16. Rurik
SIXTEEN
RURIK
By the time we get to the city Mom and Dad are in the middle of a heated discussion in the middle of the Velleity lobby.
“You told me you wouldn’t come back here or trade on my name.” My mother’s jaw flexes, but the sword in her hand is steady.
I’ve never seen her this mad. Even when she first discovered Dad’s affair. To have her weapon out on Velleity property is wild.
If the Jackal was having a bad day he could ban her over it.
“I worked out my own deal with The Jackal, Iona. I don’t need you to be here.” My father, Mikel, is entitled, too entitled and that’s always been his problem. He thinks he’s fucking invincible. He should be fucking shaking in his boots, but the rules of the Velleity leave him over confident.
I want to smack the smirk off his fucking face.
“I don’t care what deal you worked out with Jay. We had an agreement.”
“Enforce it then.”
Iona exhales pure rage.
Li?u puts her hand on mother’s shoulder and says something softly into her ear. “以逸待勞.” Wait at leisure while the enemy labors.
Mikel looks between the two of them. “Care to share with the class?”
“She told me to let you hang yourself. Because you will.” Iona re-sheaths her sword.
“I’m glad your friend can talk some sense into you. It would be a shame if you couldn’t continue to work out of the Velleity.” Mikel’s smug grin grates in my brain.
It takes everything in me to not shoot him on the spot. But I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer.
Iona seethes, but she lets Mikel walk past her to the elevator.
Mikel hits the button then turns to us. “If any of you want to have dinner, you can request me at the front desk. I’d give you my room number, but I don’t trust your mother or Li?u,”
With my father gone we go to my mother’s suite. But it’s fruitless. Our hands are tied and we just go round in circles for half the fucking night.
“Why would you fucking drag me to New York City when you don’t plan on doing a damn thing?” I slam my fist down on the table.
“Because I didn’t want you to be blindsided,” Iona says. Our mother’s patience is thin. “And I wanted to know if any of you knew the reason he’s here.”
“None of us speak to him,” Locke growls. “Like we would.”
I don’t say anything, but I have my fucking reasons.
“What can we do?” my sister Lyra asks. “I’m sure we can do some recon…”
“I would never ask you to fight my battles with your father, darling.” Iona puts her hand on Lyra’s. “I just don’t know why he’s trying to reinsert himself in my life.”
We’ve gone round and round this for hours. No one fucking knows why my father is here. Why he broke their agreement never to come back to The Velleity, or what business he could be conducting. None of our contacts know anything, and everyone else at the table is being cautious.
“Just put a bullet in his brain and be fucking done with it.” I’m annoyed this has wasted so much of my time. I was having a good night.
“Idiot. If you’re not going to be helpful, leave,” Locke looks me right in the eyes. “Mom said she was just looking for information or insight. If you don’t know, shut the fuck up.”
“You might not be helpful. But I’ll do it.” I have my gun out and pointed at him before he can move.
He doesn’t even flinch. “You’re exhausting and reckless. I don’t know why she even told you. It’s clear the adults will have to handle this.”
“I’m the only one who gets any fucking thing done in this family because all of you are too fucking cautious.” And maybe I wouldn’t really go through with it on Velleity grounds, but if I have to keep sitting here just discussing it ad nauseam, I will put a bullet in my own brain.
“You know we can’t do anything on Velleity grounds, darling.” She uses her soothing voice, but it won’t disarm me tonight. It just enrages me.
“It’s been years since that worked.” I won’t look at her because I refuse to be pacified. “And I know the rules.” I’ve spent my whole life around the Velleity. I’m not new here.
Iona reaches for me. “You cannot risk your future membership. What would you do with your life if you were exiled?”
“I’d be fine. I could always work private security.” I’m lying. I’d suck at anything else, and I’d probably hate it just as much.
“Darling.” She doesn’t have to say anything else to challenge my statement.
“He’s probably meeting that fuck he cheated on you with.” Which is why I’m fucking here. If I can get a glimpse of the bastard…
“There’s no evidence of that.”
“There’s no evidence of him at all.” I slam my fist down on the table.
I’d spent the last two years looking. I swore after it all came out, I’d hunt the guy down to the end of the fucking earth.
But there isn’t a trace of my father’s affair partner.
He’s a fucking ghost, and all I have is a fucking name.
“The name is obviously an alias,” Locke says, without looking at me.
“I don’t think it is.” But I can’t explain why. I always trust my instincts, and it is what makes me better at this than any of my siblings.
“None of this is productive.” Mom tents her fingers. “I wanted all of you to be aware of the situation and see if you had any insight. I’m sure Mikel would love to see you, if you want to reach out.”
“Going to use one of us to lure him out?” I laugh. Why didn’t I think of that. “Goated. I’m in. I won’t even wear a vest like these bitches probably would. He won’t suspect anything.”
Mother sighs, exchanging a look with Li?u, her girlfriend. “Let me reiterate, I don’t expect any of you to do anything. I know we are in the middle of recruitment for Legacy.”
“I’m keeping an eye on him, don’t worry.” Li?u looks directly at me when she says it, probably trying to insinuate she’ll take him out if he steps one toe off Velleity property.
I still don’t understand why neither she nor mom hunted him down.
The only reason I haven’t is because I’m waiting for him to slip up and step out with his side bitch, and because mom told us not to.
She said she doesn’t want her relationship with Mikel to harm ours, and that we’ll “regret” killing our father.
Clearly, she doesn’t know who she raised.
But I don’t exactly have the resources to storm his compound in Geneva, and when I go to visit, he insists on me being disarmed. Like he doesn’t trust me. Rude. So I’m out of options for the time being.
Sunlight filters through the window of my mother’s suite.
“Fuck.” I check my watch as I shove to my feet.
I’ve completely forgotten about rowing. Ash will think I abandoned him after finally getting to touch his beautiful cock.
I only planned on being here an hour or two, so I could drive the four hours back to Exitier and make my row date. “I have to go. I’m late.”
“Have breakfast with us, and then you can take the jet back with your siblings.”
“I can’t.” I know Ash is already going to be upset. He’s a fragile little baby angel, probably in the middle of a gay panic attack. I can’t delay it.
“You’ll get back at roughly the same time if you stay,” Nik speaks for the first time. “What’s the rush?”
“I told you, I’m late.” I know these bitches are going to want an explanation, and dick won’t pacify them. “Important meeting.”
“What the fuck could you possibly have going on?” Locke stares at me.
“How about none of your goddamn business.” I put on my sunnies and flash them a peace sign. “See you on the flip side.”
It’s a four-hour drive, but I can make it in three in the Jesko. My baby is electric blue, and I’ve been meaning to take her to school.
Now I have to figure out what I’m going to say to Ash and how to make it up to him. FML.