Confrontations
Chapter thirty-four
Alex
I sit at Brandon’s desk with my chin in my hands, thinking. There has to be someone out there willing to see Jake. Maybe I should try Craigslist. I don’t even know if that’s still a thing.
I perk up when I suddenly hear a muffled commotion coming from the lobby. Time to get back to work.
“Professionalism, Alex,” I remind myself. Conflict resolution has never been my strong suit, but I’m working on it. “You can’t threaten to send Sasha after all the problem guests.”
Walking into the lobby, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight of Elder Covington and two of his goons.
One has Brandon by the arm and is dragging him out from behind the desk when one of our guests walks through the front door.
He takes one look at the Russians and puts his hands up, slowly backing away before bolting to his car.
Great, another bad review. Thankfully the Russians let him go.
“Hey man, watch it!” Brandon yelps as one of the Russians pats him down. He pulls a blunt from Brandon’s pocket and sticks it behind his ear. “That’s mine! You have to pay for that, bro. I only share with my homies, and you are not a homie.”
The Russian raises a hand like he’s about to backhand him, but Mr. Covington speaks up. “Now, now, Danil. We can resolve this without violence. Tie him up.”
He looks to me with those beady, black eyes of his. “Is anyone else here? My son?” I shake my head. It’s a lie. Seth is probably in the attic, and Jake is working out back. I pray that they stay hidden until these goons leave. I have no idea where Sasha is.
“Search the house, Victor. Make sure this little boy isn’t lying to us.
” He looks to Danil, who is holding Brandon by the elbow.
Brandon’s hands are tied in front of him, and my heart lurches at the sight.
“Take that one into the basement. Put anyone else you find down there as well, but bring my son to me.”
I gasp as the Russians leave to search the hotel. “Please don’t hurt him,” I plead.
Mr. Covington turns his full attention to me, and it takes everything in me not to cower. “Why does it seem like every time there is trouble nowadays, I find you right in the middle of it?” he asks me.
“Fuck you!”
Mr. Covington looks like he’s about to respond to that, but a noise behind me catches his attention, and he smirks. I turn to see Victor hauling Jake roughly by the arm. His eyes go wide when he sees Mr. Covington. Sasha follows close behind them with his head down. What the fuck?
“Good to see you again, Sasha. Was anyone else in the house?” he asks Victor.
“No, boss. Just this one.” He pulls Jake in front of him and shoves him towards his father. They haven’t found Seth, then. Good.
“Check again. My boy is fond of playing games.” Victor nods and stops to whisper something in Sasha’s ear that makes him grimace before heading for the stairs. Fuck.
“Father, it’s good to see you again,” Jake says with a tremor in his voice. I watch as Sasha schools his expression and walks over to the reception desk, leaning against it and looking a little too at ease. My stomach sinks as the realization hits that he could have double crossed us.
“I’m not here to play games with you, boy.
You’re going to come with me without making a scene.
Then you’re going to sign the deed of this hotel over to me, as agreed.
Don’t think I didn’t notice that you managed to give control of your trust over to one Brandon Sinclair.
I shouldn’t be surprised, you are my son after all.
That’s probably the smartest thing you’ve ever done.
How did you manage to pull that one off? ”
“Turns out I was never officially declared dead. On paper, I’m still alive, and I can do what I want. I guess that was an oversight on your part. You’re not as smart as you think you are.”
Jake takes a deep breath, mentally preparing what he’s going to say next, and I see Mr. Covington balling his fists, getting ready for a fight.
I inch forward, ready to intervene if he tries to put his hands on Jake.
“There’s been a change of plans. I’m not going anywhere with you, and I’m not giving you the hotel.
I want to resolve this amicably, if that’s even possible for you. I’m tired of fighting with you.”
“You duplicitous little bastard! You have no idea what you’ve cost me with your games.”
“Dad! Just listen to what we have to say.”
“I don’t have time for this. I’m here for one thing only and I intend to get it.”
Sasha, who has so far been quietly watching from the desk, walks slowly towards Elder Covington. His hand shakes a little as he holds the file he prepared out to him. Okay, so maybe he hasn’t double crossed us after all.
“Mr. Covington, please calm down. This is a negotiation; it doesn’t need to get violent if you cooperate.
