"Hudson, will you fucking talk to me?" Dad shouts as I reach the door.
Turning around, I face him, "Why the hell should I?"
"I'm your father, the least you could do is talk to me. What the hell is your problem?"
"My problem?" I scoff, "Where the hell should I start?" I ask rhetorically and watch as the venom in my voice takes him by surprise. He knows that I'm pissed but up until now I've not unleashed on him. He was the boss and I was respectful. That shit has changed.
"You are not the boss anymore, you have no fucking respect for me." I give him a pointed look, he doesn't even deny it. He keeps his head held high and stares at me, waiting for me to continue. "I don't like backseat drivers. You willingly gave up the title so you could marry." I spit the word out as I glare at Tina.
Dad laughs, "You're angry because I left you in charge?"
I smile, people have said that my smile causes them to run a mile. Dad falters and Tina takes a step backward. "No, I'm not angry that you left me in charge. We all know that I'm better at being the boss than you ever were. I'm disappointed that you left the family behind. That you gave in to petulant demands and gave up everything that your father had worked so hard to build."
He doesn't say anything because he knows what I'm saying is true.
"It wasn't a petulant demand. It was a serious request. I didn't want that life and I certainly don't want my daughter in that life." Tina states.
"Tina. Enough." Dad tells her, finally, he's understanding.
"But Dad, I'm angry at the way you treated my mom. The way you'd use her for your own personal punching bag. You want to know why Ma is so fucking low? Because you made her so. She's been physically and mentally abused for God knows how long and as soon as you find someone newer you finally set her free. It was a long time coming and it's something you should have done a long ass time ago." Each and every word I say is in pure and utter anger, years of watching my mom suffer at his hands. It's stopped but fuck, Ma is a mess. I don't know if she'll ever recover.
"Your mom let herself go, she wasn't the same woman after the miscarriage."
"Whose fault was that?" I shake my head, "You fucked up with her dad, you broke her. Make sure you don't do the same to Tina."
"He's never laid a finger on me." Tina tells me and it takes everything I have not to say anything back to her. "He wouldn't, your father is a changed man."
I nod, this is going nowhere, I've business to attend to. "Good for you."
"Son, I know you'll do better than I ever have. My actions showed you what not to do. If it means anything, I am truly sorry for not being your dad. You needed me to be your dad and not your boss."
"No, I needed you to be a decent human being and you weren't. You've made a lot of mistakes Dad, it's time to rectify those mistakes." Not wanting to waste any more breath on this pointless conversation. Dad looks like he's not going to change, Tina's attached to my dad like a viper, making him believe her lies. It's shit, and I'm not getting into it anymore. I've said my piece and that's it.
Walking upstairs, I walk into my dad's office, he's told me that it's mine to use while I'm here. Jagger, Martin, and Barney are waiting for me, Jagger has a smile on his face, the fucker has a twinkle in his eye. Barney's jaw's clenched, whatever the fuck happened has pissed him off. Martin is sitting tall, his shoulders squared as he waits patiently for me.
"Barney, what's up?" I ask as I take a seat at the desk.
"Nothing Boss." He instantly replies. Whatever has pissed him off is personal and he's not talking.
I nod once, "Jagger?" I ask with a smirk, he's grinning like a loon.
"Just waiting to see if what I've put into motion works out, Boss." Again, it's personal, I have a feeling I know what he's done and I hope it works out for him.
"Okay, Martin?" I ask and his hand reaches into his pocket and he pulls out a sheet of paper. "What?" I ask, I'm on edge now, he's not said a word since I've walked into this office.
"Matt and Carmine did in fact put Ulric's body in a construction site in Barstow. They hid their tracks really well. It's taken me this long to make sure they did it." He tells me but that's not what's got him rigid. There's something more.
I nod, maybe they’re not as useless as I first believed. "And?"
He hands me the sheet of paper and I read it.
Mr Brady,
You're not as smart as you think you are.
I know that it was you that had my cousin deported.
For that you will pay. This is just the beginning.
Shit, fucking Juan.
