Page 87 of Savage Daddies

“Of course I had a dream,” I say. “Everybody has dreams.”

“What was yours?”

I press my lips together and look to the floor, avoiding the question.

“You’re my brother, alright. Mute like me.”

Seriously? Arrogant people don’t exactly keep their mouths shut.

“I used to be, in school. Being mute was the only way to survive. If I didn’t open my mouth and say anything, nobody had anything to hold against me. Of course, popular kids still find ways, don’t they?” He sharpens his eyes for a moment. “My foster parents owned a drug trade, and illegally employed all of these?—”

“I know.”

He waggles his eyebrows. Continues, “Anyway, I binge ate as a result. Coping mechanism, I think. I put on pounds, and they started calling me fat and whatnot.A fat nobody that’s too shy to stick up for himself,that was the one that dug most. Isla Juniper was her name. She was always all up in everyone’s business, so it comes as no surprise that she made a career out of it.”

“The whistleblower?” I say. “The one who uncovered Paul’s money laundering and threatened to turn all the evidence in to the press?”

“Good, you’re catching up.” Felix ties his hands behind his back and paces the room. “That was an especially satisfying kill. Do you wanna know how I did it? Blow to the head.” He acts the scenario out, cocking a hand to his temple.” She recognized me, too. Karma works in the most weird, wondrous ways.” He drops the makeshift gun and turns to me. “You know how it feels, don’t you…Bullwhip? You know how it feels tofinallybe behind the trigger instead of in front of it? Words hurt, one could even argue more than death.”

This must be why it’s so important for him to make a good public impression.

“We’re the same person, me and you.Twins.You’ve seen it yourself.” He stops pacing. Straightens his spine with a crack. “Join me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There’s no cap on power. You can always do better.” He walks back over to the desk and takes a seat, hands netting together again like he means business. “Help me take over the Vegas casino scene.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Power, Bully, you’re not listening.” He raises his eyebrows and says my name again. “Bully. Good name, I like that.”

“I thought you have Warren.”

“Idohave Warren, but he’s my right-hand man. My behind-the-scenes guy. I want you. We could be business partners and monetize the Vegas scene. Think how powerful we’d be. How much we’d be able to get away with.”

“Money doesn’t interest me.”

“It doesn’t interest me either,” says Felix. “To an extent, sure it does, but it’s the experience that money provides. It’s priceless, if you’ll pardon the pun. You pay for people’s silence if they uncover what you’re up to, and if they refuse to shut their mouths, you pull the trigger. Simple. If anyone suspects the murder—same goes. You either exchange cash for silence, or you blackmail.”

Paul’s pallid body returns to my vision. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“Who?” Felix sniffs a laugh. “You’re gonna have to give me a name.”

“Paul.”

“Paul Royal took a turn for the worst after killing Isla Juniper. He silenced the whistleblower with a Glock 17 thirteen months ago, and the guilt weighed on him ever since. Death was the only way to escape the regret in the end.” Felix flashes a smile. “Good, isn’t it?”

“So you staged a suicide?”

“Of course!”

“But you wanted him dead because…?”

“Cash Pot Palace needed a new owner.” The grin widens. “Me.”

Paul was one of the most renowned casino owners in Vegas. Of course Felix wanted him out of the way.

“What about the money? The half a million dollars you wanted from Paul?”

---