I have evidence of all your crimes. If you don’t walk away and leave Jake alone, we will give these to police.
Your pockets run deep, but you don’t own every cop out there.
I will show them where every single body is buried. ”
Mr. Covington looks through the files in disbelief, becoming increasingly outraged.
“Are you on their side now, then? I should have known. You’ve always been too soft for your own good.”
“You should not have asked me to kill your son,” he says simply.
“I don’t hurt innocent people. Ever. Here is what is going to happen.
You will leave this hotel without a fuss and never come back.
Otherwise, I think the world will be very interested in what is in this file.
You will lose everything, and then you’ll have no protection.
Rich people don’t like having their money stolen from them, right?
What will your friends do when they find out what you’ve been doing with their charity money?
Please listen to reason. You do not need this hotel.
If you leave quietly, no one will ever find this out. ”
Mr. Covington shakes his head, looking devastated. I bet he’s never looked at Jake like that. “You were like a son to me, Sasha. I gave you everything. Why are you doing this? Why now?”
"I know, but I’m tired of the life you chose for me. I want to do the right thing for once. This hotel, these people, are the right thing. Jake and Alex are building a legitimate business, and I want to be part of that, if they’ll allow."
Mr. Covington shakes his head, laughing, but there’s no humor in the sound.
“I’ll tell you what I learned a long time ago, son.
” He pauses, studying the papers in his hands.
“Everyone likes to pretend they have some version of a moral code, that they would always do the right thing, given the chance. But this world wasn’t built on morality.
Every institution, every corporation, everything you’ve ever had—” he pauses, looking pointedly at Jake.
“It all exists because someone was willing to get their hands dirty. Without me, you’d have nothing.
Be nothing. You think I’m going to let you take me down?
I was willing to let you play at hotel owner for a while, hoping you’d wise up and come home. But you keep causing me new headaches.”
He lets the folder drop, papers scattering all over the floor, a look of resignation on his face.
Mr. Covington moves towards Sasha, who realizes too late what he’s planning to do.
Mr. Covington grabs him by the back of the head, his touch almost a caress, before whipping a taser out of his jacket pocket and jabbing Sasha in the neck with it.
He seizes up and hits the floor, convulsing.
Mr. Covington crouches down and tases him again in the side, gently petting his hair before slamming his head into the ground.
“You’ve always been weak, but I’ve tried to protect you.
Stay down.” He drops the taser and steps over Sasha's unmoving body, walking towards Jake, who takes an involuntary step back.
Oh, shit. This just got real.
“Why the fuck do you have a taser?” I screech.
“Sometimes dogs need to be put in their place, boy,” Mr. Covington says with a sneer. “As these two well know. You’re a mouthy little thing, your father clearly failed you.”
Fuck, this was not how this was supposed to go! I look at Jake nervously, unsure what to do. Sure, I’ve planned this out a thousand different ways in my journal but carrying it out is a whole different ball game. Why did I think I could do this? With Sasha down, I’m freaking out.
Nothing has ever scared me as much as looking into the cold, dead eyes of Elder Covington and finding nothing in their depths. He radiates pure malice as he turns his attention to us, a cornered animal with nothing left to lose. For the first time, I feel all my courage evaporate.
***
Jake
Before I can do anything, my father pulls out a gun and points it at my chest. My hands fly up, as if that’ll protect me from a bullet. Sasha was right, he really has lost his mind.
“I should have known I’d have to do this myself,” he says. “I will not let you destroy this family. Your only option is to come home and marry Katerina, and give me the hotel, so I can fix the mess you’ve caused me. If you refuse, don’t think I’ll just let you walk away.”
“I’m dead, dad. Put down the gun, it isn’t going to kill me,” I say, though I don’t actually know if that’s true. I just know I don’t want to find out.
He sneers at me, face turning red. “I don’t know what you are, what you think you are, but this gun is loaded with silver plated bullets. If I put a round in you, you aren’t getting back up.”
He looks at Alex’s necklace around my neck. The only reason I have the courage to stand in front of my father right now and defy him.
“You’re an abomination,” he says. I look around frantically, eyes locking on Alex. He looks as terrified as I feel.
“Please don’t do this. Just leave, let us live our life. Find someplace else to launder your money, I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”