Prey Drive by Jen Stevens
Chapter 44
the wolf
enough,” my father's stern, husky voice warns.
Stardust and I have managed to steer clear of him throughout the week, avoiding all his usual spots and routes whenever we ventured out into the city. She wants to explore New York. The problem is that she's blissfully ignorant to all the demons and monsters who lurk around every corner. The last thing I need is a weakness for him or anyone else in The Order to exploit in efforts to control me, and she's become my Achilles heel.
He found us on Thursday afternoon at a pizza stand one block from his penthouse. I knew it was risky to bring her there, but it was the middle of the day. I assumed he'd be off fucking anything that moved under the guise of work.
Our eyes locked across the street, and I knew I was fucked. Ushering Jovie back into Sterling's car and out of view, I nodded to him once in a silent confirmation that we would speak soon, then climbed in behind her.
He called me within the hour, insisting we set up lunch to 'catch up'. I opted to meet him at his office, where he immediately began spewing his bullshit.
“I’ve already made my answer clear,” I say evenly, turning in my seat across the desk to face him fully so he can feel the difference between our sizes.
He’s old and decrepit now. More so than he should be at his age. Life has punished him for all the horrible things he’s done—both to himself and to others. I can’t wait to watch his soul escape his body, only to be pulled into the deepest bowels of Hell, right where it belongs. I only hope Sienna will be able to get her hits in when he gets there.
“You sure about that?” He stamps out his cigarette into the full ashtray sitting between us, filling the air with a horrible chemical smell as the old butts begin to catch fire. “Last I checked, you’ve got a hell of a lot more to lose now than when you initially told me you weren’t joining.”
Jovie. Of course, he’s going to threaten my little Stardust. She’s the only thing he can hold against me anymore. He's so fucking predictable, it's almost too easy. But he’s underestimating how far I’ll go to protect her, especially after I failed so miserably at protecting Sienna from this fucked-up life.
Ignoring the possessive ache that’s taken hold of my chest, I relax my shoulders and do my best to appear unaffected. “I won’t be pressured into joining a secret society just to jack off the rapists and murderers who took my sister from me over some bad business deal. My answer is final.”
“You think they targeted Sienna over a bad business deal?” A nefarious laugh erupts from his mouth, and I wait in silence while he recovers himself to explain further. “You’ve got it all wrong, son.”
Son.
He truly has no idea the significance and meaning of that word. He's always treated his family like pawns. Little rewards he collected throughout his lifetime, just to say that he did it. Achievements unlocked, and then forgotten about in his quest for the next one.
That's why he allowed them to kill Sienna without a second thought. It's why he continuously betrays and cheats on my mother between whatever open legs he can find. And it's why he's never once attempted to connect with me outside of his weak commands to follow in his footsteps.
Initiating me into The Order is yet another item to check off his list of things that make him appear human. Decent.
He's never wanted me to follow after him. That would just run the risk of me being better than him. Because no matter what I do in this life, I will always top him. I'll always win for the simple fact that absolutely nothing he does in life is done honorably.
“Enlighten me.”
“They didn’t target her to get to me. I would have gladly given my life if that were the case.” Shaking his head slowly, he levels me with a broken, stoney look that has my heart rate kicking up a notch.
And his next words send it to a skittering stop.
“They went after her to get to you.”
I don’t bother hiding my confusion, too caught up in trying to make sense of what he’s just told me to worry about masking my emotions in front of him.
“Your refusal to join The Order has cost us a lot more than you know,” he continues, basking in my agony.
The room falls completely silent, and I swear he can hear the exact moment his words penetrate my psyche and my soul shatters into a million pieces.
I had no idea. I would never have put my family at risk if I knew how desperate they were to get me to join.
But why? That’s the burning question that fuels my every move.
Why have they set their sights on me so pointedly?
Why is it so important to them that I join their cult that they would go this far to send me a message?
In my moment of weak desperation, I ignore every signal in my brain warning me against it, and I ask the enemy sitting before me.
“What do they want from me?”
I hate the way my voice breaks at the end. I can’t stand the vulnerability it reveals to him. But I have to know, and if it means making sense of Sienna’s death, I’ll do it. I’m willing to go to any lengths to bring my sister justice and peace.
“You’re putting me in a difficult position,” he admits, changing the subject with a non answer, and the worried creases above his brow deepen as he considers his next words carefully. “They know you’re the Serpent Slayer.”
I can tell that's hard for him to admit, stuck between his duty to his brothers and his weak need to manipulate me. Though, I’m not surprised to hear that they know. Honestly, it took them long enough to put the pieces together. I practically signed the past three deaths off and led them straight to me, even without my usual tools at my disposal. For a group of Ivy League educated men running the corporate world, they sure aren’t that sharp.
“Good,” I say with a crazed smile, flashing my teeth. I feel out of my mind right now. “It’s about time they start playing the game with me.”
My father isn’t impressed with my egotistical display. He slams his fists onto my desk, leaning forward so we’re nose to nose.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself wrapped up in, Sebastian. They’ll destroy you. They don’t even have to kill you to do it. Your business, your home, everyone you love. It’ll all be at risk,” he warns in a low rumble, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he actually cared.
I’ve prepared for this. The Order has the resources to take anyone down with very little effort, but they’re also disgustingly predictable. I’ve been working up to this day for over a year, while they’re still playing catch up to all my crimes against them. Even with my newfound information about Sienna’s death. Everything I care about was protected before I even made my first kill.
Everything except Jovie, of course. She came out of nowhere and continues to fight me on every step. She’s the only person I’m genuinely concerned about when they make their first move.
“I’m prepared,” I assure him, shoving away all my doubts and refusing to be the first to break eye contact.
With a long, disappointed shake of his head, my father stands and backs away from his desk, adjusting his suit coat.
“You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“What about you, Dad?” I spit the title sarcastically. I haven’t referred to this man as anything but ‘asshole’ since I graduated high school and he tried to stop me from opening my own company by blocking my inheritance. “You’ve been fraternizing with your daughter’s killers for a year now. When everything goes down, which side will you be standing on?”
He has the nerve to look taken aback, though the question quickly causes his mouth to tighten into a flat line as he considers his answer. I lean back in my chair, relaxing my arms on either side of me as I watch him war with what he should say.
The appropriate thing would be to support his son. To defend the accusation that he’s remained close to the men who stole his most precious gift. To protect what’s left of his flesh and blood. That's what a father would do, especially after already losing one of his children to the power-hungry psychos he associates with. But his need to appear successful and loyal to them fights against that. The two sides can no longer exist cohesively, and it's splitting him in half.
“You don’t understand. I’ve taken an oath,” he finally says, and those last four words serve as the final stroke of the ax hacking away at our relationship.
He’ll choose them. Just like he did when they killed Sienna. Just like he has as they’ve bled my mother dry of everything she cares about.
“Then you'll go down with them.”
I watch him struggle again, wanting to defend himself without giving too much away to his new enemy. The Order’s oath is considered top secret until the night of initiation. As a prospective member, you’re expected to jump through their satanic, humiliating hoops without ever truly knowing what you’re signing up for until you’re already in. It’s ridiculous and archaic and while there’re stories about men having their doubts at the last minute, no one has ever backed out for fear of the punishment that comes along with doing so.
So, he’s correct in that aspect. I truly have no idea what he agreed to when joining their brotherhood. But I don’t give a fuck. I’m going to take great pleasure in watching each and every one of them suffer as I burn their secret society to the ground. And my father just ensured that he’ll be there screaming right alongside the rest of them.