Chapter 64 Ding!
“Kidnapping the son could be the best option,” Soren drawled with a smile, his gaze knowingly flicking up to Cyrus. Likely to just irritate Ender’s ass further.
“That’s—”
“Not a word, Cyrus.” Ender cut the man off stiffly, before saying, “Kidnapping his son is certainly an option. The question is, which one? The man has like a dozen, in case you forgot.”
For a meeting between only four people, and one annoying bodyguard, it was taking too damn long. At last count, the Fate had already derailed the conversation four damn times. Cyrus had been there for two weeks, yet today had to be the most the fucker had interrupted.
Ding! His phone vibrated with the noise. Snagging it off the table, he released the screen and quickly read the text, snorting as he did.
BABY ZEN-ZEN
This homework is too hard!
ENDER
Reread, and think. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.
“Youngest,” Dessa said. “He only likes, and sometimes just tolerates, the others, but the youngest is the child of his current wife. And rumor has it, she is the only one he actually married for love, so he is particularly attached to the kid.”
“Kid’s what…eighteen?”
“Yep—”
“Ender, you can’t be—” Cyrus growled.
“Trap. Shut!” Ender snapped.
Ding!
Before checking his phone again, he asked, “The kid’s young, but is technically an adult, and it does sound like he’s a good option. But what about the wife? Wouldn’t she be better for bargaining if he loves her so much?”
BABY ZEN-ZEN
I tried that. Won’t help. Brain broke. This math doesn’t make sense.
Ender rolled his eyes, and quickly sent a reply.
ENDER
Solve better.
“Wife is a no-go,” Dessa sighed.
Ender wrinkled his nose. “You sure?”
In his mind, anyone could be grabbed if you had skill and the right information.
It wasn’t like he was against taking the kid, but it also wasn’t the kid’s fault his dad ran a criminal organization.
He’d rather not traumatize a teenager if he didn’t have to.
Not that they would actually hurt the brat…
“Not without killing to get to her,” the Manticore stated.
Raynir cleared his throat. “Have to agree with that assessment. According to reports, the only time she leaves their estate in Southern Australia is when she is with him. Which means she is always heavily guarded. No matter what way we go about it, the results would be loud and deadly. Too loud.”
“Why resort to kidnapping—”
“Cyrus!” Ender warned again, before completely ignoring the man had said anything, as he asked, “And the kid isn’t?”
Dessa chuckled. “He’s eighteen, and off to college.
Meaning, he is finally getting away from Mommy and Daddy’s control.
They may have placed guards on him, but it's low key. They likely think he is safe from their enemies at the moment. They’ve kept him pretty well hidden, and have him living under a different name. ”
He opened his mouth to respond, but sighed when he got another text.
BABY ZEN-ZEN
100% sure that Soren wrote it, and that there isn’t actually an answer! Help me!
Nope…he was not responding to that. The kid could figure it out!
“Fine, get things in place, have a team grab him as soon as they can.”
Raynir clucked his tongue. “I’ll coordinate with—”
“How is kidnapping a kid the best fucking option?!” Cyrus snapped, cutting the Gargoyle off.
“It just is!” Ender hissed.
Ding! One of his eyes twitched.
BABY ZEN-ZEN
SAAVE MEEE!
“That is not a reason!”
“Bless your heart, you really think it’s my job to explain my fucking self to you.”
“Ender, the kid is eighteen! Whatever you fucking want from his dad, can’t you get it a different fucking way?!”
Ding!
BABY ZEN-ZEN
My head is going to explode!
“You literally have contacts everywhere. There has to be a better option!”
Ding!
BABY ZEN-ZEN
Too hard. The math, it’s killing me!
“Why are you even entertaining—”
Ding!
BABY ZEN-ZEN
Dyingggg!
“THAT’S IT! Out! OUT!” he roared, as he pointed towards the door. “Go help Zen-Zen with his homework, before I strangle both of you!”
Cyrus knocked on the door to Zenny’s room. It was in the same hallway as Ender’s, but five doors down on the right. The door was a dark-pink color, and the doorknob had hearts on it, which he supposed was fitting for a Cupid…possibly?
“Come in!” Zenny called out, his voice almost completely muffled by the door.
Hesitantly, he opened it and walked in.
While the door was pink, the Cupid’s room was various shades of red, black, and brown, from the floors to the furniture.
With wooden floors, and an exposed beam ceiling, three of the four walls in the room were wooden paneling, while the fourth, behind the bed, had been painted red as an accent wall.
On the floor was a fuzzy black carpet, and there was a lighter red trunk at the foot of the large bed, which was covered in pillows and a red quilt.
His dressers, closet, and more were all red.
There were also two artificial windows, covered by black curtains, that appeared to be the same as the ones in Ender’s room.
Sitting at a desk across from the door, situated under one of the windows, Zenny looked back as he entered. The kid’s eyes widened slightly on spotting him, obviously having assumed he was someone else.
Cyrus smiled awkwardly. “Hi, Ender sent me to help with your uh…homework?”
Well, it was more that he'd been kicked out for annoying Ender.
The Cupid blinked, before his gaze turned somewhat hopeful. “Are you…good at math?”
“Decent?” At least, he hoped he was. It had been a long time since he’d done… Cyrus frowned. “What grade are you in?”
The kid blinked again. “Second, technically.”
“Right. Shouldn’t be a problem.” He walked over and pulled the second chair out, and after quickly realizing his knees would not fit under the desk, he pulled it further back before sitting down. “What are you having trouble with?”
Zenny smiled and slid over the tablet in front of him.
A headache started to instantly form behind his right eye as he stared down at the screen and the stupid ass numbers, letters, and words on it.
Ah, fuck…