I reared back to strike him again when Desi stopped me.
“He’s had enough, boss.”
I froze mid-swing because I couldn’t believe the lack of respect and audacity from my employees.
Has everyone gone mad? Have they forgotten who signs their paycheck? I guess I have to remind them.
“I agree, Desi. Perhaps I got carried away. This is not how a governor should conduct himself,” I said, backing away from Sutton. I smirked when Desi’s face projected relief. Desi and Sutton were half-siblings, so it was only natural for him to be protective of his younger sibling, but I was about to teach them both a lesson they’d never forget.
“Hit him,” I said, catching the two brothers by surprise. Desi’s brows crinkled in confusion, and Sutton looked horrified, skin paling beneath all that blood.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, Desi. Hit him.”
“I… I can’t do that.”
“You can and you will. You work for me, remember? Or do I have to remind you?”
“I’m not hitting him,” he said more forcefully. A thrill shot through me because I knew I’d find visceral satisfaction in making him bend to my will and breaking him down. That was the name of the game, after all.
Give them a false sense of security, exploit their weaknesses, and be the only one they can turn to.
“Hit him, or Sutton goes back to prison.”
Realization hit the man like a ton of bricks. We were at the part of the game where he realized he was a pawn like everyone else in my life. He’d let his guard down, believing we’d formed a friendship throughout the years. I joked and laughed with him and gave him expensive gifts to buy his loyalty. I wasn’t buying a friend; I was buying an accomplice. Desi helped cover up Anna’s murder—if I was going down, he was going with me.
“Todd—”
“That’s Mr. Branson,” I corrected harshly. “Hit him, or your brother will be in an eight-by-six box with a sexually insatiablegentleman who had more asses than a Walmart toilet seat for a roommate by 10:00 AM.” That was all I needed to say to make Desi fall in line. I collapsed on the couch and watched him beat the shit out of his own brother. Sutton cried and pleaded for his brother to stop, but the hits kept coming until I signaled him to stop. “That’s enough. We don’t want to leave too much of a mess. These hotels can get ridiculous with their incidentals. Clean him up, and—”
I paused when I heard the front door slam shut, followed by a string of low curses.
“Look who decided to return at—” I checked my watch “—10:40 in the evening. This is unacceptable. Don’t leave this room.”
I left and found Kiyah tiptoeing to her bedroom with a pizza box in her hand.
“Oh, my goodness, Kiyah. You’re back,” I said, sounding as distressed as possible. She paused, looking like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “I was so worried about you. You left your phone and didn’t check in. I’d assumed the worst had happened. Desi and Sutton have been combing the streets looking for you.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I didn’t have my phone because it’s been giving me a hard time lately, and I used the phone at the concierge desk to leave a message that I’d be back later.”
Yes, I overheard your insightful conversation with your sisters.
I didn’t appreciate the comments from her sisters and had a little surprise in store for them.
“Yes, I heard your message, but that still doesn’t negate the fact that I haven’t heard from you in hours.”
“I can see how you could’ve been worried about me, and I appreciate that, but I think you’re overreacting. Today wasmy day off, meaning I don’t have to give you a play-by-play of what I’m doing. You’re entitled to all the updates about my whereabouts when I’m with Pete and on the clock. I’ll apologize to Desi and Sutton in the morning. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Todd.”
She didn’t bother waiting around for my response and locked herself in her room.
She’s such a fucking mouthy bitch! But it’s fine. Everything is fine. These things sometimes take time, and she comes from a family of outspoken women. I blame their fathers for raising such insolent women.
I returned to my bodyguards and found Desi dutifully patching up his brother. “Listen, change of plans,” I said, clapping my hands together. “I’d planned on going easy on the newlyweds, but I need your guys to kick it up a notch—get creative. I’d better see results in 72 hours.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Grant