"How did he find out?" My teeth clench at the thought of some fucker betraying me and telling this scumbag that I had his fucking cousin deported.
"I'm working on finding out. Boss, that note was attached to Jorge." He glances at Jagger, whose smile has now vanished, replaced with his dark look.
"What do you mean attached to Jorge?" My temper rising as both Martin and Barney glance at the floor. "Someone better open their fucking mouth and start talking." I say through gritted teeth.
"Jorge's body was found at the back of the club last night. The asshole pinned that to his body." Jagger tells me, shaking his head as he does so. "Fucking tortured him Boss. There's scorch marks on his hands and feet. Ones I've seen before."
I know what he's telling me. The scorch marks tell us he was electrocuted. He may have been the leak but my gut is screaming that it wasn't him. That someone else ratted me out and there's only a select few that knew what my plans were, that was two of the men in this room, Jorge, a police officer, and the damn immigration officer. Someone spilled their guts and when I find out who, I'm going to sew their mouth shut and make them wish they were never born.
"Martin, find out who snitched." I tell him and he instantly gets to his feet. "Your sole duty is to find out who the leak is." He nods once and leaves the room.
I glance at Jagger, he too will be finding out. He's the only one I trust implicitly not to betray me.
"Barney, tomorrow morning, you'll be driving us to the airport. Lacey is flying out tomorrow."
His jaw tightens even more and if he continues he'll break the fucking thing. "Yes Boss." He too gets to his feet and leaves.
"What do you need Hudson?" Jagger knows me too well.
"Someone snitched. There were five people who knew that I set Arturo's deportation in motion. One of those people just left the room. Make sure he's not the one."
Shock registers on his face. "Boss, are you sure?"
"I'm not sure who I trust, so I need you to make sure that he's not betraying me."
"How do you know I wasn't the leak?" He asks and sounds insulted.
I smirk, "You're a lot of things Jag, but you would never betray me."
He looks confused at my comment but nods, "I'll find out for you."
I nod, "How's things between you and Sarah?"
He sighs, "She's making everything about Allie. Anytime I broach the subject of us, she changes it around to say how much Allie is going to love to see me. It's going to be a challenge getting her back into my bed. But you know me Hudson." He smiles widely.
"You never back down from a challenge. Now get the hell out of here, it's time for me to go and see my woman."
The fucker smirks, "See you tomorrow Boss." And walks out of the office.
Just as I'm about to get up off the chair, Dad walks in. "Son, do you have a minute?"
"Sure, what's up?" Mia's going to be asleep before I even get up there.
He sits down in the chair that Jagger just vacated. "I've come to realize just how great at being the boss you are."
I raise my brow, that's some admission. One I never thought he'd make.
"You're great at masking things Hudson, you had me fooled for years. I honestly believed that you were fine with the way things were between your mom and me."
I roll my eyes, fucking hell I didn't realize he was a moron. "You were the boss, respect is everything and while I was a soldier,
that was my job. To respect your position. I didn't respect you as a dad, or a husband, but I did as the boss."
"I was the same person." He tells me and I scoff, "Hudson, I'm trying to make amends."
Right, of course he is. I'm wondering why now? "Dad, you were the boss and it was expected of you to be an asshole. You have to be the meanest sonofabitch there is but also a fair one to your soldiers. That was who you were there, not who you should have been at home. You should never, lay a finger on a woman in anger. Never make them so low they contemplate ending their own life and you never disrespect them by cheating on them. You did all three, you weren't a father to me at all. Hell, I can't even remember you being a dad. You were the boss."
His jaw tenses and his nostrils flare, yeah, this anger is what I'm used to, although he's trying to contain it. "I fucked up, with you and with your mom. I'm hoping that you'll let me prove to you that I'm a changed man."
I bite back the sarcastic retort. "Okay."
"I want to start with your mom, do you think she'll be up to seeing me?" He questions, he actually looks sincere, his hands wringing together almost as if he's nervous.
"How about not yet? Ma's trying to get better, seeing you again is going to send her spiralling." I'm not going to let him hurt her anymore. Once she's on her feet and strong enough, then he can apologize.
