotten, at least for the time being.

“Seamus and I have another, younger brother, who’s been a thorn in my side from the moment he was born. He was supposed to stay with me during our older brother’s imprisonment, but the wimp convinced Seamus to send him to a sanctuary for neglected and abused kids. The place is called The Base and is visited regularly by your dead husband’s son, who goes there to see his uncle.”

“Uncle? My dearly beloved husband was an only child, and the loser also didn’t have any cousins. Anyway, that goddamn place is a fortress. We can’t get in there.” Greenwood frowned, casting a doubt-filled look in Flint’s direction.

“You’re right, but we can lure the two snotty brats out and take them to the discreet hideout I’ll prepare in the meantime. Then, you’ll contact the lawyers representing the Trevellyan estate and ask them to transfer everything to you in exchange for the little whiner. Things will get messy during the exchange, and your deceased husband’s son will be fatally wounded. Another stray bullet will hit my dear little brother.” Flint’s lips contorted in an ugly rictus when he said the last part. “Well, it’s very late. I should go to sleep and let you rest, too.”

Greenwood replied with a nod, his brain working a thousand miles an hour. MacAtee’s younger brother was a dangerous man, and he intended to eliminate him once his dead husband’s little bastard was out of the picture. He preferred to have Fernando Cortez as a partner, at least that motherfucker was predictable.

Suddenly, the realization hit Greenwood in full force, making him curse his lack of attention to details. Until then, he never paid attention to the striking resemblance between Fergus and that crazy Ardan MacNamara bastard, whom he saw on a few occasions. That’s it, he thought, they must be related somehow.

The revelation changed the game completely, putting Greenwood in charge. He was going to contact his most powerful allies, the Warthons, share his plan and raise a little army of mercenaries to attack The Base. They’ll do it a few days earlier, while MacAtee was still at large, leaving Flint to face his grieving brother’s wrath.You messed with the wrong devil, sonny boy,Greenwood thought, a cruel smile appearing on his lips.

CHAPTER 19

“Hello, long time no talk! When was the last time we met? Two years ago? I missed you like hell all this time.” A bright smile on his face, Seamus MacAtee greeted Spyros Lambrou, hugging him tight. “Gods of the universe, Spyro. How happy I am you’re back. I really need your words of wisdom.”

“Whoa, take it easy, kid. We talk over the phone all this time, didn’t we? However, I sensed you were very tense during the last call. What happened? You look exhausted and worried. Maybe it’s time to take a break.” The biker examined Seamus with worried eyes, his voice filled with concern.

“I can’t afford to take it easy now, Spyro, not when there is so much at stake. I’ll rest when everything is over and during my stay in prison. Right now, Tobias’s wellbeing is my main concern, and that is why I need you so badly. Did you get in touch with Ardan MacNamara?” Seamus disentangled from the embrace, waiting for the answer, all his nerves tensed.

“We met each other face-to-face, but the circumstances were rather unusual, and I didn’t realize it was him until after I left The Base. Since then, I visited the place a few more times but didn’t dare approach Ardan. It would seem like I wanted to take advantage of his gratitude, and it’s not like...”

“Since when did you start to talk in charades? It’s all you’ve done for the past few minutes, so please stop and explain the whole thing in a language a high school dropout like me can understand.” Smiling weakly, MacAtee cut his friend short. “Sorry, but sometimes you are way too complicated for my simple brain.”

“Says the guy who devised the genial plan to put a stop to the drug dealing in the city. About ten days ago, I rescued a kid from under the wheels of a SUV. The bastard behind the wheel would have run over him if it wasn’t for me. It turned out the boy, whose name is Nico, was Ardan MacNamara’s nephew. That day at The Base, I also met this little, shy beauty who captured my heart and...”

“Did you just say the boy you saved from being killed is named Nico? Gods of the universe, how can I ever repay you for this? He is my poor Fergus’s son, his flesh and blood, and my future husband. When the time comes, I’ll humbly kneel before Ardan MacNamara and ask for Nico’s hand in marriage. For now, however, I have to think about my little brother’s safety, and you are the only one who can help me.”

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