Chapter 26
My father’s deadly glare burns through me, it’s not like I've never seen it before, I always disappoint him somehow.
“Must you disobey my direct orders?” He snaps angrily before he sighs out loud running his hand across his face.
“I told you the moment he brought her here to inform me.” he snaps, his eyes going wild.
I’d deliberately withheld that information from my father, he’d be adamant that he knew every detail about Tenley, I on the other hand thought those details were best left with me.
Sue me, my old man didn’t need to know anything about Tenley, in fact if he never met her that would make things even easier.
But I doubt he’d let me hide her forever.
I’d been over this conversation the moment it began, my thoughts turn to Tenley and that sweet ass of hers, the one I’d like to sink my teeth into leaving my mark.
“Neo!” My father’s voice rings through my ears.
His eyes harden more when I don’t answer. “Neo, I’m really done with this attitude and quite frankly I’m done with treating you like a child.” Clenching my jaw I stay silent.
Slamming his hand down on his desk, I try my best not to react. “For god sake say something,” as much as I’d like to put my fist in my fathers face, I refrain from doing so even though the temptation is driving me crazy. Fuck I need a drink.
Lifting my gaze to find my father's, I let out a breath before I reply. “What would you have me say father, I’m a failure, nothing you can say will get me to change or better yet I don’t need you to cover for me.”
“I’d drop that attitude if I were you son.”
“Why?” I snap standing to my feet, ready to walk out.
“Sit down.” He barks, and like an obedient child I do as he asks.
“I won't play this game with you Neo, we have worked to damn hard to get where we are, I will stop at nothing to achieve what I came here for. Do you understand me?”
“I understand,” I say relenting to giving him more attitude.
“Trust me this benefits you as well.” he smiles.
I doubt it. I want to say but I keep my mouth shut. I knew the stance on which my father and others perceived Cranford, they wanted him out just as much as us but it isn’t as simple as it sounds.
“There is a lot resting on making sure things sail smoothly Neo, you know as well as I do, if one of you falls Monarch Prep will fall.”
“You don’t have to remind me father.” I grunt, running my fingers through my hair.
“We created The Monarch for a reason, you boys seem to have forgotten what The Monarch is all about.” He snarls.
“I promise you father, we haven’t.”
“Then do your job Neo.”
“Yes father .
Theodore Crassus will do anything to achieve his goal, even sell out his own flesh and blood to do so.
Waving his hand he dismisses me, I get up and walk out before he has the chance to pull me back in.
Having any conversation with my father is draining, I groan rubbing my head across the back of my neck.
My phone beeps in my pocket so I pull it out to check the text.
Jagger: Can we meet?
Me: Of course, cemetery?
Jagger: yep.
Me: Meet you there.
Tucking my phone away I don’t bother telling my parents I won't be home for dinner, they won’t notice anyway.
My father is too caught up in himself to notice anything and my mother is too out of her own head to know I’m still alive.
My father feeds her addiction, keeping her just medicated enough to control her. I've tried to get her to leave him, get away but she keeps telling me she loves him and he takes care of us.
More like he controls us. But she’ll never see him for the monster he is.
The door slams behind me as I exit the house, I walk the street until I get to the end, taking the left turn to the cemetery to meet Jagger. I'm too caught up in my own head to notice her until it’s too late.
I slam into her knocking her to the ground and before I can say anything she gets up and bolts in the other direction, But I don’t miss the look on her face. I look around trying to find where she came from but I have no clue. There’s nothing out here but me and her.
What the fuck ?
Jagger’s at our spot when I finally walk in.
“Took you long enough.” he says nodding his head towards the cooler he has by his feet, full of beer. Swiping one up I take the cap off before downing half of it before I speak.
“You okay?” He asks taking another sip of his open bottle.
“Yeah I just had that weird quiet girl from school collide with me,” Jagger raises his eyebrow in question.
“She just got up and took off, she is definitely running from something.” I say.
“Or someone.” Jagger replies. I didn’t know the girl's name. I just knew of her. I'll be honest I never cared enough to learn anyone names I didn't care about. I could count the people I care about on one hand. Sad? Possibly but I didn’t need people.
“So what’s up?” I ask him, watching as he begins to pull the label of his bottle to avoid my question.
“I want her man,” he says and he doesn't even have to say her name. I know the her he’s speaking of.
“I think we all do, in some way or another.” I admit. Maybe the list was growing to five.
