Kellen
Iwake up early the next morning. Tara’s in the garden already but I don’t go out to bother her. I shouldn’t have let her stay in that place alone last night—the idea that Hugh went into her place and violated her home just to fuck with her boils and bubbles in my guts—but I know a losing fight when I see one.
I stayed up under the moon and starlight watching her cottage from afar, just to make sure things were safe, and paid Rory overtime to finish out the night. Just because she’s pissed at me doesn’t mean I’ll let her stay in danger.
Instead of heading down to the gardens and making things worse, I go for a run before the heat gets unbearable, a long meandering trek around the edges of the property. When I’m done, I shower off, change, and walk to my father’s office.
Hugh’s sitting behind the massive desk. Most of my father’s things are down off the walls and packed into boxes. The room feels like it’s in transition, stuck in the liminal space between my father’s tenure and Hugh’s. It’s strange how it’s only been weeks since my old man died and already he’s being replaced so quickly, rewritten and erased, and I don’t mind it one bit. If anything, this should’ve happened sooner. Orin Hayle was weak toward the end and his iron control of the family was beginning to fracture even then.
“What can I do for you, Kellen?” Hugh frowns, not looking up from whatever he’s typing on his laptop. “I’m busy right now.”
I step inside and shut the door behind me. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”
“I’m sure you do.” He purses his lips. “Really, I am busy. There’s a lot going on at the company and I don’t have time to do this with you right now.”
“You can spare a few minutes for your beloved cousin.” I walk over and loom in front of the desk, not bothering to sit down. I keep seeing Tara’s face from last night when she found her cottage trashed. She was terrified and angry and betrayed, and she swung that look on me like I was the source of all her pain. And in some ways, I am, though I’m not the one making Hugh take it out on her.
I hated that look. I hated the way her hands shook when she slammed the door and her voice quavered like she was on the edge of crying. I hated that she felt unsafe, but still couldn’t bring herself to come stay with me.
Which is why I punished myself by losing half a night’s sleep to make sure nobody bothered her.
But most of all I hate that Hugh did it without bothering to hide, and he did it to fuck with me.
“What do you want, Kellen?” He finally looks up from his screen and leans back in his chair. There’s the ghost of a smug smile on his lips, the arrogant shit. He knows exactly why I’m here and there’s a part of him that’s excited to have it out.
“You crossed a line last night.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You wrecked Tara’s cottage. Maybe it wasn’t you personally, but you ordered it done either way. Don’t sit there and fucking pretend like you’re innocent. I think you did it just to show her that you have the power in this situation and that you can make her life miserable if you want to. You did it to scare her away from me.”
“Did I?” He steeples his fingers, grinning. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
Anger threatens my composure and I have to shove it away. Hugh wants me to lose my temper right now because that’ll only undermine my cause. He wants me to act like a rage-filled street thug—that way, he can convince all the captains that I’m not worth following because I can’t control myself.
He’ll trot the staff out like trained dogs and have them all tell the story of Kellen screaming in the office, breaking things, shattering glass, making a scene. Hugh will gleefully use that against me, even though it would feel good to pay him back ten times what he did to Tara.
The Hayle family is as much about control in the board room as it is about control on the streets. I’ve proven myself out there where violence and death rule—but in here? I have work to do. Shouting at him right now will only play into his plan.
“Tara is off limits,” I say, leaning forward to look into his beady little rat-like eyes. “I understand you want to use her for your own agenda, but I’m telling you to back away.”
“Interesting,” he says, tilting his head.
“I know what you’re thinking.” My fingers tense on the top of the desk, the knuckles turning white. “You’re wondering why I care so much. You’re thinking you can use her against me now because she’s my weakness. Maybe you think you can threaten her or maybe even hurt her. But I’m looking you in the eye and I’m telling you, if you fuck with her again, I’ll kill you. Do you know the easiest and fastest way to take control of a mafia family? All you need to do is murder the current chief, and you seem to forget that we live in the same house. I haven’t put a bullet between your eyes yet because I’d rather have the Hayle family intact and avoid a civil war, but I’m not above it. So leave her alone.”
Hugh digests my speech, smiling the whole time like I don’t fully intend to follow through with my threat if he crosses that line again. He knows my reputation and he knows what the men that work for me can do. Finn alone could sneak into this house and cut Hugh’s throat without waking anyone up. Hell, I’d just have to walk down the hall, kick in his door, and slaughter him myself. It wouldn’t be difficult—Hugh truly is soft.
I have more killers, men faster and deadlier than even Finn, men with fewer morals and men willing to do terrible things for the right price. I can burn this place to the ground.
I don’t want to. That’s the only thing stopping me from ripping Hugh to pieces, and I can’t tell if he’s figured that out yet, but he will soon.
“What is it about her, Kellen?” he asks quietly, studying me. “Is it just that she’s useful? Or does she remind you of the man you used to be before Cait died? Or something simpler, maybe. You just happen to like her and are protective of the people you care about. What is it, Kellen? Are you a ruthless monster willing to use her to get what you want? Or do you have a heart buried inside of that blackened ribcage of yours?”
“The answer doesn’t matter, only what happens if you decide to go against me. I won’t warn you again.”
“Threats won’t work everywhere, you have to know that. If you want to rule the Hayle family, you need to be smarter. You can’t be a petty thug your whole life, and besides, I have my own muscle. I’ll admit that you’ve earned quite a reputation for yourself, but I’m the chief of the Hayle family now, and that means I have more resources than you can imagine. I’d be careful who you threaten, Kellen.”
I turn and walk to the door. There’s no reason to stand here a second longer. I said what I wanted to say and he heard me, and if he decides to test my limits then I’ll show him exactly what my word means.