Page 64 of Swamp Princess

Looking at Diego again, I voice the one question I know I’m going to regret asking. “How were they killed?”

Diego takes a moment to look at me before he smiles sadly. “After the failed attempt on Thiago's life, my parents went into war. Mariano was easily found back in the day, and knew that my parents were gunning for him. He staged a raid on one of my parents’ warehouses and when his men were caught by mine, the building exploded with my parents inside.”

I sit in shock as I listen to him. My father even sacrificed his own men to kill Thiago and Diego’s parents.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper to him. I don't really know what to say to him, other than to give him the apology that I'm sure he would never get from anybody else in my family.

“It's not your fault, you didn't have any idea of this. The reason I'm telling you is because I want you to know what you're getting yourself into. Your father will come eventually. It may not be soon, but it will be at some point, and you need to be prepared for it.”

He taps my knee, trying to give me some form of comfort, but overall, I just feel numb. This goes a lot deeper than even I knew, and I have a feeling that the four kings of Warren that I know about are all trying to gun for his spot.

“Is Thiago trying to overtake my father?”

For a moment, Diego doesn't answer; he just stares off at the bleachers, not saying much. “I think he is, but even my brother is not prepared for the malice that comes with your father. I've been doing my research into your father, and it goes a lot deeper than even I was aware of. He's a very powerful man in how he manages to stay out of the spotlight because he's underground right now. The last I heard, he was grooming your brother to take over Warren, so he can move to a different city or country.”

“So, you've seen my brother?” My heart starts to beat faster. I know that I shouldn't be excited or even feel remotely excited about the possibility of my brother around Warren, but I've never had a sibling, and I really want one.

“Yes, I've seen him but only getting in and out of a car and that was last year. Your brother tends to stay underground for the most part because of the danger should he come up.”

With nothing else left to say, I thank him for the information and tell him that I will see him later. I also asked him to please have Thiago call me and try to explain to him that I have no idea about my brother or my father.

* * *

Kove JR

“Father.” I patiently wait until my father acknowledges my existence. I know I caught him in a bad moment since Thiago’s man started moving closer to our base of operations.

“What do you want, Kove? I'm in a meeting.” I watch him mute the laptop that he's on which is holding other men from different countries across the world.

“I just wanted to inform you that I've been monitoring the situation above ground with my darling sister.” I don't continue and I wait to see what he will have to say about my sister that I only just found out about. Sometimes, he seems more interested than not in her, but other times, he can act like she doesn't even exist in this world.

I can't lie and say that I haven't spied on her because I have. The moment I found out I actually had a little sister, I wanted to know everything about her. Where she went to school, how she lived, and who had her heart. The worst part was knowing that I couldn't protect her.

“Well, out with it, boy!” There's the frustration that I know all too well.

“It appears Vince has convinced our mother that since she cannot pay him properly, my sister was to marry him.” I try very hard not to cringe or show too much emotion when I tell him this. He has bred non emotion into me for as long as I can remember. Emotion was weakness, and weakness gets you killed. “I did also find out that she started dating Thiago.”

Now, I see the spark in his eyes. The wheels turn in his head as he thinks of the best way to get back at Thiago. “Really?”

“Well, she was until she was kicked out almost a month ago. Since then, they haven't been seen together. I also know she's still in that school for rich kids across the tracks.”

“Skystead Prep?” My father closes the laptop, no longer concerned with the men on the screen, and his full attention is on me.

“How much do you know about your sister, son?”

“Everything I just told you is everything I know. What I do know is that she is getting ready for the Christmas ball that the school holds every year.”

“Hm.” Now, I can really see the wheels turning in my father's head. “Every year, I give a sizable donation from one of my legitimate companies to the school. I did also happen to receive an invitation, plus one to the ball. Normally, I just pass it off and do not attend, but this year, I think it would be the perfect time for us to go. I am, however, going to stop and see her mother.”

A flare of excitement goes through me and I tamp it down as quick as possible. “Will I be attending you as well, father, to go see my mother?” My voice is monotone and I almost want to tap myself on the shoulder for being able to control the flare of excitement that hits me. I've only ever seen one picture of my mother and have not seen her since.

I wanna know why she kept my sister but gave me away. I want to know how different my life would have been had I been raised by her and not a monster of a man. I guess it's really not fair that I say that he's a monster when I'm not much better. Over the years, I lost most of the emotion that a normal human being carries.

I know how to kill without a problem and I know how to discard of a body in numerous ways without a trace of it ever coming back to me, and even in my sick state, I still like the long drawn out kills and the hunt of my prey.

“I do suppose it's time for you to visit your mother, before I kill the worthless trash that she is.” His tone is laced with so much venom, that if I were her, I would be very scared of this man showing up at my door. He told me that he loved her once, and I don't know what made him change his mind other than his father before him.

“What do you mean?”

---