plan be damned.
“The silver BMW,” she whispered so low I almost didn’t catch it. “I’d been noticing a silver BMW everywhere I went for months. At first, I thought it was just a popular style until I realized the license plate was always the same. I reported the car to campus police, but they blew me off. After that, I never saw one with that license plate again.”
“He was having you watched.”
She gave me a hard look. “You still haven’t told me why.”
I returned her look as I stood. “Because if it weren’t for your sister, I’d be at USC playing football right now.”
Tyra shot to her feet before planting her hands on her hips. Hips that had birthed my kid. Hips I wanted to hold onto while I bent her over and fucked her from behind. “My sister? What does she have to do with this?”
“She told my father about my feelings for you.”
“You didn’t have any feelings for me. At least, according to you.”
Tyra folded her arms over her chest, pushing up her breasts. Luckily, she was too pissed to notice me staring. They were bigger than I remembered. I guess I had my kid to thank.
“Keep telling yourself that, Bradley. It’s not going to help you get over me any faster.”
River let out a cry before she could let free the barrage of curses I knew where on her tongue. As much as I wanted to console my son, I chose that moment to grab my shit and escape while she was distracted.
“TIE HIM TO THE CHAIR.” My tone wasn’t the most patient, but I’d spent the last couple of days guarding my father in order to avoid Tyra, which meant not seeing my kid. Needless to say, it had made me a little crabby.
“I’m pretty sure I don’t work for you, and I didn’t come from his shriveled-up nut sack. You tie him up.”
I glared at Jeremy, but it made no difference to him as Antonov leaned against the wall of the living room, making himself comfortable. Snatching the coil of rope from one of the end tables, I proceeded to tie my father’s feet to the legs of the chair.
“Son, you don’t have to do this,” my father pleaded. I guess that after a few days of being held captive, he’d finally decided he wasn’t too proud to beg.
“Shut the fuck up.” I finished tying his right leg and moved onto his left before he spoke again.
“Do you honestly think Antonov won’t kill you as soon as you give him what he wants? Look at how he’s betrayed me.”
Jeremy paused from cleaning his nails with his knife. “I was never loyal to you, bitch.”
My father wisely ignored him. “I can protect you.”
“You had eighteen years’ worth of chances to do just that. I can protect myself now, but thanks.”
I was checking the knot I tied to make sure it was secure when I heard Jeremy sigh. “You’re not a killer, but you’re definitely no Boy Scout, either. Give me the fucking rope. Even your father could break free of this pitiful-ass knot.”
I didn’t argue as I stood back, letting Jeremy take over.
“Thirteen will never follow you if you kill me,” my father warned Antonov. His voice was no longer pleading, although he hadn’t managed to return to his typical cold cruelty. “You might as well dig your own grave next to mine.”
“My grave was dug a long time ago, old man. You’re just catching up.”
Panic flashed in my father’s eyes before his lips pulled back in a snarl. “I knew not to trust you. That’s why I kept you close.”
“Not close enough apparently. I would never have managed to convince the others that you needed to retire if you’d been more careful. To be honest, it wasn’t even that hard. You’re a joke.”
“You’re lying.”
“Afraid not. You should have taken a lesson from your own history book. I thought Mr. Palmer would be the hardest to convince since he was your glorified secretary. Turns out, you should have treated him better.”
“What makes you think they won’t do the same to you?”
“They can’t if they’re all dead.”
My heart dropped to my stomach hearing that. Siko, Eddie, Mr. Palmer…the entire round table had been executed. Killing my father’s men hadn’t been something we’d discussed. I had their deaths on my hands now, too. I shuddered.
“If I could convince them to turn on you, then I obviously can’t trust them now, can I?” Jeremy questioned.
For once, my father had