Page 21 of Saddled in Secrets
Anger surges in my veins, flexing every muscle to pounce. “Stay away from her.”
His eyes gleam after I gave him the desired reaction. “I might dangle her in front of your nose until you listen.”
The insinuation almost makes me launch at him. “If you try to contact her again, we’ll bury you.”
“We?”
“You know who I’m friends with.”
“Friends,” he laughs but the sound is a taunt. “Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re one of them, kid. You’ll never truly fit in. They’ll always see you as an outsider.”
I force myself to appear unaffected, but my blood is boiling inside. “The roads we’ve traveled don’t mean shit. When it comes to Bianca’s safety and well-being, we’re on even ground. The entire Benson family will destroy you if she gets hurt. That’s a war you won’t win. I’ll be at the front of the line to watch you fall.”
“Damn,” he chuckles again. “Quite a speech. They’ve really turned you against me.”
“You did that on your own.” The damage he caused would cost a fortune to fix, and that’s just the psychological aspects.
“What’s it going to take for you to come home? Claim your rightful place at the top. That’s where you belong.” He beckons me forward. “Don’t settle for the scraps they’re tossing at you. All of this can be yours.”
My boots remain firmly planted on the other side of this imaginary line he’s drawn. “Not interested.”
“No? Does your precious treasure know about your past? Or is she under the illusion you were trained to fight in a prestigious academy?”
“Not sure what that has to do with anything.” I’m under no illusion that Bianca thinks of me beyond being a pain in her ass.
My father scoffs. “You’re a gutter rat like the rest of us, Colton. The sooner you remember that, the faster we can get back on track.”
There’s some truth to his words, but I don’t want to hear it. Brody saved me. I ran from my father’s crew when I was twenty. It wasn’t easy to leave, living on my own. The last seven years have been a breeze in comparison to the first few thanks to himtaking me in. The trust and responsibility he’s handed over is worth far more than anything this crook is trying to swindle.
I’d love to punch the smug grin off his wrinkled face. He won’t let me walk out of here as easily if I do. It might be a battle already depending on his mood. Fine by me. Walker’s bruises were just a warning. I stretch my knuckles again. As if my father could forget what he created.
But this isn’t about swinging our dicks. It’s best to reserve the violence for if he contacts Bianca again.
My flat expression reflects boredom. “We done?”
“What do you think?”
That this was an enormous waste of my time and patience. “Was there a plan beyond pissing me off?”
He shrugs. “Just hoping to have a conversation, which is what I told Bianca. Be sure to pass along my gratitude.”
My vision narrows into a point where he’s the target. “If you’re smart, you’ll forget she exists. You don’t want Dennis and Brody as enemies.”
He waves off the barely retrained fury in my voice. “She served her purpose. I just needed to get your attention.”
“You got it.” But not for much longer. My skin is starting to itch. I need to get back to the manor.
His sigh almost sounds resigned, but that can’t be right. “The truth is that I’m sick.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“It’s cancer,” he clarifies. “Stage Four.”
That gives me pause, but little else. If he’s expecting sympathy, he should’ve thought twice about beating it out of me. The disease will make him suffer a worse fate than any torture he dealt. Maybe there’s a semblance of reckoning in that. But I still feel nothing. He doesn’t deserve an ounce of pity.
When I don’t respond, he fills in the lull. “I don’t trust anyone else to run the business.”
It’s comical that he believes I’ll eagerly jump into his leadership position like I didn’t leave on purpose. This delightful meet and greet was meant to remind him of where we stand—on opposite sides of the fence. That’s how it will remain.
