Damian stood in his father’s office. Gabriel and Jacob stood together on one side. Beside him were Abel and Oliver. Gideon and himself, along with Uncle Stuart, were on the other.
“Mia’s your woman?” Maddox asked.
“Yes. She’s mine. She belongs to me. I had that thing where everything fades. Can we move on?” He glanced over at Gabriel who was actually staring at the floor, looking somewhat bored. “I want to take out Ivan Smith.”
“Is he related to Sarah, Landon’s girl?” Stuart asked.
“No. No relation at all,” Maddox said.
They had done a detailed background check on Sarah Smith, seeing as Landon had laid claim to her.
“Seeing as the boy is not here, I take it Landon has gone to visit her,” Stuart said.
“Yes.” Maddox turned back to him. “Are we going to have any more trouble with you? Will this Mia settle you down?”
“I wasn’t any trouble before.”
“You had a death wish, Damian. We all were aware of it,” Gideon said. “Betty’s death is not your fault.”
“We’re getting off track here. I want to kill that motherfucker Ivan. Do you have a problem?” Damian asked.
“Yes, I do. The Denton name does not deal with petty thugs. Ivan is no threat to us, and in fact buys from us. We remove a source of income.”
“We don’t need him. The guy is a monster and a rapist.”
“Really, and how do you know that?” Maddox asked.
“Because the baby Mia had, Reese, that’s Ivan’s kid, and he got that by forcing himself on her. That’s the kind of scum we’re associated with now? That’s what it comes to being a fucking Denton?” He turned to Gabriel. “You should be proud that your name isn’t linked with ours.”
Damian saw that his brothers were not impressed. He didn’t know if their anger was directed at him, or at what he’d just told them. Still, he was done listening to his father. “I’m out of here.”
“Damian!”
He paused at the door, and turned back to look at his father.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I can’t guarantee that. I am my father’s son after all.”
He left the office, and made his way out of the main stairwell, down toward the casino, and out the front door.
“You really don’t like the Denton name, do you?” Gabriel said.
Damian stopped and turned to see that Gabriel had followed him. “What do you want?”
“I’ve heard a lot of shit about Ivan Smith. He’s a petty criminal that has an entire town under his thumb. The women he fucks tend to end up on drugs, and whoring themselves out for him and their next fix. He keeps them doped up, and shit like that. He’s also got an internet business with the girls. People at home pay to see some sick shit, and believe me it is sick.”
“I don’t want to know about your porn habits.”
“I don’t need porn to get off.” Gabriel stepped closer to him. “Look, I get it. You hate my guts, and I can deal with it. You’re not the first person to hate me, and at least now I know why my father didn’t like me all that much.”
“Colton?”
“Yeah, who else would I be talking about? I’m used to being looked at with disgust and everyone pretty much hating me. Believe me, I’ve got a thick skin because of it. You don’t like your name, and I get it. I do. You want to take on Ivan, I’m with you. I don’t like anyone that hurts women.”
Damian frowned at the man in front of him. “You were going to kidnap my sister.”
He sighed. “I didn’t say that I didn’t make mistakes. Everyone does, but I didn’t hurt her.”