Page 15 of Kronos

“It’s not a who, but a corporation. Operation something. I don’t know man. I get a text from a blocked number. They tell me what file they want, and I deliver it. Once I deliver, they pay me. It’s all done electronically. I ain’t never seen nobody."

I’ve had enough of the bullshit. “Enough. Tell me right the fuck now or I’m going to shoot you.”

“Look he… said his name starts with an H. Shit. I don’t know, man. I do a lot of drugs. Please, I’ll resign from your organization. I’ll move to fucking Florida. Just let me go man.”

H…Could it really be Haydes? After all this time? Hypnos looks at me and I stare back. Fuck, just as I was thinking we were done with all the bullshit. Haydes rears his ugly ass. I saw the man’s hand off and shoot him in the forehead to end his screaming.

“Send it to his family. Make sure everyone sees you do it,” I tell Hypnos as I throw the blade onto the table and walk over to the station, we use to clean our guns.

“You know what this means.”

I don’t speak for a few minutes, trying to gather what I want to say.

“Yeah, I do. It means we have some hunting to do.”

Chapter Ten

Kronos: Age Thirty-Three

Droppingintomychairat work, I look at the damn schedule for today. A meeting with Mexico for the drugs running through our territory. Another meeting with China for the guns running through our warehouses. This shit is overwhelming me. It’s ridiculous how much fucking work I must do to keep this operation going.

“Why don’t you take the day off?” I look up at my new secretary and stare at him. He’s smart and knows what he’s doing. It’s true I could leave, and he’d handle it all, but that’s not his job.

“Got meetings.” I grunt, giving him a pointed look.

“What do you need, Malakai?”

He grimaces, like he doesn’t want to tell me. “Just thought you should know we have another one that’s not on the schedule with human resources for the new hire event.”

Malakai walks into my office, getting closer to me. His stride is confident, powerful, and I feel the twitch of my cock. God dammit. It’s not the time or place for my dick to do the thinking. Why the fuck can’t I look at a woman and get this way? The evil voice inside my head cackles, flashing green eyes. Fuck this shit.

“When?” My hand shakes as the anxiety hits me.

“Twenty minutes. Are you sure you are alright?” His question makes me see red. I’ve never been this fucking weak. I feel like everyone is walking on eggshells around me and that makes me want to kill. Or drink. One of the two and right now, I’m not sure which one is winning out.

“Get me the papers I need to go over before I walk in there. I don’t want to go in blind.”

Another day, another humdrum bullshit list of things to do. I think I understand why my father put me on the night shift and left me there. I’m better at the missions that deal with killings and torturing poor souls. Hell, everyone knows it. My brothers call me about torture, and they call me in when they want carnage. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m nothing but a fucking grunt.

That bottle of vodka sitting in the cellar is calling my name. I can see it clear as day, sitting there, mocking me, ready for me to reach out and pour a glass. Just one. I can handle it. Sweat drips down my face, and I tremble with the need.

Getting up, I pull open the door of my office and storm out. I tell Malakai to reschedule everything for today and that I will be back in a day or two. He tries to talk to me, but I walk quickly to the elevator. The need to get away is threatening to overtake me.

The parking garage’s cold air hits me and I calm down just a little. I practically skip to my car.

“Don’t do this,”the whisper of that good spirit inside of me pleads.

I start the car and I think about the lock code for the cellar. Fuck being sober. Fuck the responsibility. It’s better to drown in the oblivion that alcohol can bring me.

As I make my way through the back roads from the city to the house, I hear a faint voice in my head again that’s telling me not to do this. To stay strong and be the brother that Hypnos and Ayres need. It’s strangling me to the point the Goddamn green eyes pop into my vision, and I swerve to miss a car I almost hit.

Dammit to hell. Get it together, Kronos. You are better than this. The voice urges me, but the devil inside of me smiles and waves the vodka in front of me. Sitting on the side of the road, I count to a hundred to calm myself down. It helps marginally.

The house comes into view as I make the right-hand turn down the driveway. Peace and some time to drown in the vodka that’s calling my name. That’s all I need. My cell phone goes off, but I ignore it. I know who it is.

I’m a man on a mission once I’m out of my car and walking down the steps into the cellar. I can get into the house from there. Shit, maybe I’ll just drink the shit out of everything in the room. It’s not like it’s going to make a difference.

“Kronos?” I look up at someone calling my name.

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