Page 67 of Ruthless Touch
Pacing back and forth across my office, I wait for my father and Alaric to arrive. I should have gone to Franco’s on my own. The problem with that is I don’t know what I’d be walking into, which even in my blinding rage I know would be a stupid move on my part.
So I wait and try to control my emotions as they run rampant inside me.
Just seeing Aria like that, all bruised and bloody from what those assholes did to her, made me want to strangle them with my bare hands. I warned Franco that if he ever came back after I paid him that he’d have to deal with me. I let him slide for a week, but now he’s made an even bigger mistake.
One he’ll pay for with his life. Now it’s just a matter of how it happens and how much he suffers.
As for Marcello Angeloni, I tried being professional. I didn’t want to do things the way my brother and father think they should be done. They always shoot first and ask questions later. I don’t work like that. I don’t need to kill people to get my point across. There are other ways—more civilized ways of doing business—but Marcello chose to go the wrong way.
Now he’ll pay too. A Rule may not have killed his brother, but one will kill this Angeloni.
My mind wanders up to the penthouse where I know Aria is hurting. I wanted to comfort her. I just couldn’t control my anger, and I knew she didn’t need that on top of everything else. Sasha’s better at that kind of thing anyway. She’ll make sure she feels better.
Behind me, my office door opens, and I turn to see my father and brother march through with Alaric bringing up the rear. What the fuck is Alex doing here? He has no part in any of this. Why the fuck would my father let him tag along?
“Time to break some heads!” he announces before I can even ask why he’s here at all.
Ignoring him, I look at my father as he sits in my chair behind my desk. “Why did you bring him? He isn’t needed here. In fact, you aren’t either. Alaric and I can handle things.”
“Yeah, you handled things well enough that your pretty little girlfriend got fucked up by our enemies,” Alex says with a laugh.
That’s it. I’m not putting up with his shit anymore. I told him to get the fuck out of my hotel when I saw him with his hands on Aria. I don’t want him here, helping or not.
I spin around and face my brother, my rage boiling over as I stare at him in complete disgust. “If I hear another fucking word out of you, you’re going to be the first person I fucking kill tonight. You aren’t welcome here. I told you that when I threw you out of my hotel a few days ago. Nothing’s changed, so get the fuck out!”
“He’s here because I want him here,” my father says sternly, like he plans to reprimand me for speaking to Alex that way.
Not today.
Turning to look at my father sitting at my fucking desk, I say, “I don’t need you here either. Unless you’re planning to woodchipper someone, you can go and take that asshole with you. Alaric is the only one of you I need tonight.”
For a moment, it’s like the world stops turning on its axis. I’ve never spoken to my father that way. Of course, Alex finds all of this funny and chuckles behind my back.
“I love that fucking story. Alaric, isn’t that a great story? I wish I was there to see the guy get all chewed up. That would have been the best.”
God, I hate him.
“Enough about the fucking woodchipper story!” I yell, surprising everyone. “Not every goddamned situation in life calls for chopping someone up into little pieces. Alaric and I can handle this situation tonight.”
As usual, my brother starts running his mouth, but I’m not hearing any more of his bullshit. My father, though, seems bothered by my insistence I don’t need him here. Why he would care baffles me. Doesn’t he have anything better to do on a Saturday night than flying across the world to kill people?
With a frown, my father hums his unhappiness. “I don’t think infighting between you two is going to help things get done tonight. Alex is here because I thought he could be of assistance. You have people who need to be taken care of, so now you have three of us to join you in that.”
It’s as if he heard nothing I just said.
“I don’t want him here.”
“Still upset about the other day, little brother? Maybe we could have another go at our fight right now. You won’t catch me off guard this time.”
Fed up with him and the rest of my fucking family, I pull my gun and aim it at the center of his forehead. “I’m not bothering with fighting you tonight. Either get the fuck out of my office and out of my goddamned hotel, or learn how good a fucking shot I am. Your choice.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see my father stand up from behind my desk. “Whoa, let’s everyone calm down here. We’re not your enemy, Gideon. Put the gun away. We don’t pull our guns on family.”
Still aiming for my brother’s head, I turn to look at my father in astonishment. “What the fuck do you mean? Alex here has pulled a gun on me so many times I’m surprised he hasn’t shot me by mistake by now. Then again considering how shitty a shot he is, I might come away without even a scratch. Every time he gets his shorts in a knot, this bastard threatens to kill me.”
My father can’t even pretend any of that isn’t true. Fuck, he’s been not five feet away on more than a few occasions when Alex did it.
Alaric carefully walks up beside me and says in a calm voice, “I know how you feel, Gideon. More than you might think. Dealing with family sucks. You know I couldn’t be around my older brother for more than a few minutes before I wanted to kill him. And I know what you’re going through with Aria and the bastards who hurt her too. You know that. Keep your anger for them. Alex can get it another day.”