Unspoken Rules (Rules 2)

“Haze, let’s just leave, please,” I whisper and grasp his arm. He sees right through me.

“You fucked my brother?” he finally shouts, his voice resonating across the huge reception room.

There isn’t a guest that doesn’t gasp. Tanner included.

“Haze, brother. No need to make a scene. Let’s talk about this like adults,” Tanner begs.

He’s embarrassed. Good.

“Don’t you dare pretend that he’s overreacting,” I say, surprised at the words coming out of my mouth.

“Winter, with all due respect, this is none of your business,” Tanner says rudely.

That’s what makes him snap.

“With all due respect?” Haze cackles. “I’m sorry, when did you ever respect her? Was it before or after you tried to murder her?”

An even louder wave of gasps cuts through the air.

“Haze, stop!” his mother exclaims. This isn’t good for business. She may be the queen of false emotions, but this… this she can’t fake. Even Richard looks panicked.

“I’m sorry. Are Daddy’s partners not in on the criminal sons’ secret?” Haze asks. “Wait, what am I saying? Of course they’re not. I’m looking at the people who saw the murder of their five-year-old daughter as bad business.”

Here comes wave of gasps number three.

I swear this is better than TV.

So, Haze’s parents do know about the fights. I assume they don’t know everything, but they are aware of their boys dipping their toes into a few shady things.

Riley’s standing back with Jacob as he hides his head into his mother’s neck. He never liked shouting. He’s the truly innocent one here. He can’t help that he was born into such a dysfunctional family. He shouldn’t be witnessing this.

“It’s him? The guy you cheated on me with?” he addresses Riley. “My own brother?”

Tanner turns to his “wife” and motions not to answer.

“Haze, let’s put all this nonsense in the past and move forward, please. Or if you want to talk about it, let’s take this outside,” Tanner says.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? For me to stop airing your dirty laundry to possible investors? Well, too bad. I’m not going anywhere. How long? How long did this last?”

Tanner fidgets with his tuxedo sleeves.

“I said how long?” Haze screams.

“The whole time,” Tanner finally breathes out.

Ouch.

Haze shakes his head in disgust.

“Did you two know about this?” He gazes at his parents. “Did you know back then that my girlfriend was pregnant with my brother’s kid?”

People hold their breath, as though they fear the sound might keep them from hearing what Richard will say next.

“Yes, we knew,” he admits. “We caught her sneaking out of the house once.”

There goes another bullet straight into Haze’s chest. They knew he was beating himself up over it, and they didn’t say anything.

“But that doesn’t mean you and your brother shouldn’t talk this out,” Richard has the audacity to add.