by K.N. Lee
Wes nodded and she stepped onto the stone walkway, her black stilettos making her almost as tall as Wes. Shielding her long blonde hair from the spray of water, she walked along to the awning with Wes following her.
“Thank you for a lovely dinner, you two. I’m absolutely exhausted.”
“You’re welcome,” Wes said.
“Sleep well,” Olivia said.
“Thank you, dear,” Adelaide said. Safely under the cover from the rain she turned to both of them. “Sleep well the both of you. We will have a family meeting at Sunday dinner. We have much to discuss.”
“Good night,” Wes said.
He could see it in her face that everything was wearing on her. She was forty-nine, but usually looked to be in her late thirties. Tonight the dark circles under her blue eyes made her look her true age.
He hoped she was all right. She’d kept a smile on her face during dinner. They had been victorious in getting rid of Hugh Prince and his entire family, but it still wasn’t enough to bring his father back.
Adelaide had married his father when she was only nineteen and they had been in such a deep love that Wes sought to find the same for himself.
He had found that love in Olivia…and more. She had the power to do things that a wizard couldn’t, which made her invaluable.
Still, even love couldn’t keep his darkness at bay. The things he had done would haunt him forever.
Wes sighed, images of the Prince twins strewn across the pavement, only feet away from the car they’d crashed.
The car he crashed with his power.
He was a monster, but one the rest of his family needed. Perhaps soon everything would return to normal and he would never be forced to step out of character again.
No amount of magic could erase the images of his father’s dead body. The responsible parties had met their judgment. Wes and his mother had executed their revenge in ways that shook Woodland Creek.
“Goodnight,” Olivia said. They watched her walk up the stone steps to the front entrance of Scarlett Hall. “Is she okay?”
He looked down at Olivia, her black hair blowing in the wind as thunder crackled across the black sky.
“She is just taxed by everything that has happened. She’ll be okay once the media turns its attention to something other than our family.”
Olivia’s face looked worried. Her brows furrowed as she looked up at him.
“We did all that we could. The town is rid of any competition. Now what?”
Wes kept his face blank as he looked at her. Competition didn’t concern him. He would continue to run the lab as well as take up his father’s underground business of arms dealing and the assigning of assassins around the world. All of the other areas of the business would be put to an end.
That wasn’t the problem.
He kissed her forehead. She still didn’t know that their meeting hadn’t been by chance. She’d practically been recruited. He’d never bring it up that he knew of each and every dignitary and spy she’d assassinated.
“We wait,” he said, his eyes darkening as he looked off to the forest. “There’s still one more Prince to deal with.”
MAYBE THEY HAD all gone mad. It didn’t matter. A century old feud would end.
Olivia followed him to the white double doors straight through the front porch.
Inside Scarlett Hall darkness welcomed them. The main staircase wrapped upward around a single pillar to the two other floors of the house. On either side below the stairs were two corridors that led to different parts of the house; the library and den, and the kitchen, parlor, and dining hall.
Sandy, their house manager—a woman in her late forties with short blonde hair and thin blue eyes, waited in the shadows. She knew better than to turn on the lights. Adelaide enjoyed darkness, and so most rooms were kept dark or dim when she was around.
“How was dinner?”
Wes handed her his coat. “Fine,” he said and headed to the winding staircase that began in the front entryway.
“Sir,” Sandy called.
He paused.
“Yes?”
“You have a guest.”
Olivia and he shared a look, then looked back at Sandy.
“Who?”
“A gentleman, Miss Evelyse drove him here from town.”
William’s jaw tightened.
“Did you think to ask who he was?”
Sandy wrung her hands. She shook her head.
“He just said you’d be expecting him.”
Wes stared at her, realization flooding his body. He swallowed. Perhaps it all would end tonight. He nodded to Olivia.
“Go to bed, honey. I’ll be up soon.”
Olivia looked hesitant. She put a hand on his. “Are you sure? Should I go with you?”
“It’s fine. Go on.”
She went up the stairs and Wes closed his eyes for a moment.
He should have known that Avalon Prince would surprise him. He always seemed to be a step ahead of him.
Still, having Evie bring him here was a direct taunt. His sister was to stay out of it all. Then again, Wes hadn’t spared any of Avalon’s siblings after his father’s death.
He knew Avalon, and how girls were attracted to him. He admittedly didn’t mind how much female attention they received when they hung out together in boarding school. Alone Wes wasn’t much of a lady’s man. He was told that he looked too serious, and didn’t have much of a sense of humor.
Geek.
Nerd.
Those were the labels he’d lived with since childhood. He didn’t mind. It was a testament to his superior intellect, and Olivia loved him for it. She was a good wife. Pretty and obedient.
Evie’s giggle was faintly heard from the library.
Wes and Evie shared and embraced those labels. He wanted great things for her. Her future was much brighter than Woodland Creek could provide.
He sighed. He really didn’t need Evie getting in the way. She was young and pure—too pure to be involved with their plot.
“Where are they?”
“She’s entertaining him in the library.”
