Page 23 of Freckles

“Kincaid?”

I freeze at my uncle’s voice, stifling a curse before turning back through the connecting door. I thought he was up in Auckland till the end of the month. “Hey. Sorry to wake you.”

“You didn’t.”

Lance Tana is a dark shadow of a man. Taller and broader than me, he dresses like a cheap thug rather than the head of a multibillion-dollar crime empire.

A method that works well for him, measuring by the results.

His expression is its usual blank slate. I never have the slightest clue what he’s thinking. He prefers it that way.

We stand together in silence. Experience has taught me not to break first because he’ll take it as a sign of weakness. No matter how old or how big I get, when he’s in a mood, I revert to a small child.

Finally, he crosses to my bed and sits on the edge. “Would you like to explain why you’ve withdrawn five thousand dollars from the household account?”

Shit.I forgot to deposit the cash to cover Francesca’s payment.

Our family money doesn’t mean a lot to me, but it means everything to my uncle. His grip on the reins istight.

“There was a girl…” I falter. That’s not the right way to start. “There was an incident at school involving Alice—”

His sharp voice cuts across mine. “Forsyth? Ezra’s Alice?”

“Yes, but not any longer. They split.” A result I’m happy to take credit for.

“Tell me you haven’t gone into debt with those vultures.”

“No, it… She was bullying another girl. A friend…” He tilts his head, and I abandon the explanation. I should know by now, my uncle doesn’t tolerate excuses or mistakes. “I’ll pay it back.”

“You will.” There’s another short silence. “Ezra has a job lined up for next weekend. A man who owes money and thought blackmail was the way to pay it. Help your cousin take care of him and we’ll call it even.”

Take care of him.

The phrase can be interpreted many ways, but I understand exactly what my uncle means.

Another ghost to haunt me.

“Yes, sir. I’ll get it done.” It’s not the best time, not with a mistake blotting my record, but I want to know. “Can I ask you something?”

He raises his eyebrows.

“A sports agent said he could arrange a scholarship to an overseas college, maybe even take me pro with one of the teams there.”

I pause, and he cocks his head. “And the question?”

“Would that be okay?” I sublimate the urge to fidget, stiffening my muscles. “I don’t know what your plans are for me.”

“The same as I’ve always offered you. A family and a job.” His eyes bore into mine, but his voice is soft. “You’re either in the business or you’re not, Kincaid. I won’t be your backup plan. You have to choose.”

I nod, frowning at the floor. “What about attending university here? Same as Onyx and Tyson.”

“Studying what?” He waits but I don’t have an answer. “You’ve never shown an interest before. Where has this come from?”

“A lot of my year are going on to uni.”

He keeps his gaze steady on me while the silence grows suffocating.

“That hole inside you?” He nods where my hand is pressed hard against my abdomen, and it’s like he’s reading my mind. “The emptiness? I had it, too. You can’t fill it with drugs or fast cars or mindless fucking. No religion gives enough answers to plug the gap.”

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