39. Rurik
THIRTY-NINE
RURIK
It’s been a few days and I haven’t left Ash’s side. He seems okay, but I’m worried about him. I can’t imagine what he’s going through. He insists we act normal, and I let him, because I know there’s comfort in his routine.
But under the surface I’m plotting murder.
“Dinner is here.” I texted everyone on my way to the house that I was bringing home food, and when they scurry in like mice, I drop, “We’re having a family meeting, bitches.”
Did I pre-warn anyone, including Ash?
Nope.
I would need their help if we were going to catch my father and I wasn’t about to give anyone time to make up an excuse. He knows I’m going to talk to them about it. I got his permission, but I didn’t tell him that day is today.
Kiho tries to slip out, and I cut in front of him. “Sit down, beautiful platonic love of my life.”
“Rurik-chan? I’m not family.”
I clasp my chest. “How easily you put an arrow through my heart! After you move into my house and eat my food.”
Kiho laughs. “You demanded we live together when we both decided to go to school here, and then you moved out!”
“I didn’t move out. It was a temporary vacancy while I was acquiring my baby!” I nod for him to go take a seat. “I will lock all of you in here if any of you try to leave. This is important.”
“If I have to be here, so do you.” Viv says to Locke who looks annoyed.
He rolls his eyes but sits.
Viv drags Ash with her to make a plate. She already knows some because Ash didn’t want her blind-sided which I think was good.
I wait for everyone to get settled before standing.
“Christ, what can be so important?” Locke crosses his arms, not touching the food.
“I found Astor Hastings.” I asked Ash if I could tell them enough to give them closure while also being able to stop my dad.
He agreed, understanding how important it is to make sure Mikel never gets anywhere close to him again.
Especially as I try and get him to come to terms with it being Mikel drugging him.
He’s hasn’t fully processed what it all means yet.
He seems to be in denial as he’s worried about the fallout with his father.
The entire room falls silent and everyone’s hand goes to their gun.
Ash’s cheeks are pink, and he looks away. I squeeze his hand, not letting him be alone.
“Where is he?” Locke checks his magazine, then his backups. Clearly King hadn’t gotten around to telling him everything. “Do we have time to hit the armory?”
“Dad wasn’t having an affair,” I snap, trying to regain control of the room. I need these mother fuckers to listen and understand.
All attention in the room goes from their weapons back to me.
“Yes, he was,” Locke counters.
“Astor Hastings is a child. Or rather he was.” I don’t think I need to directly say it’s Ash. It’s pretty obvious once you have those details, and it really doesn’t matter who the victim is in the grand scheme of things. All that matters is that our father is a fucking creep.
Who am I kidding? It matters. But that’s why my father isn’t just going to die. He is going to die by my hands, and he is going to know why.
“So no, dad wasn’t having an affair, he assaulted a fucking child.”
The whole room recoils. King winces, and I’m sure he’s put the pieces together. The rest will realize, too. There’s no real way to avoid those implications. Not when all the pieces are so public. And I hate that for Ash.
“I’m not going to give you details because it’s not my story to tell, but he hasn’t stopped, and that’s why he keeps leaving The Velleity. He’s been coming here.”
“I’m so fucking sorry,” Nik says softly to Ash.
Ash nods a thank you.
“He needs to die, yesterday.” Locke adds.
“Fuck Ash. I need to sit down and process this. Christ.” King finishes filling his plate and takes a seat.
“Why do you think I brought food?” I make myself food while everyone digests.
When everyone is settled I command their attention again: “So in conclusion, I’ll be torturing and killing him.”
“No one is going to fight you there,” Nik says with his mouth half full. “Why do we need a family meeting about it? All of us want him dead. More so now I’m sure.”
“Because I wanted to tell you Ash is moving in for the time being. And for now, I’ll only be going to Legacy shit he can come to or if Ash is with someone I trust.” I hold up my hand, at seeing Locke twitch. “I don’t give a fuck. I’ve done my share of the shit this year. Above and beyond.”
“Will you let me speak?” Locke levels me with his gaze, letting his mask slip momentarily.
I gesture for him to go on.
Locke waits to make sure I don’t talk. “I was also going to suggest one of us should be with him at all times. Especially if Mikel is making regular visits up here. It’s concerning to me what Mother—a smart, calm, and collected person who’s not emotionally driven—interpreted as an affair at the time, because it clearly wasn’t.
