11. Emmett
Emmett
“Alessio!”
I stop and slowly turn around to look at my uncle.
His seemingly dutiful son is standing a few paces behind his father, his studying gaze on me.
Knowing that they just came from meeting Senator Hughes and seeing Angel, my body is tight with a taunt strain that I need to control immediately, or who knows what I might do?
“Yes?” I say calmly.
“Aren’t you going to greet me?” Emilio questions, looking at me with scorn.
“I should be asking you that.”
After all, in terms of power and ranking, I’m far above my uncle and his son.
“You’re still so arrogant and prideful,” he seethes, looking rigid and stiff like freaking cardboard. “I’m your uncle!”
“My apologies, I must’ve forgotten who I am in this Family.”
Emilio’s eyes flash with rage.
“But, since you mentioned it… how are you this lovely evening, Emilio?” I ask, with a smile.
The man narrows his eyes at me, seemingly suspicious. I just smile even more.
“I’m… well, thank you for asking, sir,” he grits out.
“It’s good that you’re well, Emilio, otherwise the future would be quite unpleasant.”
I watch the startled look flash in his eyes. Eyes that have zero resemblance to his son.
“Alessio, I understand you and my son are in this slight rival, but you’re mature enough to know what must happen will always happen, right?” Emilio says stiffly.
“Ah, so you’re now acknowledging Vaughn as your son? I hadn’t received the news yet, forgive my ignorance.”
I notice the moment he tenses, his eyes narrowing before he forces himself to remain calm. Yes, Uncle. I know your dirty-ass secrets.
Meanwhile, Vaughn looks straight at me.
“Cousin, I’d like a word.”
“Is it important enough to risk your life?” I question calmly.
Vaughn’s gaze hardens, but he doesn’t back away.
Good. I’ve been itching to break a few bones.
“I believe so,” he says sternly, then he says something to Emilio who walks away leaving Vaughn and me in the room glaring at each other.
“I met Ivy this afternoon,” he starts. I stare at him. “She looked shaken up and not herself.”
I almost scoff. How does this asshat even know when Angel is herself and when she’s not?
“So?”
“I’ve only met and talked to her a few times,” Vaughn says as he walks toward me. “She’s interesting and she has captivated my attention.”
I scoff. Loudly.
“And I intend to win her affection,” he announces clearly.
For a moment, I almost admire him for his audacity to spew such ridiculous words to my face, but the person he’s talking about is no one ordinary.
It’s Angel. My Angel!
The sweet girl I grew up with… and this fuckhead thinks he’s got a chance at winning her affection?
“Is that so?” I say mockingly. “And you’re telling me this because…”
“Because I know you’re unfit to be with her. You can’t protect her.”
The hell?
Vaughn smirks. “Unlike my father, I don’t want to see you crash and burn, so I’m going to offer you this one chance right now to back off.”
I almost reel back as I look at this gnat of an idiot.
“ I should back off?” I ask softly, which makes Vaughn’s smirk disappear instantly.
“You and I both know that when Grandfather finds out about you, he’ll automatically disqualify you, so do you really have a choice?”
Well, I’ll be damned!
This idiot is actually a very confident idiot!
“Isn’t it better to walk off with your dignity intact than to be thrown out of the Family with your so-called reputation in tatters?” Vaughn goes on. “As for Ivy, you don’t want her, but I do. I find her interesting. Not to mention how fucking gorgeous she is.”
A fire ignites in my veins.
I’ve been at the edge all morning, but hearing this jerk utter those words makes the thin cloak of humanity slip further and further away.
“Is she?” I ask, my voice still soft.
Vaughn raises an eyebrow. “Don’t bother with the impassiveness, cousin. You already showed your hand when you suddenly appeared to save her.”
I smirk. “It seems there’s still a lot to be desired about your capabilities as a leader if that’s all you gathered from that encounter.”
Vaughn frowns, but I’m not here to be his teacher on things easy to discern.
“I might not know why exactly you showed up that other night, but your affection for the girl was duly noted by everyone, including the old man,” he says stiffly.
Yes, that old cripple did notice my connection with Angel, which is why he made that move in the first place, but I wonder if Vaughn is aware of the old man’s games.
“Is this all you wanted to say?” I ask ever so politely.
“No,” he says, straightening his shoulders. “All my life I’ve had to compete with you and I’ve always come short, but this time I’m going to win. I’m going to be the next Don of the Family.”
“Wow! Give it up for the boy. He finally grew a pair!”
“I am, you know,” he says seriously. “I have a few days, but it won’t take me long to convince her to choose me because she wants to, not because of some gimmick or threat!”
I almost roll my eyes.
It’s true I made Angel sign that contract, but threat? Give me a damn break.
Angel has a tendency of being a bit weak, but when she decides to be rebellious, it’s hard to control her.
But she never dishonors a vow.
She always sees all her promises through. Case in point, her idiotic move of finding her birth parents which led her into this trap.
“What makes you think I’m forcing her to do anything?” I question, then I walk past him, going down the hall.
“Your blasé and scheming ways might be effective on almost everyone, but I know you!” Vaughn walks beside me, looking straight ahead and detached as if I don’t get under his skin.
“I know you’re a cold, mean monster that has eradicated any form of weakness in your life and while you might look at Ivy a little differently, you’re the type that would still sacrifice her, using her as kindling for the fire if you have to. ”
For some reason, that bothers me.
