Page 104 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

John and I walked farther into the room before the door closed behind us. We approached our father’s bed in stride with one another. But we didn’t stand too closely. Dad looked completely enthralled with the Jeopardy episode on television. And as Alex Trebek rattled off the answers, Dad kept answering those inane questions.

“Who is Cleopatra?”

“What is mitosis?”

“What is sycophant?”

I rolled my eyes. “Dad. Can you turn that off, please?”

He held up his finger. “Just one more… oh! Who is Lot? Yeah!”

I furrowed my brow at the odd scene of my father pumping his fist into the air. He winced at the pain and quickly dropped his arm, to which John rushed to his side. I kept myself in my place, though. I didn’t want to be anywhere near that man. And as John limped over to aid our father like he always had, Dad’s eyes found my own.

“Come to gloat, I guess?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. Just to look at you one last time and say goodbye. For good.”

He snickered. “Just like that, huh?”

I nodded. “Just like that.”

“So no empathy? Even for your own father?”

John checked our father over. “He looks fine.”

Dad grumbled. “I’m certainly not fine.”

John pressed a button until it turned red. “Well, I’m sure you will be with time. And this morphine.”

“That stuff makes me itch.”

I sighed. “John, you don’t have to dote on him anymore. He holds no power over you.”

John looked over at me. “You say goodbye the way you want to and let me say goodbye the way I want to.”

Dad grinned. “Yeah, Max. Let your brother have his ways.”

Watching John dance around our father made me sick. But if that was what he needed for closure, then so be it. I wouldn’t stop him. I sure as hell wasn't joining him, though.

“You want empathy?” I asked.

Dad shrugged. “Couldn't hurt.”

“You tried to kill me three times so your drug-running business could expand. You tried to drown the woman I love. You’re a greedy bastard, in general. And you want empathy?”

“I knew it was a longshot anyway.”

“You’re no father of mine in the first place. And even if I wanted to give you empathy, I sure as hell wouldn't disrespect Dani that way.”

He scoffed. “Dani. What a weak little thing.”

I opened my mouth to fire back at him, but John beat me to it.

“That weak little thing is the reason Max is still standing and you’re going to prison, Dad. She has more balls on her than any of us. She was your undoing, not us. So you can think on that while you’re rotting away in solitary confinement.”

Dad growled as John hobbled back to my side. Then Dad looked me straight in my eyes.

“I should have eliminated you a long time ago, Max.”

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