God of Malice (Legacy of Gods #1) by Rina Kent

“I told you not to get involved, didn’t I? I told you to stay the fuck out of my business if you didn’t want me to slice your fucking throat, but you went ahead and put your stupid fucking nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Gareth raises a fist and punches him in the face. Reina gasps from the force of the blow, and blood explodes on Killian’s lips, but he doesn’t release his brother. If anything, his hold appears to get stronger.

Reina runs to them, places a hand on Killian’s arm, and tries to sound firm but gentle. “Let him go, Kill.”

“Stay out of it, Mom. My dear brother and I have a score to settle.”

“You’re hurting him.”

“He hurt me first and this is payback.”

“Killian, please.” Her fingers dig into his arm, but it’s like she doesn’t exist.

“Don’t beg for him, Mom. Just don’t.”

“Let your brother go, Killian.” I step forward, approaching them at a steady pace.

When he doesn’t show any sign of hearing me, I grab him by the nape and wrench him back with enough force to send him flying against the wall if I release him.

But I don’t.

Because as much as I was a violent person in my youth, I don’t use that shit anymore—especially not on my family.

Gareth bends over, slaps both palms on his knees, and coughs. The color slowly returns to his face as his breathing settles down. Reina pours him a glass of water, from his minibar, that he gulps in one go.

Killian glares at him, his index finger tapping manically on his thigh.

“Such a golden boy, Gaz,” he mocks, his tone on the verge of exploding. “Look at you being saved by Mommy and Daddy again.”

I tighten my hold on his neck. “Knock it off.”

“I know you don’t believe me.” Gareth holds his head high. “But I didn’t do it.”

“You’re right, I don’t believe you. Because, the last time you got in between us, you wanted to ruin me through her. This was your chance to do that.”

“That was before I realized she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you, asshole. I didn’t need to bring you down, because you’ve left me alone ever since she came into the picture. You don’t actively try to make my life hell like before, and you were starting to seem like a decent human being. But maybe I was just fooling myself.”

“Fuck you and your victim speech. It’s getting old fast.”

“Killian Patrick Carson.” Reina taps her foot on the ground. “I understand you’re upset, but you will not be speaking to your brother in that tone.”

“Upset?” he echoes. “Try fucking enraged, Mom. Your dear oldest son showed Glyndon something she shouldn’t have seen and now, she left.”

“I told you I didn’t show her that. I even deleted it from the archives.” Gareth’s voice rises with frustration. “Ask Jeremy, he was there and told me to bury the hatchet. Besides, you didn’t expect her to stay in the dark all her life, did you? She would’ve eventually found out. If not from me, then from someone else.”

Killian jerks in my hold in an attempt to go at his brother’s throat again.

“Calm down,” I say with patience I don’t particularly feel right now.

“Spare me the bullshit.” He forcibly wrenches himself from my hold. “You never wanted me to be born? Wonderful. Guess what, Dad? I never wanted to be your son. There, I said it, and you know what? I’m not even sorry, Mom. I should’ve told him this a long time ago.”

Reina physically steps backward from the shock, her lips trembling as if she’s finally seeing what type of monster her son actually is.

The type who’d assault his brother, jab at his father, and emotionally wreck his mother without blinking.

But I can’t even gather the energy to say I told you so, because Killian’s words and the anger behind them catches me completely off guard.

My first thought with Killian is to always subdue him somehow, shackle him in a way, knock him down a few notches so he never grows fully into who he is.

When I first found out about his tendencies, I took him hunting and enrolled him in highly competitive sports. I taught him how to channel that destructive energy and tame it, but he often spiraled out of control.

He eventually grew bored of repressing his true nature and rebelled. He punched his classmates, picked fights with thugs, and sent a few people to the ER.

I refused to bury his actions or let him use any sort of privileges. The first time the principal called me, I told him to suspend him. The second time, my father covered his tracks.

And that continued for all the times that followed.

My father is the reason Killian never learned his lesson. He kept getting him out of trouble so that the Carson name wasn’t sullied, even when I told him that he was only making him more untouchable.

“What’s wrong with being untouchable?” my father asked without batting an eye. “At least he’ll be powerful.”

My old man only ever cared about that—power. Didn’t matter how it was attained as long as the family name remained in a prestigious position.

Needless to say, I didn’t agree with him, and the fact that Killian stopped calling me and started going to his grandfather started a rift between us.