“Glad we could do proper business again,” my father says, shaking the hand of the man in front of us.
“I’m happy to be able to sell my goods to your customers again,” the man says with a gleeful grin, his mouth full of gold teeth. “I’m sure they’ve been ravenous waiting for it.”
My father chuckles awkwardly.
“I’m sure,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Excuse me, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” the man says, holding out his hand to me. “Wayne Ferry.”
I glance at his hand and then his face.
“No, thanks. I don’t shake the hands of murderers.”
His face contorts into complete and utter shock, and to my delight, I find myself laughing.
“Ares!” my father barks.
“Are we done here?” I ask as I get up from my seat. “I have things to do.”
“Yes, I am,” Wayne says, shaking his head. “I’m done here. I’ll see myself out.”
“Apologies, Wayne,” Father says as he follows him out the door. “I am trying to involve my son in the business side of things. It’s not going as smoothly as I’d hoped. I do hope you’ll forgive his brazenness.”
“I’ll think about it,” Wayne says, throwing me a snooty look.
“You’ve done it now,” Kai whispers to me.
“Shut the fuck up,” I growl back.
He shrugs as Dad closes the door again.
“Ares … That was uncalled for.”
“I don’t know why you keep wanting me at these meetings when you have him,” I say, nodding at Kai.
“Because you’re my son, and I’m the man who owns this company that provides the wealth you indulge yourself in,” he says, still holding the doorknob. “You’d do well to remember that.”
“You should try not to piss off his clients,” Kai whispers. “Even the fucked-up ones.”
“They aren’t fucking clients. They’re drug-dealing murderers who are using Dad’s customers to earn blood money.”
“Ares,” my father hisses.
“No, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend they’re esteemed businessmen when all they are is petty criminals.”
My father slams the light switch. “ARES! How many times do I have to tell you to fucking behave?” His nostrils flare. “One fucking day in the week. You couldn’t give me one day of your obedience.”
“I am not your fucking pet,” I growl back.
“You’re my fucking son, and I expect you to act like it.”
“Right …” I scoff. “The same way you’ve been behaving as a proper dad, you mean?”
“Fuck,” Kai grits. “For fuck’s sake, just apologize and be done with it.”
“No.”
I’m not going to sit here and pretend we’re holy when we’re not.
“You already made up your mind,” I tell my dad. “You don’t need me here.”
When I get up, he growls, “Sit. Down.”
I slowly back down again even though I hate listening to anyone, let alone him. But if I don’t … he’ll make me.
“Our family was built on trust,” he says.
“Lies.”
“And I will not have you disobey me.”
“They’re drug-dealing murderers.”
“So are we!” Kai interrupts. “Don’t you understand? This is why he picked me and not you. Killing is part of the deal. That’s the price we pay for the life we live.”
“For you,” I say, folding my arms. “And if that’s the price you want to pay, you can keep all of it. I don’t fucking want it.”
My father sucks in a breath.
“Kai. Leave. I want to talk to Ares alone.”
Two years ago
“Slit his throat.”
I stare at the man between my feet, cowering in fear and murmuring the words of God.
My father’s powerful gaze bares my soul.
“Mi niño, we don’t have all night. He needs to die. Now.”
I push the knife into his neck.
“Please. Don’t do this,” the man begs. “I have a wife. A child. Please.”
A few roses from the bushel he was carrying on his way out of the building scatter across the pavement, one releasing a petal which flies off in the wind.
“Ares …” My father’s voice echoes through the streets. “Time is running out.”
“Why him?” I ask.
“He ruined a great evening with poor customer service for one of my associates,” my father replies. “They were not happy, and neither am I because now I’m the one who disappointed my associate … and he will pay the price.”
Right.
One bad review from the wrong person will be the death of the man beneath me.
“Please, don’t kill me,” the man begs, tugging at the conscience I didn’t think I’d still have. “I haven’t done anything.”
He’s right.
He’s an innocent man who chose the wrong day to cross our path.
Is this the fate he deserves?
“Do it,” my father rasps.
“Told you he couldn’t do it,” Kai says.
“Shut up,” I quip.
“You know what’s at stake here, Ares,” my father says. “My legacy could be yours … all you have to do is take it by taking his life.”
A life in exchange for power.
But all I hear are the whimpers of the man beneath me. “Please …”
His begging is as sharp as the knife in my hand.
“Ares! Do you want the position or not?” my father growls. “¡Hazlo ya!”
I lift the knife and hold it above my head, watching the man’s last piteous gaze fall upon me.
And I break.
Present
Kai glances at me. “Stop going against him,” he whispers to me.
“You have your Phantoms. You have your future. Go get it, then,” I tell him.
“Kai,” my father says sternly.
Kai sighs out loud and gets up, glancing once more at me before he leaves the room.
CLICK.
My father locks the door to his office.
“I’m going to give you one more chance,” he says. “Apologize to Mr. Ferry.”
And I look him dead in the eye, knowing full well what the consequences will be, as I say, “No.”
I’ve killed men for this. I have killed for the privilege to look my father in the eyes and deny him the one thing he wants.
Obedience.
To be a trafficker, a drug dealer, a killer without a conscience.
But I will never, ever give him what he wants.
Even if it costs me my goddamn sanity.
