40. Rurik
FORTY
RURIK
“If you’ll all excuse me. I have a couple of lives to end. One of you needs to stay with Ash ‘round the clock. I’ll be back in a few days.” I get up and everyone else does at the same time.
Locke is the first to speak. “Wait.”
“If you’re going to tell me not to, save your breath.” Every minute I don’t go hunt down my father is like swallowing razorblades. I can’t allow him to breathe a second longer.
“It’s like you’re allergic to listening.”
“I obviously am.” I try to step around him, but he blocks me.
“Do you know where Ash’s father is? We don’t want to tip off one and let the other go into hiding.”
“I can figure it out on the plane.” I don’t need the details.
“I know where he is,” Viv says coldly. We all turn and find her looking as still and deadly as I have ever seen her. “And I can help.”
“Sounds good. What do you have in mind?” Locke asks.
“We can give him a taste of his own medicine. I have the perfect thing.” Viv is quite good at making weird drugs.
“Wait. Why are we killing him first?” I cross my arms.
“Because we know where he is and it’s better to do it before he catches wind we are on to him.” Locke makes a good point.
“Fine. What do you have Viv?” I need them to die. No reason I can’t get a kick out of it at the same time.
“I have a few drugs I’ve been working on. You have a plane? Or do I need to call my father for ours?” she asks, getting up to join me.
“Don’t call yours. They are brothers and we don’t know what he knows. Mine’s at the airport. We’re good.” I hold a hand out to her. “I think we’ll figure it out.”
“I’m coming.” Kiho stands with Viv and I.
“Me, too. I’m just not getting up until you work your shit out,” Nik says, eating a brownie. “I’m standing with you in spirit.”
“I love you, other half.” I make a hand heart at my brother.
Nik gets a bit pink and waves me off and Ash smiles behind him.
He’s taking all of this slightly better than I imaged he would and at least he’s not objecting to us killing his father. I hate to say it but I’m glad Locke was here.
“You’re going to need me if there’s any security to disarm.” King wanders over like he’s in no rush, feeling his pockets. “I don’t know where I put my gun. Anyone seen it?”
“You have got to stop misplacing your gun!” I hold back a laugh. Typical King.
Locke pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m surrounded by children who don’t listen.”
“We’re the same age.” Viv gives him a flat look.
“And here you are siding with the children springing into action instead of forming a plan. Did you even ask your boyfriend about killing his father, Rurik?” Locke pours ice water on the whole situation.
“He’s not going to stop me.” I glance over my shoulder. “Baby?”
He doesn’t speak right away but he would have objected if he didn’t agree. Finally he says, “I know I’m going to need therapy and I’ll probably have to forgive him, but I can work through that while he’s rotting.”
I grab him and pull him into my arms. “Are you sure?”
“Are you really going to let him live if I ask you to?” Ash looks up into my eyes.
“If you tell me he’s off limits right now I won’t go.
I will keep gathering evidence until you believe Locke’s theory but I will sit on my hands until you agree.
” It’s painful to say, and I’m sure my family probably thinks I’ve lost my marbles but I can’t do anything that would jeopardize our relationship.
“I don’t need more proof.” He shakes his head fighting back emotion. “Locke is right. I can’t deny the truth just because I don’t want it to be my reality.”
“Baby.” I squeeze him tight. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“It’s already better because I have you. I survived it. It can only get better from here, right?”
I slide my fingers into his hair, brushing my lips over his. “So much better.”
He’s finally going to get his own life. I’m going to make sure of it.
I turn back to Locke. “Are you happy?”
“And your plan for Father?” Locke asks.
“I’m going to talk to the Jackal, and honestly, I’ll kill him too if I need to. I’m not bogging myself down with the details. It will all work out in the moment because that’s just how my life works.”
“You cannot go against the Jackal.” Locke’s nostrils flair. I seem to have hit a nerve there.
Weird.
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Your over-confidence is going to kill you.” Locke exhales his frustration. “Mother will love this. Have you told her?”
“Not yet.” I gesture for him to move. “I’ve got places to be, people to murder.”
“I’ll speak to the Jackal.” Locke leaves me speechless.
“You will?” I’m confused as to how he thinks the Jackal will listen to him any better than the rest of us. “You don’t think Mother should do it?”
“I don’t.”
“Okay, fine. Not like I can’t speak to him after you do if you’re unsuccessful.” I hesitate then say, “Locke?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Shock ripples across his face. “For what?”
“For having my back and figuring out what I couldn’t see. It means a lot to me that you always have my back, even knowing you want to kill me about fifty percent of the time.” I grin, needing to annoy him at least a little.
