Chapter One
I walk into the living room and roll my eyes when I see Richter sitting on the couch, staring at a blank television screen. He has this annoying fucking habit of spacing out ever since his mother went down where she belonged, and I’m assuming he thinks it’ll get him attention.
I take a deep breath and let it out in a huff as I walk over and sit next to him. He flinches instantly, then scoots a couple of inches away from me, and I chuckle.
Fear and respect is the only way to properly run a house and, at the very least, I have one if not the other when it comes to him.
“Where’s your sister?” I ask.
He shrugs, his eyes still on the empty screen and I clear my throat loudly. When he finally gives me his undivided attention, I try again.
“Do me a favor and go find her. I want to talk to you both about something and I don’t feel like repeating myself. I’ll wait here.”
Richter gets to his feet and quickly makes his way out of the living room. I let out a content sigh as I cross one leg over my thigh, then click my tongue against the back of my teeth.
Skylar’s turning into a beautiful young woman. She reminds me of Darby in a way, but I guess that’s to be expected.
I drop my foot to the floor and lean forward, rubbing my face tiredly. I haven’t had pussy in years, but that’s not something Skylar needs to worry about. I’m not here to be her husband, I’m going to teach her brother how to be one.
After about ten minutes, I blow out my breath impatiently and get to my feet. I don’t know what the fuck is taking so long, but I’m sick and tired of waiting and I wouldn’t put it past those little shits to try running away.
Their grandmother and her brothers tried it. Hell, I’m sure even Darby thought about it every now and then.
“I don’t have all fucking day,” I bark as I make my way toward the girl’s room since I’m sure that’s where I’ll find them.
Just inside, I see the boy sitting on the edge of his sister’s bed, running a hand up and down her arm.
It seems like he’s trying to console her, so he understands that it’s time to learn how to be a man like I am..
I don’t walk in right away.
I stand by and listen to see what I’m going to be up against instead.
“But I don’t want to,” Skylar tells him quietly.
“Me either, but you know how he is. Sky, if you don’t let me help you, he’ll do it himself. It destroyed Mom—you saw what it did to her. I don’t want that to happen to you too. I don’t want to be alone with him.”
“It’s not like he would do anything to you,” she shoots back, angrily. “It’s only the women in this family that he treats like that.”
A smirk creases my lips.
At least she has it figured out.
I rub the bridge of my nose briefly before I continue to listen.
“I wish Cleo was here,” Richter confesses in a softer tone.
“No way,” his sister replies, venom dripping from her words. “She’d never be able to survive growing up in this house.”
“Don’t you miss her?” he asks in disbelief.
“Every day, but wherever she is, it has to be better than here.”
I roll my eyes as I place a hand against the door and slowly let it creak open.
I’m done listening to their kumbaya bullshit.
They both look at me with wide eyes, ripe with fear and even a little bit of loathing.
They’re probably wondering how long I’ve been standing here. If I heard what their little gripes about being a Greene really means, but I don’t give a shit.
“Let’s go,” I say evenly before I turn and walk away from the door.
They’ll find out how much I heard once the lessons get started.