Page 68 of Evil Villain (The Royal Court)

“You’re like one of the social media groups that all lives together and films crazy videos,” I said.

Nathan nodded. “I never realized that, but it’s pretty on brand for us, honestly.”

I snickered. “Maybe y’all. Not me.”

“Well, there’s a room for you up there too, so get used to it. You’re one of us now, whether you like it or not,” Nathan said.

I sighed. “Is it weird that I sort of like it?”

“To be fair, Ididoffer you a position in The Royal Court before,” Nathan said.

“Oh, you mean when you cleared out an entire classroom, sat on top of a desk like some sort of shitty dictator, and threatened me?” I said. “Can’t imagine why I turned that offer down.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fair.”

“I’ve learned a lot about our father,” I said. “Venom, our meeting behind bars wasn’t just random. He used him to frame me for the death of some random guy. Apparently Felicity is one of the many women he’d manipulated and he was able to use her to get to him.”

Nathan’s nostrils flared with anger. “I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ll do you one better. He handpicked Cherriyearsbefore you met her. He moved her family here, intentionally near you. It’s still uncertain if his original plan was for her to be with you, or if he always intended to have me snatch her from you, but regardless, he’d been in control over her family from even before she moved here.”

“God,” I barked. “This guy is a fucking piece of shit.”

“No disagreements there, but I do have to say, sometimes I find myself being a little, I don’t know, grateful. I mean, if it weren’t for him, Cherri wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t know any of my friends. Hell, who knows if you and I would have ever met. For all his fucking around with us, he did leave alittlebit of good in his wake.”

“I suppose,” I said. “I’m not acknowledging that to him though.”

“No, never,” Nathan replied. “No, next time I see him, I’ll be taking him down, and that’ll be it.”

“We have to keep him alive,” I said, and Nathan’s eyes widened at me. “I know, but he’s the reason Venom is locked up. The only way he’ll be able to get out is if we can prove that Connor was on bullshit when he was working with Venom. If we kill him, there will be no way to do that.”

“I really want him dead, Deon,” Nathan said. “He killed my mom.”

“I’m not saying anything specific, I’m just saying, once he’s locked up, Venom’s men will have access to him and it probably won’t be pretty. I want him six feet under too, but if we jump the gun, we’ll never be able to clean up all the messes he’s made.”

Nathan sighed. “I guess I’d better get started on trying to come up with a new way to entice him to do what we want, if it’s not going to be a barrel down his throat.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“Wanna hear something else insane?” Nathan asked. “You are an officer of our company.”

“What?” I said.

“Oh yeah. Your name is on an office there. That key I gave you is no joke. Deon Keane, you are the Chief Executive Officer of Loche Corporation Enterprises.”

That dream I had with Nathan and Cherri came blasting back into my mind. Was it just a freaky premonition? “I’m the C.E.O.?”

“Seems dear old dad had some plans up his sleeve that even I didn’t know about. From the day the company was incorporated, I’ve been listed as Vice President and you’ve been listed as C.E.O.” Nathan kicked the dirt on the gazebo floor. “It’s been a pain in the ass getting them to function without us, but I told them they need to just toe the line until we can figure all this shit with Connor out.”

“So, what? After all this is done, you’re gonna go and be an 18-year-old Vice President of a Fortune 500 company?” I asked.

“Pretty much, although I’ll technically be President now,” Nathan said. “I plan to go to business school and eventually get my MBA, but Connor had me studying that shit when I was ten, so I know how things go.” He looked over at me. “What about you? Will you join me? Vice-president?”

“I never considered myself much of an office guy,” I replied.

“I’ll let you keep the Grizzly Adams beard,” he joked.

I ran my hand along the scruff. “It’s something, isn’t it? Do you think I should cut it?”

“At the risk of soundingsocreepy, no. Cherri likes facial hair,” Nathan replied, then he held up a hand before I could quip back. “No, don’t comment on it. Let that be the first and last time that ever happens.”

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