Til Death

Prologue

I bit the inside of my cheek as my hands clenched tightly.

My short nails dug into my palms and my eyes focused on my dad pacing back and forth in front of me.

The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

The office was silent outside of the sound of the clock ticking on the wall.

Finally, after a few minutes, he stopped and turned to face me with a defeated expression on his face. “I know this is a lot to ask of you but…”

“But nothing.” I cut him off hastily. My brows met in the middle in a deep frown and my lips thinned.

I had to remind myself that this was my father, the man who’d raised me, who I’d admired my whole life, who kept food on the table and showed me what it meant to be a real man.

The more I stared at him, the harder it became to keep my temper at bay.

My dad started graying some in his beard and hair over the years, but he wore it well.

Currently he looked as if he had aged at least ten years.

“You know I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice.” His voice was strained. My eyes went to the twitching muscle in his jaw.

“Most fathers want their kid to go to college and make something of themselves, stay off drugs, hell, even follow in their footsteps.” I paused and rolled my shoulders back before straightening my spine. “What you’re asking me…”

“Is unorthodox.”

“Complete bullshit.”

His mouth turned upside down.

“Yosiah.”

I dragged my hand down my face and pushed out a heavy breath. “Things are that bad?”

Dad didn’t reply right away. He walked back toward where I was sitting and around to his desk chair. Taking a seat, his shoulders fell forward and his hands clasped on his desk. He looked like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t.” His dark eyes were outlined with crow’s feet. He looked tired.

Again I clenched my jaw, this time shifting my eyes away and staring at an art piece my mother had bought him to “give the place some charm” as she put it.

“Maybe if you meet her you wouldn’t feel so conflicted.” My eyes snapped back to his. They cut into tight slits.

“I don’t need to know her to know marrying her is the last thing I want. What kind of damn parent would even offer that as a solution to a problem?”

My dad owned a successful real estate development company that had given me, him, and my mom a cushy life over the years.

We weren’t overwhelmed with endless cash, but we were far from middle class.

I was still trying to understand how this could have happened.

My dad was a great businessman. He knew the real estate market and excelled at it.

Being in this position was completely out of character for him.

Dad handled real estate all over the city and had built a reputable reputation.

So to know he’d gotten himself in this much trouble was mind boggling.

“Phillip Fox is a man you don’t try to figure out. Most people in his sight don’t even get this chance.”

Sighing, I leaned back in the chair and gapped my legs wider. My tongue swiped across my lips as I pondered my next move.

Phillip Fox of Fox Corporation. I didn’t know much about him currently but that would change by the end of the day. What I did know was that he had made his name by mass producing hostile takeovers of failing businesses around the city and converting them into profits for himself.

Most people tried to stay on his good side in fear that he would ruin them. He owned a lot of the city, which made him seem untouchable. But in reality everyone had a weakness, you just had to know where to look.

“Why don’t you take some time and think about it? Maybe meet her and—”

I cut him off. “I don’t need to meet her.”

Xylina Fox, Phillip’s daughter, was a known party girl.

She often was photographed partying and moving around as if she had no cares in the world.

From what I’d read about her, she was the typical spoiled rich girl who didn’t know what the word no meant, never had to work for anything, and was raised to believe everyone was to bow down to her.

Feeling a headache growing, I ran my hand down my face then stood. “I got some things I need to take care of.”

“Yosiah, please, at least think about it.”

I blinked slowly. “When do you have to give an answer?”

“By the end of the week.”

My jaw clenched. It was Wednesday, which only gave me four days.

Without another word, I turned to leave my dad’s office. “Yosiah!” Dad called out. I paused but kept my back to him. “Don’t tell your mother about this. I don’t want her to worry.”

Grinding my teeth, I continued to the door, yanking it open and storming out.

“It was good seeing you again, Yosiah!” Madaline, my dad’s secretary, called out after me. Ignoring her, I walked to the elevator that led to the lobby.

