Page 6 of The Reckoning
“This wasn’t part of our arrangement,” I say, forcing calm into my tone.
“Neither was your deviation from the established timeline.” The voice remains even, unperturbed. “You were quite specific about your plans for the Hayes family. Your sudden... hesitation has caused us some concern.”
I pace the length of the corridor, past empty storage rooms and the cell where I kept Aries. Each step echoes, a metronomic reminder of my failure.
“I haven’t hesitated,” I lie. “I’ve been gathering more evidence. Making sure the destruction is complete. And with Lilian at my side, it will be even more thorough; she’s been invaluable in helping me with this.”
It’s bullshit, and we both know it. The truth is, something changed when Lilian entered the equation. When she looked at me and didn’t see a monster, but someone worth saving. When she offered me an alternative to the path of destruction I’ve been on for years.
“Is that what you call it?” Amusement colors his tone. “Our surveillance suggests otherwise. It appears Ms. Hayes has become something of a...distraction.”
The casual mention of surveillance sends a chill down my spine. Of course, they’ve been watching. Monitoring. These men don’t fork over millions without keeping tabs on their investment.
“She’s useful,” I counter. “She has access to information I need. Information about her mother’s goals. About Richard’s activities. About the web of corruption and deceit that makes up the Hayes empire. Information that could bring them all down more effectively than my blunt-force trauma approach. Plus, she can still get inside all the Hayes assets without suspicion.”
“And your brother? Is he ‘useful’ as well? Because our understanding was that he would be eliminated permanently.”
My jaw clenches at the mention of Aries. The original plan was simple: assume his identity long enough to access the Hayes empire, destroy Richard from the inside, then disappear, leaving my brother to face the fallout. A fate worse than death for the golden boy—disgrace, ruin, imprisonment. But only after I exacted my revenge on him physically and mentally.
“Complications arose,” I say tersely.
“Indeed.” The word drips with disapproval. “Complications that threaten to compromise everything we’ve worked toward.”
I glance back down the corridor. Through the open door, I can see Aries and Drew huddled over the security monitors, reviewing footage and searching for clues. Working together like old times, no doubt. The familiar bitterness rises in my throat.
For eight years, I’ve lived in the shadow of the brother who got everything while I got nothing. The one who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth while I choked on institutional food. The one who forgot I existed until I forced my way back into the narrative.
“I’ll handle my brother,” I say, digging my nails into my palm. “Just tell me what you want in exchange for the girl.”
“What we’ve always wanted, Mr. Hayes. Results.”
“I need more than that. I need specifics.”
A soft chuckle filters through the line. “Very well. We want the destruction of Richard Hayes. Not just his reputation or his company. Him. Personally. Publicly.”
The demand doesn’t surprise me. It’s been the endgame all along—Richard’s complete and total ruination. But something in the tone, the emphasis on “personally” and “publicly,” sends a chill down my spine.
“You want me to kill him,” I state flatly.
The thought has crossed my mind a thousand times. In my darkest moments in the facility, I fantasized about wrapping my hands around Richard Hayes’s throat and watching the life drain from his eyes. About making him feel even a fraction of the helplessness and terror I felt growing up.
But fantasy and reality are entirely different beasts.
“We want justice,” the voice corrects smoothly. “The method is your choice. But it must be done, and it must be done within forty-eight hours.”
“Forty-eight hours?” I repeat incredulously. “That’s not enough time to?—”
“It’s all the time Miss Hayes has, I’m afraid.”
My blood runs cold. “If you hurt her?—”
“That depends entirely on you.” The voice hardens. “Richard Hayes destroyed many lives, Mr. Hayes, including yours. We simply require that the debt be paid. In full.”
I pace the corridor, mind racing through scenarios and contingencies. Forty-eight hours to kill Richard Hayes. The man is rarely without security and is seldom seen in public without witnesses. His office has more surveillance than Fort Knox. His home is a fortress.
But he’s still my father. The man whose blood runs through my veins, whether I like it or not. The man who looked at his twins and decided one was worth keeping and one was worth discarding.
I’ve hated him for so long that hatred has become my identity. My purpose. But thinking about actually killing him—pulling a trigger, plunging a knife, watching him die—sends a wave of nausea through me.