"I'm proud of you Hudson." His voice hard, almost as if it hurts to say those words. "Proud of the man that you've become. I have no fucking idea how you became so amazing, it sure as shit wasn't me or your mother. As you said we were a fucking disaster."
So the asshole was listening from pretty much the beginning. Jackass. "You both showed me what not to do." I shrug, when you despise something enough, you'll do everything in your power to make sure you don't become them.
He laughs, "At least we showed you something." He shifts in his seat, sitting up a bit straighter. I know that pose, he's got something to say, and whatever he's about to say is going to piss me off. "Son, I know that you and Tina haven't gotten off on the right foot. I'm asking you to, please, bury the hatchet and start fresh. She's not who you believe her to be."
I roll my eyes, "She put you up to this?"
"No, Christ Hudson, you really are a suspicious fucker aren't you? No, she didn't put me up to it, I told her that if she continues with her hostility towards you, I'll divorce her." My eyes widen at his admission. "You’re my son Hudson, I may be an asshole but you're my fucking son. No one treats you with disrespect. But, that doesn't mean you can be an asshole to her."
I huff out a breath, "Fine, I'll be nice." Although, if she says one thing to upset Mia, all bets are off.
He gets to his feet, "Thanks son."
I stand, it's time to go and see Mia. "Don't thank me Dad, we'll see how things go."
He nods sharply as he leaves the room, I won't promise anything.
Leaving the office, I hear crying, my eyes glance to the room on my right. Barney's standing outside, his hand on the door handle. "You going in?" Obviously Lacey's crying, so why is he standing there?
He shakes his head, "No, I've done enough damage to her already." He tells me and walks into his room.
I'm not in the mood to try and decipher his cryptic bullshit. I turn and walk up the stairs, Lacey's soft cries following me as I do so. As soon as I open the bedroom door, Mia's soft snores greet me. Damn it. Glancing at the bed, I smile, her leg’s peeking out from under the sheets, she's weird. I've noticed that when she sleeps she has to have one of her feet out of the sheets, she told me she gets too warm otherwise. Stepping into the room, I close the door behind me and lock it. Stripping down to my boxer shorts, I climb into the bed beside Mia. As soon as I do, she turns into me, her head coming to rest against my shoulder.
The fact that she seeks me out while she's asleep tells me that she's as deep in this as I am. Soon, I'll tell her everything. I just hope she's deep enough with me to accept it.
Sixteen
Hudson
Awkward. That's all I can use to describe the mood in this room. We're all sat around the kitchen table. Dad's talking, trying to keep everyone engaged but it's not working. Lacey and Barney are looking everywhere but at each other, Jagger's sitting there with a damn smile on his face. Whatever he has planned must be going his way, that fucker's never looked so happy. Mia's keeping her head down, she's sad, her best friends going home and she's still not ready to talk to her mom. Glancing at Tina, she's doing the exact same as Mia, head down focused on their breakfast. Not making eye contact with anyone else in the room.
The sound of my cell ringing, interrupts the silence. Tina's glance is one of wariness, whereas Dad, Jagger, and Barney all shift in their seats. All sit a bit taller, they're on edge, this call could indicate anything. Usually if it's anything trivial, my men would call Martin or Jagger, when I'm getting a call it means something serious seeing as my closest men are here with me. Reaching into my pocket, I pull my cell out and see that it's Aaron calling me. Shit, he's the one who manages my bar. He's trustworthy to a certain extent. He owes me his life, and he's been loyal so far.
Getting to my feet, I leave the room. The heat of my men's stares hot on my back. They're uneasy, they'll not settle until they know what's happened. "What?" I answer the phone and instantly hear his deep breathing. "What happened?" I ask after he doesn't answer me, there's a sharpness to my voice.
"Boss, Carmine's been shot."
A buzzing sounds in my ears as my anger rises. "How is he?"
Aaron doesn't answer right away, "It doesn't look good Boss. He'll be lucky to make it through the day."
Fuck. "Who did it?"
"I don't know Boss, they broke into his house and shot him."
