Page 26 of Awakening the Beast
His eyes fly to mine, and he narrows them. “And why the fuck do you think that is? You were stupid enough to leave it all to her!”
I point my finger at him, my anger boiling over. “You stupid motherfucker, I set her up for life; I didn’t think she was capable of taking over New York, or she would! I thought she would at least leave it to my mom to deal with,” I bite out.
“Yet she didn’t, and now look who she is,” he fires back.
I jerk my head back, confusion written all over my face. “For someone who runs the Elites in the States, you're fucking dumb!”
He lifts an eyebrow at my choice of words, clearly not used to being spoken to like this, but I continue with my wrath. “You left me for fucking dead; this is your fault, you backward prick. Don’t ever try to say this is my doing. You’re a shit father, who makes bad decisions, end of.”
His face inches closer to mine, and on instinct, I slide my knife out of my sleeve and flip the blade open. He raises his hand quickly without taking his eyes away from mine to call off his sniper.
“That night, the bullet that almost ended you wasn’t actually for you, Arlo.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
He cocks his head to the side before withdrawing slightly. “What was one of the things I said to you the last time we saw each other?”
I just stare at him blankly, trying to think back on our conversation and when I come up empty, he continues. “I fucking warned you; any harm that ever comes to my daughter, it would be you who was held responsible. I trusted you to keep her safe and you failed.”
He shoots his whiskey back and slams it down without breaking eye contact, “My daughter was nearly killed that night because of you and your messed up family bullshit.” I raises an eyebrow at his accusation, and he continues, “You can call me a shit father all you like, but from where I’m standing while you’re alive, my daughter is in constant danger. When you’re dead, she’ll always be safe on my watch.”
I purse my lips with annoyance and face aside, feeling a whirlwind of emotions—irritation and guilt whirling inside me.
“When my men finally found the shooter, he told them the bullet was for Wren, but he was startled by my men and missed. When he wouldn’t give the name of who ordered the hit, my men killed him, but by that time, you were already in the car with another group of my men who had saved you,” Phillip states, and my eyes meet his before he continues in a serious tone.
“That’s when I ordered them to dump you in Mexico. You couldn’t protect my daughter in this world, Arlo, and that is something I can’t tolerate.”
My teeth grind, fury reaching its ultimate peak and without warning, I grab his throat as my temper consumes me, but again, he holds his hand up swiftly.
“I suggest you let me go, or I’ll allow him to blow your brains out for good this time,” he warns through strangulation.
“Fucking do it, pussy,” I grit out aggressively through my teeth.
His eyes narrow, and for a moment, we are locked in a deadly standoff. My anger is a living entity, clawing at my insides, demanding revenge.
“You think you can control everything, Phillip? You think you can play God with our lives?” I hiss, my grip tightening. “You’re nothing but a fucking coward, hiding behind your men and your power.”
His face reddens, but he manages to speak, his voice strained. “And you’re a fool, Arlo. A fool who doesn’t understand the stakes. This world will chew you up and spit you the fuck out if you’re not careful.”
I lean in closer, my dark eyes boring into his. “I’m not afraid of this fucking world, I never have been, and I’m certainly not afraid of you.” I seethe before roughly pushing on his throat, reluctantly releasing him.
I walk around, rubbing my palm over my face furiously with my head lowered, feeling like I need to kill a motherfucker to release some of this pent-up anger.
“So who the fuck is involved? The big bad Ghost knows everything, doesn’t he?” I demand as I stop in my tracks, my tone full of sarcasm.
He stares at me before he answers, rubbing his neck. “A bunch of people could have been connected.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “And how many have been fucking killed since?”
He glances away, avoiding my gaze, and I scoff. “You don’t even know who it was, do you?”
He rests up against a wall and folds his arms across his chest. “I have names, but it’s not confirmed.”
“And what are these names and what the fuck are their reasons?” I press, my patience wearing thin.
He raises an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “Let’s just say that cop was nothing but a dummy who had clearly lost his damn mind. He was just used, his revenge manipulated to the point of no return, but that’s all he was, a dummy for someone else’s agenda. This goes way deeper, and it’s in a web around you and your fucking family as per usual,” he adds, his tone grave.
I click my fingers at him, my irritation boiling. “Names, Phillip, I need fucking names.”
