The minute everyone’s gone, the lights all turn back on and I sit on the closest sofa with a beer still in hand.
“My father rang me tonight.”
Cane sits down, his head shaking. “Have you seen him this month?”
I hardly ever do unless he wants to check in on me. Even when he’s home, he’s working and has no time for me.
“Quinn was here.” He sits up straighter. “He was interested in Saskia.”
“Fuck no,” Cane replies. He knows. I’ve told him what my father does. He just doesn’t know the full extent of his business, but he certainly knows what Quinn does and who he works for.
“Quinn wanted to save a favor. Who the fuck does that?”
My head drops to rest on my hand, and my forehead scrunches up in confusion.
How the fuck has this even happened?
This year was meant to be smooth and easy. No complications from day-fucking-one.
I didn’t see that coming.
I didn’t see her coming.
“You told him no, right?” Cane asks me.
Lifting my head, I answer him. “No. I told him yes.”
This time he swears. “Why the fuck would you do that? You told me from the beginning to never do favors for anyone connected to your father. Yet, you’ve agreed to do Quinn a favor?”
“I had no fucking choice, he wanted her. All it would have taken would be one phone call to my father and Quinn would have collected her, and there would have been nothing I could have done about it.”
“You have a fucked-up family. You sure you want to go into business with your dad?”
“I want the clubs. I was promised the fucking clubs. I don’t want anything to do with the other shit,” I moan, slouching back.
We hear the door open, and we both turn to see my father walk in. Cane stands, his body locking straight, and I stay exactly where I am. Not fucking moving a muscle.
“Ryken,” he calls my name, his voice full of authority and darkness—it always holds so much power and control. His authoritarianism has always been too much. “You need to come home.”
I laugh dryly while looking at him. “Why the fuck would I want to do that?”
“Because your mother died.”
Simple.
Succinct.
Uncaring.
Fuck! Fuck! I was not expecting those words to leave his mouth. His expression doesn’t change. Why would it? He hasn’t seen my mother for years. She left because she couldn’t handle what he does or how he treats women.
“Is that all?”
Dad nods his head. Quinn stands behind him, watching me. Don’t show emotion. This is my father’s number one rule. They can break you and see your weakness if you show any sort of feelings.
“Her body will arrive tomorrow. We’ll bury her in our mausoleum.” Then he walks out of the house as quickly as he entered, leaving me sitting there. Shocked. Hurt. Confused. Looking back, Cane finally relaxes now my father’s left.
“Fuck man, I’m so sorry.”
I shrug my shoulders then get up, offering him up the shittiest wave to all mankind as I start walking. Away from his house, and onto the black bitumen road that’s deserted. It’s now early morning. The streets at this time usually have no one around, so it’s the place I want to be.
Alone.
Solitary.
Isolated.
I loved my mother.
She was that—a mother.
My mother was upset when I chose to live with my father, but his offer was too good to refuse, and at the time I was almost an adult so she didn’t say no. She never said no to me anyway. She was petite, much like Saskia. Except her hair was my chestnut color. Mom never moved on from my father, and I’m not sure he moved on either. I’ve never seen him with another woman since her. He’s lived his life hard, fast and unwavering, but where women are concerned they’re as isolated from him as he is from me.
Even trying to remember how my mom and dad were together is hard. He was always so distant, just the way he is today.
Does it hurt him that she’s dead?
“You look lost.” My head spins to see Livia standing at the end of a driveway as I walk, and she’s watching me. She has on only a slip covering her hard peaked nipples.
“I’m not.”
Livia looks over her shoulder then back to me. “I saw you walking. Would you like to come in?”
Do I? I should say no. But instead, I want what she can give me. Comfort. It’s not something I crave usually. Except right now I feel the need.
“Your parents home?”
She smiles. “They are, but the house is big enough they’ll never hear us. Plus, they’re sleeping.”
With a nod, I walk toward her. She laces her hand through mine and starts pulling me down the path to the house.
I have a moment of pause.
Saskia.
She notices, pulling my hand.
“I’ll make you feel better, Ryken.” Somehow she says the words I want to hear. I want to feel better. Maybe she’s the answer I’m seeking. The front door’s open so we walk straight in, shutting it behind us, then head up the stairs to her room. She pulls me inside then closes that door too.