13. Elijah
Chapter thirteen
Elijah
T his time last night, I was jacking off to the image of Lilith completely flustered, shoved up against my car. She would’ve looked so pretty slammed over the hood, bare ass on display, covered in red handprints from her punishment. I had pushed the boundaries I have with her again. God, I don’t know what it is about her. Lilith Jones is like my own personal brand of heroin. No matter how life ruining it would be to be with her, she’s become all I crave.
Which is exactly why I’m flying back to South Carolina. I need to clear my head and remember what’s actually important. I need to see the empire I’ve been groomed to take over my entire life. To reap the benefits of my success just long enough to remind me why a pretty woman with a good pussy will never be enough to destroy what I’ve worked for. I need to remind myself why I told my uncle about her findings.
The moment I saw her in the bar, after I told my uncle about her investigation, the only thing I could think of was that I had made a mistake. My pretty baby would be snuffed out by the end of the week. And it’s my fault.
I roll my neck from side to side, trying to alleviate some of the stress that has built up. By the time I look straight
again, my uncle’s flight attendant for his private jet is practically bouncing with excitement in front of me. Her long blonde pony tail swishes from side to side with each little hop she makes.
“Can I get you anything, Mr. Huang?” Before I can even answer she’s leaning down to me, pushing her breasts together with her elbows. “I can offer a very wide range of services.”
I reach up and brush a stray hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, noting how her breath hitches when I touch her. I lean in until my lips touch her ear and allow my hand to wrap around her throat. “Let’s work on your professionalism,” I whisper, squeezing tighter. “My uncle apparently can’t hire anyone competent these days. Wouldn’t want to have to let you go.”
I release her from my hold and return the smile on my face, “A water will do just fine, thank you.” She stares at me in shock for a few moments before scurrying away to retrieve my beverage.
The rest of the flight goes by without any more sexual advances and by the time we land in Greenville the flight attendant is bursting at the seams with anticipation to get off the aircraft. As we exit the plane, onto the tarmac, I see my uncle already has a car waiting for me. Wasting no time, the driver arranges my belongings into the truck and wishes me a good evening before opening the back door for me.
“Welcome home, Mr. Huang,” he says as he slides into the driver’s seat and turns the key in the ignition.
“Thank you, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Adam, sir.”
“Thank you, Adam,” I look up and catch his eyes in the rearview mirror. An emotion I can’t quite place flashes over his face before returning back to normal.
“How’s The Garden’s new Colorado facility coming along?” he quickly asks, noticing I caught him.
“Fine,” I mutter before continuing on more sternly, “also none of your concern.”
Adam gives me a small chuckle in return before adding, “Just trying to make some friendly conversation.”
The rest of the drive goes by in silence, giving me time to take in the scenery. Greensville is beautiful this time of year. Blurs of orange, red, and deep brown fill my window. September is my favorite time of the year. Cold enough to bring fall’s colors, but warm enough to still enjoy being outside. My fascination for the trees consumes me to the point I hadn’t even realized we had made it to my uncle’s home.
“Would you like help carrying your things in, sir?”
“No,” I answer harsher than I meant to. “Thank you Adam.”
As I begin to reach for the door, the locks click shut. I turn to yell at the driver for being below average on the intelligence scale, but as I look over at him all I can focus on is the fear radiating off of him. “Please be careful Elijah. I’ve been hearing things. You’re not safe here. He’s going to-”
Adam is cut off by a knock on my window and instantly throws himself back into his seat. I roll it down to
see my uncle standing on the other side, his pale features contrasting against his suit so harshly he looks as if he is luminescent. I hear the click of the doors unlocking before I turn back to the driver who won’t meet my eyes.
“Great to have you home Elijah,” Apollyon’s voice filters through the car.
“Great to be home,” I respond as I finally make my way out of the car. I grab my bags and take one more glance at Adam, who still won't look my way, before heading inside.
My uncle’s house is similar to his office. Dark green walls make up the foyer, while pictures of our family’s generations line them. The hardwood floor creaks in certain places, showcasing its age. Right in the middle of the room is a grand staircase that splits off on either side leading to different wings of the house. Right above the stairs hangs a chandelier that dazzles as the light catches it.
As I begin to make my way up the stairs my uncle cuts me off. “Nonsense,” he says, laying a hand on my shoulder and pushing me towards the left where the doors to the kitchen are. “I’ll have housekeeping get your things settled. Come have dinner with this old man.”
His kindness laces my bones with a sense of unease. He has never been one to catch up on life or take an interest in me besides what I can accomplish for the company. I cautiously set my bags down while Adam’s words repeat in my head. You’re not safe here . But as I look over at my frail uncle I can’t see him as a threat. He’s older than dirt, and sure
he’s smart, but even that has started to diminish with age. I stand up straighter, allowing the ridiculous idea of him causing me harm to roll down my spine. Together we make our way into the kitchen, where two glasses and a bottle of white wine are already awaiting our arrival on the island.
The kitchen is the only place in the house that doesn’t look like it belongs here. It’s primarily used by the chefs, who appreciated the white walls and stainless steel appliances.
“So,” Apollyon grunts as he settles himself down on one of the island’s stools, “update me. How’s our Colorado location coming along?”
I take the stool next to him and allow the last little bit of nerves to disappear. This is about work. Of course it is. “Good! We’ve gotten all the permits, contractors should be on site by Monday morning.”
He pours the wine into both glasses, before tilting mine towards me for me to take. “Then it looks like we have cause for celebration,” he chuckles. I give him a small grin and take a sip from the glass. The liquid slides down my throat with ease as I take another. Setting the drink down, I look over to my uncle who has an unreadable expression sprawled across his face. I give him a questioning glance, which does nothing by draw a smile out of him. I glance down to his full cup and back over to mine, which now sits half empty. Fear begins to rush through me as Apollyon slowly begins to clap.
“What did you do?” I croak, realizing my mouth and throat have gone completely dry.
“You really think I was going to let you have a hand in my empire?” He questions as he stands up and begins to walk
around the island until we're staring at each other from opposite sides. “My pathetic nephew who couldn’t stop fucking the enemy?” His voice continues to raise, “My nephew who has his feelings so twisted he had me hire a god damn hitman for the woman he’s sleeping with?”
I try to stand up from the stool, but my legs had unknowingly gone numb and I collapse to the floor. My head slams against the tile, causing my vision to blur instantly. I try to look up but all I see is my uncle standing over me. His body blurs into the counters but I'm still able to make out the grin on his face.
“Uncle,” I manage to gasp out, “what have you done?” My vision slips away completely as I force out the question, and suddenly the world is nothing but darkness. The last thing I hear before completely disappearing is my uncle’s voice.
“What needed to be done, Elijah.”