Dad’s office was four stories in the center of West Hills in West Pier. The top floor was his, the second contained a few offices that housed his workers, the first level was the lobby, and the final level was the underground garage.

When outside, I inhaled a deep breath of the crisp fall air. Since it was midday, the streets of West Pier were busy. I pulled my hoodie up and started toward my car parked on the street in front of the building.

Once in my car, I turned it on to warm it up then pulled my phone out.

Going to the internet I typed in Xylina Fox.

It didn’t take long to be flooded with articles about her.

Some from gossip sites, other news articles.

I clicked on the link that led to her InstaFlik profile.

It was full of pictures of her, food, shopping bags, trip pictures, purses, a brown dog, and more of her. It was clear what was important to her.

Exiting the app, I went back to the search and typed in her dad’s name. Tons of articles popped up. Mostly business articles about recent deals and expansions of his company. I knew there was more than what met the eye. Once I got home I would be able to look further.

Feeling my headache starting to grow, I closed my phone and tossed it onto the passenger seat. I turned up the latest Jrue track and made sure to check behind myself before throwing my gear into reverse and pulling away from the building.

I needed to clear my head so I started toward my house in West Valley to change. The best way to relax and decompress was feeling the cool air on my face, burning in my legs, and the open sky around me.

Breathing heavily, I used the back of my hand to wipe sweat from my forehead, enjoying the breeze against my heated body.

The trail had been clear, giving me the chance to bike in peace.

I grabbed my water bottle from the holder on my handlebars and took a large drink as my heart pounded.

My blood flowed like a raging river, yet all the tension and frustration I felt leaving my dad’s office seemed to melt off me with each mile I rode.

Lifting my arm, I checked my watch. I’d biked for almost two hours and had done a little over five miles.

Today I took a rougher route compared to the trails near my house.

Driving out near Lake Cashmere Ranch was just what I needed.

Between the mountains and ranch was a range of different terrains to choose from and I chose a loose one over hardpacked.

I had taken up mountain biking my sophomore year.

Sports were something I enjoyed watching but never cared to play.

Until my teenage years, I was an average-sized, slightly pudgy kid.

When puberty hit, my height came and my parents always insisted I rode my bike when I wanted to go somewhere within walking distance.

Eventually it became a way for me to get into shape.

Just as I was about to do one more mile before calling it a day, my phone rang. My music paused in my Bluetooth headphones and my best friend Roman’s name rang through. Tapping my right earbud, I waited for the call to connect.

“Wassup?” I answered.

“Where you at?”

“Biking. Needed to clear my head.” I placed my water bottle back and grabbed my towel to wipe my face.

“I’m on my way to your house. Did you forget we had business to handle?” Furrowing my brows, I checked my watch again, noting the time.

“Shit, I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten. I’m ’bout to head back that way and I’ll meet you at my house.”

“Bet. See you soon.”

Ending the call, I finished wiping my face before preparing to head back to my truck.

One thing I couldn’t afford was to fall behind in my business with Roman and his family.

I didn’t want to rely on my dad’s finances too much while working to get my future started.

Now that I knew he was having issues, I was glad I’d decided to make a way on my own.

“A’right either the world is ending or you got some heavy shit on your mind,” Roman commented before shoving food into his mouth.

Never breaking my attention from my laptop screen, I furrowed my brows. “What are you talking about?” My fingers moved swiftly across my keyboard.

“You’re unfocused, which is completely unlike you. My dad will have both of our asses if anything goes wrong with this next job. So whatever is going on—”

Pausing, I lifted my eyes from the AIS system I was currently tracking and eyed my friend since kindergarten.

We were currently in the dining room of my three bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom condo near the Marina.

I cut him off, expressing, “I’m always efficient in my job.”

I had been working alongside Roman and his family for the past three years.

Their family owned the largest custom jewelry store in the area.

They were known for having luxury, unique, and one of a kind pieces.

While I helped them maintain a good security system for their computers and such, that wasn’t the main role of my dealings with them.

“I know you are, but it’s clear something’s on your mind.”