Wes rubbed his brow. “I expected as much. Thank you, Sandy. Will you bring me some of the Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon to the library, along with some cheese and olives?”
“Certainly, sir.”
He stretched his neck muscles and changed direction to head to the library at the back of the manor. He could hear Evie’s voice before he even made it down the hall. Her laughter was a welcome sound in this dark and taxing time.
His little sister was one of the few things that could make him smile these days.
“Well, what do we have here?” Wes opened his arms when he entered the library and Avalon stood from his seat on the sofa.
“Wesley Scarlett,” Avalon said as Evie hugged Wes. “What’s it been? Almost ten years?”
Wes nodded. “Just about.”
“Welcome home,” Evie said, wrapping her arms around his waist to hug him warmly. She went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “How was your day?”
Wes smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. “Good. Thank you. Everything okay here?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Everything’s great. I ran into Avalon at Geek Beans.”
Sure you did, Wes thought. Knowing Avalon, he’d planned to meet her by chance. He’d probably been watching them to find out their routine.
“Well what a coincidence,” he said and looked to Avalon. “How long have you been in town?”
“A couple of days,” Avalon said. “Come to show support for good ole’ dad. Look how that turned out.”
Sandy entered with a tray full of the items Wes asked for. She set it on the coffee table. “Do you need anything else?”
“Just tell Eloise that we will have breakfast an hour later tomorrow.”
“Very good, sir. Sleep well.”
“You too, Sandy.”
Evie took Wes’s hand. “Come sit. Avalon has been
telling me some very interesting stories about you guys at boarding school.”
“Did he now?” Wes followed her to the red Victorian sofa and sat on the edge. He poured three glasses and handed Evie one.
She accepted it with a smile. “Thanks,” she said. “In a few months I’ll start my own wine collection.”
“But you’ll still drink from our stash…”
She laughed. “Well of course. It’s vintage and free.”
Wes shrugged. “At least you have good taste.”
“I learn from the best,” she said and took a sip.
Avalon picked up a glass and sat near the fireplace in an antique sitting chair. “Your lovely sister here was just telling me how much Woodland Creek has changed.”
Pursing his lips, Wes looked to his sister. He didn’t like the idea of her getting involved...especially with Avalon. Not until he assessed the situation.
“It hasn’t changed that much,” Wes said.
“But it has,” Evie said. “There are so many new things in New Town.”
“Exactly,” Avalon agreed.
Wes and Avalon’s eyes met. He almost thought he saw something unusual in Avalon’s eyes.
Wes drank from his glass and rested against the sofa’s plush back.
“How long are you staying?” Wes looked to Avalon.
Evie looked to him as well.
“That remains to be seen. I mean, the women are all so beautiful here. Why would I leave?” Avalon winked at Evie, making her blush.
“Right,” Wes said.
Evie’s phone buzzed on the end table and she glanced at it. Her smile faded. She stood.
“Goodnight, guys. I need to get some sleep. I need to go to work a little early tomorrow,” she said. She looked to Avalon. “Maybe I can show you around sometime.”
Avalon nodded. “That would be lovely. I’ll pick you up.”
She lifted a brow, smirking. “How?”
“Well,” Avalon said. “I hired a car online. Looks like I’ll be hanging around for a while.”
Great, Wes thought with a wince.
She laughed. “Okay great. Goodnight.”
“Night,” Wes and Avalon said in unison.
They waited for her to leave and walk out of earshot.
Once they were sure she was far from hearing range, Avalon set his wine glass down and leaned forward. His face went serious as he looked to Wes.
“So,” Avalon said, cracking his knuckles. “Tell me exactly how you killed my family.”
WESLEY’S FACE HEATED at Avalon’s words. He hadn’t expected that.
So much for being discreet.
That red-headed bastard, Wes thought.
Wes drank his wine until the glass was empty, and then wiped his mouth. That was his fourth glass of the night. The effects started to make his sight a little blurry.
He supposed he would tell Avalon the truth.
Some of it.
“We both know he killed my father,” he said.
Avalon lifted a brow. “That can’t exactly be proven now. Can it?”
Rolling his eyes, Wes leaned forward. “Listen, we can end this blood feud now. We are the last two male heirs of our families.”
Avalon looked doubtful. His green eyes were too bright to be human. They were wide as he looked at Wes, his brow rising, skeptically.
“Can we?”
“Yes. I believe we can. I want to restore you to the life you lived before your family sent you off.”
“You mean before your father snitched on my father’s legitimate business? Why couldn’t you settle matters like real men? No, you always want to get the law involved. Like cowards,” he snarled. “Or even better yet…what about the experimental drug you gave my mother? The one that killed her?”
He should have known that Avalon would be bitter. He would have felt the same way if he’d lost his family.
Torn between guilt and a sense of duty, Wes wondered if what he had done was the right thing.
They had killed his father.
All to settle a score.
Wes’ jaw hardened. He gazed into the flames, his father’s portrait hung above the fireplace. It was almost as if Edward watched him.
Judged him.
“I apologize for what my father did to yours. They were friends. What happened wasn’t his fault.”