“It’s far higher than fifty percent but I know you’d do the same for me.” He smiles and it’s bone chilling. I’m glad he’s on my side.
“I would but it’s more than for me. It’s for Ash too.”
“You follow him around like a puppy. I’m sure he’s not going anywhere. I’m honestly shocked you haven’t absconded to marry him yet.” Locke gives Ash a sympathetic look.
“Shhh.” I hold a finger to my lips. “I’ve got plans.”
Ash rolls his eyes and it’s probably better if he thinks I’m joking.
I glance around the room. “Ash, I think you need to come with us too.”
More like I’m not leaving him here unguarded until Mikel is six feet under.
“It’s probably for the best. My dad never leaves my brother’s side. He’ll be in the palace. I can get us in.” Ash turns to Viv. “Can you fill in Finn?”
“How much do you want him to know?”
Ash contemplates the words. “I don’t know. I trust him, but he’s not involved in any of this, and your father is mine’s brother. How do you think any of that will go down?”
“I trust Finn,” Viv says decisively.
“Then be honest. He deserves to know.”
“Do you trust your brother?” I ask when Viv goes to call Finn.
“With my life.”
“Then you should tell him. It can’t hurt to have a guy on the inside.”
We’re at the plane within the hour, after paying the doctor a quick visit. One down, two to go.
King hurries us along. “Get in or bust.”
“It can be both.” I wink as I pass him.
“How can it be both?” Ash asks.
Nik winces. “Don’t ask.”
I just grin.
Ash sits with it for a few moments, then groans. “We aren’t speaking about cum right now! Especially in front of my family and yours!”
“We should always be speaking about cum. It’s that serious. I always want more of your cum, baby.” I take a seat and pull him into my lap.
“That is not romantic like I bet you think it is.”
“How is wanting more of your cum not romantic?” I glance around, but no one seems to agree with me. “Y’all are just jealous no one is obsessed with every aspect of you.”
“Hard pass. That sounds exhausting.” Nik shudders, taking the seat across from me.
Ash fights a smile. “It’s not that much work.”
I kiss his cheek. “For me either. It’s easy with him.”
“I don’t think it would be too much work.” Kiho seems thoughtful.
“Keep it to yourselves. I don’t need to be infected with all that.” Nik recoils and crosses his index fingers in an X like he can block it. “Is Locke going to call us after he talks to the Jackal?”
Since we’re on the plane, Locke took my car to The Velleity, which I don’t love, but if he wrecks her, I’ll just add one more murder to the list.
“He said he’ll keep us updated,” King says, stretching out. “I’m taking a nap.”
“When should I call my brother?” Ash glances over his shoulder.
“Will he be awake?”
“Should be by now.”
“Can’t hurt to try.” I give Ash the Wi-Fi password so he can make the call.
“Do you mind if I do it in private?” Ash asks, unsure of himself. I don’t envy him having to explain any of this.
“I’ll be here when you’re finished.” I slip my arms around him and hug him tightly before letting him go to make the call.
“Does Mom know?” Nik asks when Ash is gone.
I make a face. “Not exactly.”
“So no, not at all.”
“She might be able to sense it. You don’t know. Mothers have weird womb magic powers like that.” I’m not sure why I haven’t told mom about Ash. The timing never seemed right.
“Now you’re just gaslighting me.”
“What if I gaslight her? Tell her she’s met him?” I offer with a smile.
“To what end?” Nik gives me the most disappointed look I think he’s ever given me.
“So I don’t get the guilt trip about not telling her how serious it was immediately! You know how she is. Then I can also tell her she’s already shown him all the weird photos of me as a child.”
“And there are so many weird photos of you as a child.” Nik cracks up. “Ash is going to run screaming when he sees them.”
I shove him. “Hey, let he who is capable of hitting two birds throw the first stone! And I think I’m justified in my stones!”
“Are you trying to say you’re without sin or two birds one stone?”
“Yes.” I nod, glad he gets it.
“It was a question with two options?”
“Okay, and the answer is yes.”
“I give up.”
We all doze off and on for the flight, landing in the early afternoon.
King hands Ash a passport before we get off the plane. “It’s sloppy, but it should work.”
“How did you get this so fast?”
King smiles and winks. “I got a guy who owes me a few favors. It was just a photo swap, so easy enough, since we didn’t have to build you a whole profile. Rurik had me get it a while ago.”
We don’t need to get flagged coming into the country, and it’s not like Ash can enter normally without fan fair being a prince and all. I still haven’t gotten used to that realization. Does that mean I’ll be a prince when we get married? Having a title would be hilarious.
Ash holds it up. “This looks real.”