He’s been somehow pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes.
Apart from the sickeningly obvious, what is the motivation? ”
“My father wants me to stay on Mikel’s good side because his court could end up with jurisdiction over my brother’s title claim if it’s challenged,” Ash speaks up for the first time.
Locke mulls over the words. He never speaks without thinking. He’s like our mother that way. “Which means your father offered him something to keep him on the hook.”
Fuck. My chest gets tight. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
“What do you mean?” Ash asks carefully.
“Your father wants you to keep being nice to Mikel, yes?”
Ash nods.
“So them wanting you to get into Legacy was a ruse?” Locke glances between us.
“Huh? My father and Mikel want me to get into Legacy. My father wants the contacts.”
“Mikel is a full fledged member. Why would they need you?” Locke asks and I hadn’t thought of it from that angle.
“Oh… I don’t know.” Ash pulls into himself and I wrap an arm around him.
“Would Mikel have as easy access to you at the other university you planned to go to?” Locke says and I finally understand where he’s going.
He thinks about it for a moment. “No, I don’t think so.”
“So they convinced you to come here for ‘Legacy’ on at least partially false pretenses. A place Mikel can come ‘check up on you,’ which equates to keeping his asset under his control. Why?” Locke put it all together without me saying most of what I know.
He likes to lead people to their own conclusion.
It’s a negotiating technique we all learned as children. People are much more likely to agree if made to put the pieces together and come to the conclusion themselves.
In part I’m glad Locke can see what a snake Ash’s father is. It’s good for Ash to hear from someone else. Then it’s not just me being his obsessive boyfriend.
If this doesn’t solidify for Ash what both his father and mine are doing to him, I don’t know what will.
“You think my father has some ongoing agreement with him?” Ash asks carefully.
“He must.”
We all process the conclusion. No one disagrees.
I grind my teeth because it’s taking everything I have to not get up and go hunt down both Mikel and Ash’s father.
“I keep coming back to the night in the bar when he was drugged.” Viv glances over at me.
“Pardon me, what happened?” Locke asks.
We give him a quick rundown of what happened.
“But they found nothing in his system. The doctor sent me the results.” Viv sets her plate aside. “They said he drank too much.”
“Excuse me? Your doctor said there was nothing in his system?” I’m about to lose my fucking shit.
“Yes, they said I drank too much.” Ash turns towards me. “I thought I told you.”
“Kiho, do you have the results handy?”
He pulls them up.
Ash stares at the phone. “Rohypnol?”
“The doctor works for your father.” I add that bastard to my hit list. I’m gonna be fucking busy.
Three different conversations break out in the room.
Ash’s voice cuts them all when he says, “Rurik thinks I was drugged last night, too.”
The room goes silent.
“You are the payment.” Locke meet’s Ash’s gaze and he’s on his feet, his jaw flexed, his rage betraying him. He’s done with waiting for Ash to see the full picture. “You are the payment.”
I’ve never seen him so worked up. I’m shocked.
“What do you mean?” Ash asks.
“I think your father made a deal with Mikel. You for your brother’s title. You are the payment from your father to Mikel for his help. I think my mom misinterpreted the emails she found. I made her show them to me, and I can see why she did—”
I cut him off. “What the fuck did they say?”
“There were a lot of them. They were a lot of I can’t wait to put this business behind us so I can move there and start our life together…
I’ve never been happier than after a night spent with him…
Just feeling his skin against mine last night…
I can’t wait until I can have him to myself every night without having to sneak around…
” Locke pauses like he’s deciding how much he should say.
“At the time, she thought he was speaking to a confidant about the affair and that he was smart enough to delete all the evidence of the cheating but forgot those emails. I think it’s much more sinister. ”
“I don’t understand… How can I be the payment? That’s not what happened.” Ash looks at me, confusion creased in his brow. “It was one time. Every other time I’ve woken up alone. We aren’t even sure it’s him drugging me? It’s not a continuous thing.”
“You only remember one night.” My words are calm but dark fog creeps into my vision and the need bubbles up with it, taking over all other thoughts. I force myself to stay on the sofa and not give into the dark desires and leave that fucking minute. “You only woke up one time.”
“No.” Ash presses his face into me.
“He’s the one drugging you. I’m more sure after what Locke pointed out.” I wish I could take this all away from him.
Ash closes his eyes and whispers, “I think a part of me has always known.”
I don’t think any admission has ever hurt me more.