For the sake of my history with Angel and the silent promise I made to her, I’ve already put contingencies in place that would safeguard her from anyone that would dare try to hurt her or get in her way, especially after I’m gone.
And Vaughn, despite my dislike of him, is part of that plan. Unbeknownst to him, he’s the kindling to the fire.
“And you wouldn’t?” I counter.
“What?”
I turn around and look at him squarely.
“If you don’t even have the guts to take your enemies out firmly, then you’re just like your idiot father,” I mock. “A little advice, cousin, stay in your lane. You might get a boo-boo if you’re not careful.”
He bristles with anger, but he knows better than to strike out at me.
“Whatever you think you’re doing, it won’t work!” he seethes.
“Keep telling yourself that if it makes you sleep better at night next to your murdered mother’s room,” I say softly. Then I turn to leave, but I stop and glance over my shoulder at him. “This is exactly why against me, you’ll always lose.”
“You’ll lose something too!” he seethes angrily. “In fact, from the way she looks at you, you’ve already lost her.”
Those words agitate the fuck out of me, so much so that I can’t control myself.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been feeling like shit since this morning when Angel tried to pull away from me, demanding something of me I can’t give her.
Or maybe it’s the fact that I already had an idea that things will be different from now on, but as I look at Vaughn, with the blood in my veins simmering, I realize that it’s what Vaughn just said that did it.
Losing her.
Grandfather wants to use her against me.
The way Angel looked at me after I told her the first part of the plan… I literally saw her emotionally and mentally shutting me out.
And then there’s the shit thing in my chest that has already declared me unworthy of her.
That reality makes me livid and desperate to shed blood…
Losing Angel is the one crushing blow I’ve been trying to accept all my life.
But I’ll be damned if this asshole hurls that to my face as if there are no consequences to such bullshit.
“Is that your calculation?” I ask, turning around to face him fully, keeping my voice low, soft, and deadly calm.
Vaughn looks at me with caution as soon as he hears the tone of my voice and takes a slight step back.
“Yes,” he says, obviously mustering up as much courage as he can.
“You know, Vaughn.” I take a step toward him. He fights not to take one back. “You’ve spent your entire life calculating and trying to get past me, but do you know why you’ve never succeeded?”
Vaughn stares back at me, pure loathing clear in his eyes, but I don’t care.
“It’s because against me, calculation is nothing,” I state. “Schemes are never as straightforwardly terrifying as real, unadulterated power and dearest cousin of mine, I have power. What about you?”
Vaughn’s eyes flash with hatred, his fists clenched at his sides, livid at me for stating the simple truth.
“When you’re around Grandfather and everyone else, you seem untouchable, refined, and completely detached,” Vaughn says, glaring at me. “Who knew you’re actually a sly, sharp-tongued, and vicious person?”
“She knows.”
“What?”
“She has always known, but you, despite what you might think, you don’t know her at all. So your attempt to be the hero, is it your daddy’s directive or your personal touch?”
Vaughn looks startled for a second, then he calmly steps back.
“Remember your fucking place,” I warm him calmly, trying like all hell not to break this asshole’s face before the show starts. “You don’t get to presume my life or hers, and you sure as hell don’t get to speak on what I’ve lost.”
“Are you threatening me?” Vaughn demands.
“Threaten you?” I scoff. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Vaughn visibly flinches at my next words.
“This is a promise.”
Threats are reserved for worthier opponents, the ones you’re never quite sure of their trump card so you make hits to figure them out through threats.
Vaughn knows that too. We were ‘raised’ together, so he knows I won’t beat about the bush.
But he doesn’t know the lengths I’ll go for Angel.
Just then, I spot Ripley at the end of the hallway.
“Young Master,” Ripley starts, looking between Vaughn and me, but it’s clear he’s talking to me. I’m the only one referred to with that title. “He’s waiting for you.”
Vaughn looks at Ripley. “I’d like to have a talk with Grandfather.”
“He’ll see you together with the rest of the family later after his talk with the young master. Please wait.”
That displeases Vaughn but he isn’t a fool as to express it, but just like when we were growing up, Grandfather’s treatment of me has always irked him and his father.
“I just have one more thing to say to my cousin, Rip. I’ll be right there,” I say quietly.
“Yes, sir.” Ripley bows his head slightly then leaves.
“What do you have to say?” Vaughn demands with some apprehension in his eyes.
I take a step closer to him, holding his gaze and watching his eye twitch just a bit.
“Let’s be very clear, Vaughn.” I step even closer, dropping my voice to a frosty tone. “ She’s mine. ”
Vaughn’s jaw starts ticking, with a spark of defiance in his eyes… the kind I’ll gladly welcome if he has the guts.
“She has always been mine and I dare you to say that shit again. See if I don’t rip you apart right here and now.”
It’s not about beating him… nor about humiliating him.
This is a promise to take him out. Permanently.
“But does she agree with that?” Vaughn counters angrily. “She doesn’t strike me as the type to just sit around and take manipulation from a man who ignores her.”
Manipulation? Ignoring her?
If I could successfully ignore Angel, we’d never be here now.
“It seems we just have to wait and watch,” I say softly.
“Watch what?”
“A show personally curated just for you, cousin. ”
I don’t wait for his response this time.
I don’t need his stupid words. I just want him to act.
And then, the reckoning will come.