“What makes you think that?” I finally asked when my laughter died.
My father took the time to pick some invisible lint from the breast pocket of his suit before speaking. “Because your future, your real future, is inevitable. It’s time you accept that, son.”
“What will you do if I don’t?”
“If you prove to be no use to me, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“You mean, you’ll toss me off of it.”
He chuckled heartily at that as if I’d told a joke. “More or less.”
The next morning, I boarded a small, private plane to Colombia, and although I was empty-handed, I wasn’t alone. I was accompanied by four grim-faced men, three of whom I immediately recognized as Siko, Eddie, and Mr. Palmer. The latter was nearing his fifties and, as he liked to put it, “getting too old for this shit.” He was my father’s closest confidant, although he treated Mr. Palmer like a secretary more than anything.
The fourth man was new, or at least he was to me.
Ironically, the stranger seemed to be as interested in me as I was in him. Black hair, black eyes, and even blacker expression, Jeremy Antonov didn’t take his gaze from me for a second after the introductions were made. How was it possible that someone I’d never met wanted to murder me this bad? There was no question. It was more evident than the reason why. I tried to guess his age, maybe early to mid-twenties. He was tall, too, at six-four or six-five and muscular, although not as much as me. Somehow, I doubted, though, that I would walk away from a fight with him.
“Aw, don’t worry about Rem,” Eddie, who looked like a younger Michael Peña, teased after he sat next to me on the leather sofa. He was one of the few men who sat around my father’s round table and executed his orders. Up until a few months ago, he and Siko had been serving as my father’s spies while trying to herd Nathaniel Fox out of hiding. “And don’t take it personally. Bastard’s always in a foul mood.”
Not that I gave a shit, but I found myself asking anyway, “Did I do something?”
“No.” He scratched the stubble under his chin before adding, “At least not yet, anyway.” My wariness grew after hearing that. I was already piecing together Jeremy’s problem when Eddie spoke again. “Jeremy’s impressed a lot of people in a short time. He’s got a lot of, uh, special talents. Everyone thinks he’s the natural pick when your old man kicks the bucket.”
“Except, my father wants me.”
Eddie met my gaze, looking serious for the first time since meeting him. “What your father is planning goes against all of Thirteen’s rules and could get him killed. The round table, as you like to call it,” he whispered with a rueful grin, “has total authority over who succeeds Father. Franklin’s reigned the longest and accomplished the most of all Thirteen’s leaders. Naturally, he believes that it should remain under his control. For good.”
My heart pounded as I recalled the morning nearly a year ago when my father cornered me in my room the first day of senior year and revealed his plans for me. It was the same morning I met Tyra, but I wisely decided not to fixate on that. “He’s creating a dynasty.”
Eddie nodded in confirmation. “And without you, he’ll fail.”
Not just me, I wanted to say. My father fully expected me to produce an heir so that he could force the same life on my son. He wanted to crush his hopes and dreams and rot him from the inside out. “So why don’t you stop him?” I snapped. I was damn near in a panic at the possibility of that future. “What’s in it for you?”
“That’s an odd question to ask, considering I just told you this could get your father killed.” Eddie eyed me curiously, but I didn’t bother making any excuses. There was no love lost between my father and me, and I didn’t give a damn who knew it. Sighing, Eddie looked away for a moment as the plane began to taxi down the short runway. “He made me a generous offer, and I’ve never been one to make waves.”
My eyebrow rose at that because it sounded to me like Eddie was a coward in disguise. “And the others?”
“I wouldn’t worry about them. Siko and Mr. Palmer are both too afraid and too greedy to ever say no. Everyone