Savage Sinners (Elites of Macedon High 3)

“What has my father done for us?” I shoot a questioning glance toward her, seeing the doubt sparkle in her eyes. “Has he ever pleased you?”

“You’re asking hard questions, Parker.”

A sympathetic nod softens her hard expression. “I think we should be asking these questions now, Mother.”

“Your father has always done his best to rule this empire properly.”

“Great rulers don’t ditch when things get hard.”

Her pensive silence tells me she agrees. A skilled lawyer she is, and a downright convincing liar, but I can read her when she’s quiet. It’s her most vulnerable state.

“I want to be angry,” she admits, “but I can’t.”

“You can be angry all you want. It doesn’t change the truth.”

She nods as she drifts toward the fireplace, where the contract has burned to embers. She grabs an iron poker and pushes the leftover pages around, getting them to burn evenly. At this point, it’s moot to set the rest of it on fire, but I appreciate her support of my decision.

“What about our future?” she inquires softly. “What are we going to do?”

A chill edges in my voice as I state, “I don’t care what you do with your future.”

Her eyes spark with calm acceptance as she looks at me. If she’s angry, I can’t tell, her features more serene than ever. “I plan to move back to Capital City and practice law full time.”

“Are you joining a firm?”

“I’m not yet sure.”

I nod. “You could start your own.”

“I considered that.”

“You’re smart enough to do it.”

Her dry smile falls on me as she drops the iron poker into the rack next to the fireplace. The smell of burned paper lingers in the air between us, a few black spirals of smoke rising from the hearth. “It’s always been my backup plan.”

“Of course.”

“I should warn you, Parker. You’re a thankless son who needs to understand very quickly that you’re running out of powerful allies.”

I frown pensively while turning back toward the window. “If you’re trying to advise me on anything, I’m refusing your counsel.”

“Free of charge.”

“Don’t care.”

She snorts and wanders to the door. “Three schoolboys won’t be enough to stop the Persian.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of doing.”

“You need to watch your back, Parker.”

I glare at her, holding her gaze while asking, “Is that a threat from you?”

She holds her head high while responding, “No.”

When she leaves, I’m sucked into the naked quiet of the office, the striking silence that ebbs and flows all around me. Manic energy dances just beneath the surface of my skin, urging me into action. But I know better than to respond to such a call. I should plan my next steps carefully. It’s what’ll keep me from getting killed.