“Sure it was. What’s the town going to do without a proper crime boss now that our fathers are gone?”
“Live in peace.”
Avalon pursed his lips. He looked into his glass.
“Peace,” he repeated. “Is such a thing even possible?” He spoke so softly that Wes barely heard him.
Avalon drank the rest of his wine. He looked at Wes in earnest. “What are you proposing?”
Wes folded his hands in his lap. “I bought Prince Manor. I want to restore Prince Manor to its former glory. It’s yours.”
Wes had actually purchased it so that he could have it converted into a hotel that he and Olivia could run together. Now, he simply wanted to show some good faith and hopefully appease Avalon. It was a small price to pay for peace.
Avalon’s eyes widened. He looked genuinely surprised. “You didn’t.”
Wes nodded. “I did.”
Watching Avalon’s expression almost made him feel sorry for what he had done to his brothers.
Could Avalon really be innocent?
Maybe he should just let it all go. The sins of their fathers could be laid to rest with them.
Woodland Creek might finally be free of corruption and organized crime.
“Thank you, Wes,” Avalon said. “I don’t know what else I can say. That is kind of you.”
Wes shook his head. “It’s nothing, really. It’s all yours, free and clear. You can move back in whenever you want.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
Avalon was silent a moment as he seemed to think over what Wes had proposed.
When he looked up at Wes, Wes once again felt an unusual sense of dread. Something about Avalon made him unwary.
He was hiding something.
“You swear that you don’t plan to kill me?”
Wes gave a single nod. “As long as you keep to your side of Woodland Creek and swear to leave my family alone.”
Avalon nodded. “Aye. I can do that. But you have to do something for me.”
“What is that?”
Avalon stood. His face seemed to darken as the light from the flames cast his shadow behind him on the stone walls.
“I’ll leave your family alone, gladly. Just hang yourself from that weeping willow tree in the front of Scarlett Hall.”
Wes’ face paled as he watched Avalon’s expression turn to one of humble gratitude to that of unadulterated hate.
“What?”
Avalon narrowed his eyes into thin slits. “You really think I need anything from you? You’re a petty criminal, a murderer, and I will make you pay for it with blood.”
Wes stood, ready to strike.
“And then I will make that sneaky wife of yours pay as well.”
Wes’ mouth twitched at the mention of Olivia. He was seconds away from tearing Avalon apart.
“Was I supposed to let it go that your father killed mine?”
Avalon shrugged. “Was I supposed to let it go that you felt the need to do the same to my brothers?”
Wes balled up his fist. This was not how he imagined this meeting going at all.
He contemplated killing Avalon right there where he stood. All he needed was to lift a finger and blast him out the back window.
It would be loud.
Messy.
But it would end this for good.
Avalon saw Wes’ index finger, ready to strike. He ran his hand through his blood-red hair.
“Go ahead and try it, Wes,” Avalon said. “I know all about you and your measly power. But you have no idea what I can do.”
Wes blinked. “What?”
Avalon
nodded. “You heard me. I’m not afraid of one wizard.”
Wes’ shoulders tensed.
“I’ll keep Prince Manor for myself then.”
Avalon chuckled. “That’s rich.” He clapped his hands in jest.
The sound infuriated Wes.
“How dare you laugh at my offer? I was being generous.”
Barely a second passed before Avalon flew into Wes, sending such a powerful blow to his chest that his body slid across the floor and crashed into the far stone wall.
It took a moment for Wes to register what had just happened.
Avalon could fly.
Everything stung as Wes pushed himself up to his knees. He coughed.
“You think I need you for anything? You’re weak. Pathetic.”
Avalon seemed to tower over Wes as he struggled to come to his feet. Lights flashed behind his eyes from his head hitting the wall.
“You can keep Prince Manor, Wes Scarlett. I’ve already bought the old Albrecht Mansion. I don’t want to relive those memories from Prince Manor anyway.”
Avalon took a step forward. His eyes narrowed.
Wes resisted the urge to flinch. He lifted his hands and Avalon beat him to it. Avalon sent a gust of wind into Wes’s body, pinning him to the polished marble floor so that he was unable to move his arms or legs.
Wes bucked, trying to sit up. It was useless. His eyes widened in terror.
“What kind of wizard are you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Avalon knelt down beside Wes’s body. “You weren’t actually going to try to put a spell on me?”
Wes tried to stand. Avalon put a thumb on his forehead.
“No. I didn’t say you could get up.”
A jolt shocked Wes’ body at the touch of Avalon’s thumb to his flesh.
“What are you doing? What do you want?” Despite what Avalon had said, Wes tried with all of his strength to get up. He needed to do anything to protect himself.
“I already told you. I want you to kill yourself. What part didn’t you understand?”
The hate in Avalon’s eyes mimicked his own.
“You’re a murderer. Why not die by your own hands?”
“I will not do that.”
“I figured you’d say that.” He stood and shook his head as he looked down at Wes’ body. He walked toward the doors that led to the main hall of Scarlett Hall. He paused in the entryway.