Page 27 of Buried Beneath Sin

“You’re not practically broke, youarebroke,” Sagan corrects darkly. “We checked your finances.”

My dad glares at him over his shoulder. “Fine, I'm fucking broke. All that means is I don't got anything to give ya.”

“What makes you think we want anything?” I raise a brow at him as I wait for an answer.

“Why else would you be here?” he demands. He spits, actuallyspits,on the table and glowers at me. “And don't give me any shit like ya missed me or anything. You know I hated you just as much as you hated me.”

I nod slowly. “You also hated Mom. Did you know she's dead now?”

“Oh yeah? How’d that slut go?” Dad scoffs, completely unfazed by the news of his first wife’s death.

“She ended up hanging herself in the closet,” I shrug. “It was a shame. Depression can be a bitch, can't it?”

Patrick actually laughs. “That whore threatened to do it for years. Glad she finally followed through with something for once in her life.”

His indifference toward his ex-wife doesn’t bother me. She wasn’t a very good mother, always moping around and crying. It was pathetic.

“Let’s go back to something real quick. You said ‘what littlewemake from the funeral home’,” I repeat curiously. “Butyoudon’t do anything for that business, do you?”

Dad’s scowl grows more impressive. “What are you talking about? It’s because of me that place is even running!”

“I’m not sure that’s true.” I look around with faux interest at the outdated kitchen as I consider my next words. “The year you married Lauren was the year the funeral home started hemorrhaging money. And it wasn’t until recently that it’s finally started seeing some profits again.”

“How do you know that?” he asks, his pupils narrowing on my face.

“Because before our acquisition, we wanted to make sure that Bright Starr Funeral Home would be a good investment.” I nudge my head toward Sagan. “Am I wrong about the state of things under Dad’s management?”

Sagan shakes his head. “No.”

“You see? I do my homework, not that you would know since you never helped with it while we were growing up.” I sigh. “In any case, what I’m trying to say is that your business management skills suck. But you know whodoeshave impressive skills? Your stepdaughter.”

Dad’s brows fly upward and he lets out a laugh of disbelief. “Beatrix? You think that bitch—Ah!”

Sagan’s hands dig into my father’s shoulders so hard I can see the veins pop up in the back of his hands.

“Careful how you speak about our sister,” he growls.

“Your sister…?” Dad’s voice trails off as he looks between us, baffled. He blinks then shakes his head. “Wait, d-did she put you up to this?”

“No… and yes,” I hedge with a shrug. “It’s complicated.”

“That fucking cunning bitch. I’ll kill her,” he snarls. His face reddens as his anger surges forward. “Look, whatever she offered you, it’s not worth shit. That filthy hussy is nothing but a?—”

“Isaidwatch how you talk about our sister,” Sagan snarls.

Dad laughs incredulously, the sound a bit stilted. “You two have always been too wild for your own good, but I’ll give you some advice. Get out of here and save yourself. Anyone that gets involved with the Starrs ends up a deadbeat.”

I stand slowly and reach into my pocket as Sagan replies, “We won’t be taking advice from you.”

“Here’s what’s going to happen, Dad,” I start, coming around the table. “Our plan is to take everything of yours and make it ours and make itbetter. And while we do that, we’re going to do what we do best.”

“And what’s that? Ruin lives?” he jeers up at me.

It’s like he doesn’t see the end coming. He keeps taunting, stupidly poking the bear.

“We do more than ruin lives,” I assure him as I come to stand beside him. “Wetakelives, Dad. We went from sawing off fingers to cutting off arms, legs, and even heads. It’s been pretty exciting to discover what we’re capable of.”

Dad tries to stand then, his eyes widening in horror as the gravity of this situation begins to dawn on him. He lets out a pathetic gasp. Sagan lets him up, and we watch as his hands slap against the table while he bares his teeth at me. Maybe if I wasstill a child I’d cower away. But now, I just stare into the flat eyes of a man whose time has come and gone.

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