Chapter 60
Chapter Sixty
Jax
My head whips hard to the left, though my stance doesn’t waver, resulting in my jaw cracking.
Motherfucker.
“You finally did it, you bastard! Didn’t you?” Arnold spittles. “You grew a pair and you fucking took him out! I should have known. I should have—” His shouting gets drowned out by the sound of me putting my jaw back into place.
A sharp, shooting pain travels up my temple as the pressure releases, and I grit my teeth before I do something stupid in front of twenty witnesses.
“Your own father!” he continues. “I didn’t think you had it in you, but you’re a cold piece of shit, aren’t you? Aren’t you?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I bite out, feeling Layton’s eyes burn a hole in the side of my face. “There was a faulty wire. We were lucky to get out ourselves.”
“Faulty wire my ass! I taught you that one, kiddo. You think I’m stupid?” He’s positively fuming. There’s a vein bulging in his forehead, spittle at the corners of his mouth.
I contemplate choking him out to subdue him before he causes even more of a scene. “Right now, yes, I think you’re plenty fucking stupid,” I hiss and rub the side of my jaw.
“Couldn’t be the money.” He ignores my comment. “You don’t give a fuck about the money. So it has to be about her.” He jabs a finger at Kira, and I knock his hand down, taking a step in front of her.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I snarl. “If you want to keep that fucking hand.”
“Yeahhh.” He bobs his head as if he’s convinced. “Patricide for a fucking piece of ass. You weak, sorry bag of shit.”
I exhale through my nose and spare a glance around.
I could smash his fucking skull into the pavement, but everyone’s staring.
There isn’t a pair of eyes that isn’t eating up this shit show.
I expected Arnold to be pissed, because yeah, he isn’t stupid, and he’s been James’ right-hand man since before I was born, but I didn’t expect him to show up now, with an audience.
As much as I despise him, I thought I would spare his dignity and let him go in private. Turns out he doesn’t even deserve that.
“Well, I’m glad you’re finally saying what you really think.” I fold my arms. “Is there anything else before I have you escorted off the property?”
“Oh ho ho, big man now? Must feel pretty good.”
I can’t help the slow grin that spreads across my face as I lean in. “You know what would feel better?” I place a hand on his shoulder as his eyes slide to my profile. “This,” I whisper, and slam my fist into his gut.
He tries to double over, but I hold him upright, digging my fingers into his muscle and keeping the smile on my face as if nothing happened. “In case that wasn’t clear,” I say, “your services will no longer be needed. Now get the fuck out of here.”
He vibrates with rage, trying to straighten as I let him go and step back.
But he can’t do anything, and he knows it.
There are too many people around, and if he’s no longer protected by Landon Enterprises, he better watch where he shits.
“You’re gonna regret this,” he finally says, but he glances at Kira when he says it, and I lose my composure.
Grabbing him by his shirt, I yank him toward me. “Try anything,” I growl, “and you’ll lose more than your job.”
He laughs, his body jostling with unperturbed amusement. Crazy fucker. “Do not make me kill you, Arnold.”
I spent more of my childhood with him than James, and while he wasn’t kind, he wasn’t unnecessarily cruel.
He taught me how to survive in this world, tipping me off when James’ cases didn’t go his way and how to lay low when he was on the war path.
He took me drinking when my mother died, didn’t backhand me for crying like James did.
He raised me. Killing him would be sweet on the tongue but sharp going down.
“Try it, pup.” He rips from my grip. “I’ll put you in the ground before you can even pull the trigger.”
“You forget yourself.” I point a finger at him. “You taught me everything I know, which means I know all your moves, Arnold. Don’t underestimate me.” I lower my voice. “James did, and look where he is now.” I eye the body bag.
It may be bullshit, but it hits all the same, and his nostrils flare. “We’ll see, Jaxy.” He backs away. “We’ll see.”
I grit my teeth. If he’s determined to dig his own grave, then so be it. All old dogs have to be put down eventually. And this is the start of a new era.