Shit, "How the fuck did they manage to break into his house? Where were Vi and the girls?"
"Vi found him, she had just left the girls at her mom's. Something about date night."
Thank fuck for that. "Where are you now?" I ask him, I need to get back to San Fran, and find out who the hell shot Carmine. This has Juan written all over it.
"I'm at the hospital Boss, as are some of the other men. Vi's not doing too good. She's had to be sedated."
Christ, "Okay, I'll be home in a few hours. Get the men to find out what the fuck happened. Stay vigilant." I warn him, that's too many of my fucking men dead. This shit stops now. I end the call, seething. My gut is screaming that it's Juan who shot Carmine and if he didn't do the deed himself, he orchestrated it.
"Martin." I say, slightly raising my voice but not enough that the entire house will hear me.
"Yes Boss." He answers immediately, appearing from the dining room.
I nod my head toward the room he just exited and he dutifully follows me inside. "Martin. Carmine has been shot. Have the plane ready to go. Once Lacey's gone, We'll bring Mia back and leave."
Martin's face is straight but the tick in his left eye tells me that he's spitting mad. You don't fuck with our family and as much as Carmine is a lazy fuck, he's family. "Okay Boss, I'll organize the plane. Should be ready to leave in five. If the girls are ready?"
I nod, "They'll be ready." I assure him.
Voices sound, that means breakfast is finished, time to wrap this up.
"Do we know who shot Carmine?" His voice low as he glances at the door, he too heard the talking.
I shake my head, "The men are looking into it. If they've not found out by the time I'm back, you'll take over." I tell him, he's the man that gets me every bit of information I need.
Looking at him, you wouldn't think he was anything other than a nerdy bodyguard. He's not as muscular as the rest of us but that means shit. He's an animal when he gets going. He's my go-to man for when I need some information extracted from someone. He's made a name for himself, most of the time he just needs to threaten what he'll do and he'll have his prey singing like a canary.
"Son?" Dad calls out, he's close, no doubt he's waiting outside.
"Yeah?" I ask as I walk out into the
hall, everyone's gathered around waiting for me. "Lacey are you ready to go?" That woman's eyes are red raw, I'm wondering if she slept at all last night.
She nods, her gaze moving from me to Barney who's looking anywhere but at her.
"Let's go." Jagger smiles as he claps his hands together, making Mia roll her eyes, but she too has a smile on her face. So much is different between them now, when she first saw him she wanted to kick him in the balls.
Jagger leads Mia and Lacey outside, Barney stares at their retreating backs, his eyes swirling with anger. I don't have time for his shit, he needs to get himself together. He's needed here, especially while I'm gone. I'll need him to keep an eye on Mia, as both Jagger and Martin will be with me, he's the only other person I trust to keep her safe. I turn to my dad, he's whispering something to Tina, she didn't even say goodbye to Mia.
Leaving the house, I walk to the car, Jagger's climbing into the front passenger side. Turning to look behind me, Martin's following behind, his cell in his hand and he's talking to someone. Good, he's organizing the plane.
The ride to the airport is a silent one. Not one person says a damn word. As much as I love peace and quiet, I dislike the mood that Mia's in, this shit needs to stop. She needs to talk to her mom and get it over and done with. Right now she's standing outside the airport talking to Lacey.
"Boss, the plane will be ready in an hour." Martin tells me as he drums his fingers on the steering wheel.
I nod, "Great. Call..." Vibrations shoot through my leg as music rings out from my pocket. Pulling out my cell, Aaron’s name flashes on the screen. Ice chills my blood as I answer it. "Is he alive?"
Silence. That's what I'm greeted with. Fuck. "No Boss, he coded and they couldn't bring him back."
I swallow hard. "Find me who killed him. I don't give a fuck who you have to off to do it, just find me the person who shot him." My nostrils flare, as I try and keep my breathing even. I'm ready to kill someone. How dare they shoot my man and end his life. Fucking asshole.
"Yes Boss. I'll spread the word." He replies instantly.
Forbidden Lust (The Kingpin Book 1) Page 15