Page 93 of Bed of Thorns

Edmond

Love.

I’d heard love made you do funny, risky things. Love forced you to stare at your reflection, determining whether you could provide the adoration, comfort, and support the person you cared about the most deserved. My reflection remained hazy, a shadow enshrouding my face that highlighted the rage I’d felt for far too long.

I’d once told Mercedes I never wanted her to be forced to say she was sorry for loving me. How could she feel any differently at this point?

I’d used the power and influence I’d been gifted one last time for two separate incidents. One, the private plane taking me back home.

And two… the weapon I’d purchased, now secured in my pocket.

As I stared out the windshield, a moment of quiet settled into my system. A storm raged outside, the blackness casting shadows in every direction, the ominous setting augmented by the harsh glow of streetlights. The wipers churned on the highest setting, shifting back and forth in a staccato rhythm.

It matched the rapid beating of my heart even though I remained calm. I’d insisted on a meeting, the demand left on his voicemail. I knew he’d come. My father wouldn’t miss the chance to gloat.

Or to shove the imaginary knife in for a second time.

As the wind howled, the force tossing the rental car back and forth, I took a deep breath, pulling into the parking lot. Everything was similar to that night.

The anger.

The darkness.

The storm.

As lightning flashed across the sky, an ugly memory rushed in.

“Mercedes. Get out of here!” I yelled. Then pain exploded inside my head as I was tossed across the room, the force the assailant used jarring. I scrambled to get to my feet, my vision foggy.

Then I heard her scream.

Hissing, I slammed my hand on the steering wheel, jerking to a stop. Then I leaned over, taking several gasping breaths. The same vision had pumped through my mind several times during the flight, but it always ended there. Cutting the engine, I pressed my hand against the gun, throwing open the door.

The end was near.

For one or for both of us.

I’d planned everything out, hiring an attorney and ensuring that Mercedes would be well provided for in case this meeting went as I envisioned. She deserved a life of happiness, which was obviously not something I could provide. I’d also made certain no one would fuck with her or place her life in danger.

Now I could face the inevitable.

I stormed inside the building, taking the stairs two at a time and heading for my father’s office. The door was cracked, and I heard the sound of rustling papers over the rumble of thunder. I was thirty minutes early on purpose. When I pushed open the door, I stood in silence, staring at the man I’d grown to hate, the warm glow of the desk lamp highlighting his features. He’d aged significantly, his face now gaunt, his once robust body frail. What the hell did I care? He could rot in hell as far as I was concerned.

“Hello, Father.”

He jerked his head up, staring at me with the same wild eyes Mercedes had had before her collapse. “You shouldn’t be here,” he snarled, standing to his full height but I noticed his hands were shaking.

“As I said, you and I have unfinished business.” I walked in, shifting my jacket to allow him to see the weapon I carried.

His gaze drifted to the hard piece of steel then back to my eyes. “You’ve come to kill me. Go ahead. I don’t give a shit any longer. Everything I worked for is crumbling around me. No clients. No development deals. They took it all away from me.” He laughed bitterly. “Bastards.”

“I’ve come here for answers.” I moved closer to his desk, peering down. “The Prism Group is a powerful organization, Father. However, they provided what you needed for years. Then you betrayed them.”

“My God. They got to you as well.”

“If you’d visited me in prison, you might have figured out they were biding their time, hoping I could give them the information you’ve kept locked away all these years. The only bargaining ability you had. Right?”

He seemed surprised I’d figured it out, swallowing several times as his body swayed. “What do you want from me?”

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