Chapter 6
ORION
“Calm down, Orion! This isn’t the right way to do this,” Parker says, easily keeping stride with me as I try to lose him in the hall.
The staff jump out of my way as I march through the mansion.
Parker tries his best to dissuade me, but he might as well be one of the many ghosts haunting me.
My sanity slips through my fingers and dissipates behind me.
There isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to calm down.
“Why would Soren ask them to do this? Why would they agree?” Parker sounds so exhausted with me, but maybe I’m the one who’s tired of the rest of them.
“Soren is the golden boy. When are any of you going to understand? He’s the true Rook. I’m the spare.”
Parker winces. He knows my words are true because he’s the spare too, after all.
My dad would jump at any opportunity to make life easier for Soren, because he’s the firstborn, but me?
He couldn’t care less. I pass one of the many mirrors my mother likes to line her halls with, and catch myself.
I’m thinner, my eyes sunken and deep set after so many nights without any sleep, but I still look just like him.
That fucking video still may as well be me violating Sable’s trust and fucking that bitch Arabella. Parker’s face reflects alongside mine, and I refuse to admit to myself that his expression is covered in concern.
I haven’t even seen her this year. I can’t keep doing nothing.
My father’s study sits a short way down the hall, and my determination builds. I shove the double doors, but they're locked. I turn to Parker with an expectant look. He’s quite the talented lockpick, and he’d better start carrying his weight.
“I’m not,” he argues.
“Do it, or I’m breaking the door down.”
“Why the fuck would I care if you’re the one—”
My shoulder crashes into the door, but it’s better built than I imagined.
“Fuck,” I groan. I need to get back to eating regularly if I want to break down the doors.
Parker must take pity on me because he stops me before my second attempt, and he pulls out his kit.
My limbs shake as I try to exercise patience. Can’t he do this any faster?
“This is a really fucking bad plan,” Parker informs as the door opens. His disapproval doesn’t seem to mean much when he follows me inside rather than leaving me to my own devices.
“Can you at least handle this tactfully, please? He probably has cameras, but in case he doesn’t, it would be great if he didn’t notice we were here.”
“He has cameras in the hall, but not in here as far as I know.” I look around, deciding where I should begin. Soren has been in here more than I have, and once again, I curse the fact that he could be helpful.
“So he already knows we’re in here, goddammit,” he curses.
“I’m sure the staff told him immediately,” I tell him over my shoulder as I start to flip through things and look for proof of his involvement.
“He’ll be here in no time.” I guess he was right when he said this was a bad plan, but it’s too late to turn back now.
Rather than taking things gently as he requested, I grab some things and start tossing them around.
“This isn’t funny,” he says.
“Agreed.” The certainty I carried all the way here starts to wear off. I’m hoping to prove him wrong when I sit down at his computer. I’m not finding anything that’s helping in his desk drawers, and I’ve tried so many wrong passwords that the computer has locked me out for a couple of hours.
“Orion, seriously, we should go.” Parker’s voice pitches with anxiety.
I’m about to argue, but a voice I recognize answers well instead. “He’s right, Orion. You should go.”
My father stares at me from the doorway, face bright red with his fury.
His eyes run over both of us, calculating as he takes in the scene.
Did he leave his work just to come here and stop me?
How interesting, I’ve never gotten so much of Daddy’s attention.
I should know that trying to make him proud would never be enough, what I had to do is stopping giving a fuck, just like my brother.
Stepping away from the computer I hold my hands up in surrender. I was done anyway, but I’ll admit I was hoping not to have to face the consequences of my actions head-on.
“What do you think you’re doing?” my father asks, eyes moving around the room to the files I tossed when they proved useless to me.
“Looking for something,” I answer with a shrug, like this isn’t a big deal. I’m just an errant, intruding child. He shouldn’t take me seriously, just like always.
“And what do you think you’re going to find in my study? And you?” His eyes move to Parker. “I think a call to your father is in order, Hollow.”
Parker’s cheeks redden at the threat, but he doesn’t beg him not to. He knows better than to think he’ll find any benevolence here.
“Have you seen the Offering? Do you know anything about where she might be?” I ask.
He laughs harder than I’ve heard in a long time. “I’m sorry, son, but are you really stupid enough to break into my office because you can’t find your whore?”
“That’s not why,” I lie, trying to hold whatever cards I have.
“You let him do this?” he accuses Parker. “Don’t tell me you’re as stupid as my son.”
My fists tighten, and I’m not sure if he’s baiting me or just being honest about his feelings.
“There wasn’t any stopping him, but I thought I might control the damage, sir.” I want to punch him in his fucking face for turning on me, but I guess I understand why he wants to control the situation.
“I don’t intrude on Bellthorn business, Orion. I make enough donations and do my part as one of the four families. I have had nothing to do with the selection of an Offering in a long time, and I certainly don’t care about eliminating some girl whose most threatening skill is sucking five cocks.”
“Don’t talk about her like that.” My face turns red at the insult, and I wish he weren’t my father so I could really do something.
He nods as if all of this suddenly makes sense to him. “You won’t bring this up to me again. Do you understand? You won’t ever come into my study again.”
I don’t think, just react, closing the distance between us and brushing my chest against his. “Or what, Dad?”
The clipped words lay between us. My knuckles whiten because my fists are clenched so tightly, and for the first time, I wonder if I have what it takes to punch my father.
The thought has occurred to me before, but I’ve never come close to actually doing it.
Then again, my brother is usually here to hold me back.
“Or you’ll regret questioning me,” he says, refusing to back down and not showing an ounce of fear.
“Stop it right now,” Parker says, taking Soren’s usual position. “We need to leave.”
“Listen to your friend, Orion,” my father says, looking at me like I’m less than nothing.
How can he hate me so much when I wear the same face as his precious son?
I don’t want to back down. Everything inside me is screaming to push this into a fight that would probably ruin my life long-term. I almost do it.
“Fine,” I say, not knowing what else to do but follow my friend and leave my father alone in his office.