“Silas is too fucking stubbon especially right now.” He says running his fingers through his hair before dropping it into his lap.
“You know how he gets man, fuck I’m surprised he even lets Zephry touch you, jealous prick he is.” I chuckle when Jagger smiles knowing I’m completely fucking right.
“He might be jealous, but he’ll never admit it out loud.” Jagger says, sighing slightly.
I narrow my eyes at him, why the fuck does he say that?
“I thought you three were just having fun?” I say.
“Yeah fun.” Jagger says throwing a rock into the fire. He slides his tongue along his lips, narrowing his own eyes.
“Am I missing something?” I ask him.
“I don’t want to always be their dirty secret Neo, fuck I’m done pretending to be someone I’m not.” he breathes.
“Tell them.” I say shrugging .
Jagger lets out a huff, “Fuck, I wish it were that simple man,”
“You still let Z use that shit on you?” I ask and as if answering my question Jagger winces when he moves, forcing his eyes to slam shut.
I understand the need for something, the depth of trust they both must have in each other to do that shit.
I get that. Fuck it must be hard trying to hide a part of you?
“Then why do it, why submit then?” I ask curious as to why Jagger continues to let them treat him like their sex slave if he wants more.
He runs a hand nervously through his hair, every taut muscle in his body strains with tension.
“I like it, I need it, it’s hard to explain.” He swallows. I get it’s like my knife, I can't give it up, maybe it’s a clutch, but I can't deny I’m no different to Jagger.
Jagger twists his ring, the one he never takes off, I know it was his brother's, someone he lost a long time ago. Five times around he goes. Closing his eyes I watch as he does it a second time. Then he finally finishes with five. Always five times.
“When did you get that?” Jagger nods at my new acquired piercing.
I smile tapping my finger against the ring in my nose.
“Got it done today, thought why not piss my Dad off more.”
Jagger chuckles softly. “Only you would think a nose ring would be a suitable solution to pissing your father off.”
Shrugging I couldn't argue with him.
“Want to burn some shit?” I ask knowing he needs to take his mind off the shit currently floating through his head.
Smiling wide he nods a single nod then downs the rest of his beer before pulling out a lighter from his pocket.
“Let's go burn some shit down.” Jagger says.
We watch as the flames rise, passing a joint back and forth between us and the only thing I can think about is wanting to see how far I can push Tenley, how much she can take from us before she breaks .
I know Jagger has fallen hard and once he does he’s in, it’s why he can’t stop how he feels about Silas or Zephyr, no matter how they treat him.
Everything’s been different since she came into our lives. Or back into our lives.
“I found one if you want to tear some shit up.” I tell Jagger removing my phone and show him the profile I found.
I’d spent all week following this fucker, he’d proven his life was worthless, another asshole set free.
“I’m in.” Jagger smiles.
“Let's go gut a pig.” I smirk.
By the time we round Kyle in Jagger’s truck and bind him it’s close to midnight. Getting him on the chair isn’t easy with only two of us, this fucker is huge.
He’d beaten his last girl so badly she was still in a coma, he’d ran avoiding the cops, lucky for me he’d picked my little town to hide in, and now he gets to feel my blade.
I’m all for domination and showing a lady a good time but he’d taken it too far.
Passing another joint back and forth Jagger blows out some smoke before slapping the guy's face.
“Wakey, wakey, motherfucker.” Jagger slaps him harder this time jostling him enough for his eyes to snap open.
“What, where am I?” he stammers, trying to twist his body free of our binds.
“In hell fucker.” I grin.
Jagger slams his fist into his face, blood spurts out covering us both.
He cries out in pain, pretty sure his nose is broken, but that's the least of his worries.
He blabbers some shit about letting him go and he’s done nothing wrong.
I don't give him a chance to try and beg for his life. I slash his throat watching as his blood spills and he gags on his own blood as Jagger and I watch as his life drains from his eyes.
Jagger eyes me, “You good man? You usually play a little first.”
I wipe my knife on his shirt before tucking it away. “Yeah, just
imagining someone else’s face.” Jagger gives me a long, studying sort of look before he nods. He knows who I’m picturing, I have no doubt he’s no different to me.
I choke on the feeling of helplessness, as familiar to me as my own breath. As much as I try to joke it off I know I can’t keep it locked away forever, eventually my own demons will come to collect and until that day I’ll hunt and slay other demons.