“No!” He swallowed at Felix’s crumpled expression. “It’s a personal matter. Much prefer to be here, though,” he added without meaning to.
Felix’s mouth twitched as if he knew the admission had been a slip. “Okay. See you soon then.” He headed for his desk.
Brett stared after him, watching as he got settled, and then turned away in case Felix caught him. No use pining over what he couldn’t have.
The drive took forty-five minutes, and when he arrived, the guards stationed at every door let him through without a blink. None were royal guards, but all highly trained, and Brett doubted he would make it out alive if anyone gave the order to subdue him, no matter his training. He glanced at the twoguards outside the door, neither looking at him, and knocked before entering. He didn’t care if the man was busy.
Stepping into that room had his body stepping back in time. Despite the weathered appearance of the man lying in the hospital bed, his presence was no less demanding and authoritative. It sent him back to his teenage years between one breath and another. And then he had no breath at all. A hand encircled his neck, and he slammed back into the wall.
Piercing grey eyes bored into his, and Brett didn’t fight.
“Let him go, Malcolm.”
The voice was weaker than Brett had been expecting, and it took his attention from the second in command. Malcolm’s hand slowly released him, and Brett straightened his jacket and pushed off the wall, eyes still on the figure on the bed. He didn’t move closer, but he swallowed hard and met the man’s gaze.
“Hello, Father.”
“Brett,” the voice rasped. “I would ask what you were doing here, but I assume Malcolm did his duty and called you. I expect Venus will arrive soon, too.” He sighed, rattling though it was. “I know you don’t want to be here, so I’ll be brief. I have stage four bone cancer and won’t be here for much longer. If neither you nor Venus want to take over the business, I will hand it to Malcolm. He has promised to keep the same agreement going as we had as long as you keep your end of the bargain. Is there anything else you want to ask?”
Vincent Cage was no shrinking violet. He was head of the biggest drug cartel in the UK. It was only through this agreement that either of them were still in their positions. King Andrew had discussed the situation with Brett in detail, and they had agreed to most of Vincent’s demands when Brett’s father found out what Brett was going to be doing. After all, who would trust the son of a drug runner, and who would trust the father of a royal bodyguard? It was a tentative agreement to keep out ofeach other’s way unless absolutely necessary. He was under no illusions that Vincent had killed, but as long as Brett didn’t go digging, and as long as Vincent kept it to the undesirable people, Brett could justify keeping his mouth shut.
His sister, on the other hand, had no such agreement other than the one piggybacking off their father’s. Venus had taken to military training like Brett had to protection, and she yearned for acceptance and acknowledgement. It wouldn’t surprise him if she wanted their father’s legacy. Especially as he had the feeling she was already leveraging it behind the scenes. If he wasn’t mistaken—and he rarely got it wrong when it came to his family—she and Malcolm were more than acquaintances.
“The agreement stands no matter your successor, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have nothing further to discuss.” He turned and headed for the door, his stomach cramping as he went.
“Brett.” Brett paused but didn’t turn around. “Your mother would’ve been proud of you. Rising the ranks as you have has shown what she knew you were capable of. What I failed to see. You are welcome to come back into the business.”
Brett said nothing and continued out of the door, coming face to face with his sister. Venus stood eye to eye with him, with military precision. Looking at the face that was the mirror image of himself was always disconcerting, especially when he knew how much their insides differed. At one point, he had considered Venus to be a psychopath, and he still wasn’t wholly convinced she wasn’t.
“Brett,” she said with a nod.
“Venus.” He wandered down the hall, pausing when she spoke.
“You’ll have to acknowledge us at some point. You can’t hide it forever.”
He could if he had anything to do with it. “Send word when the changeover happens and who is in his place. That’s all I need to know.”
And even though his father lay dying, Brett walked away. As he had done thirty years ago.
****
Six days after his hospital visit, Brett received a message.
VENUS: 5:47 p.m. Malcolm.
The message, however expected, had him sinking into his chair. He glanced at the time: 5:51 p.m. It had taken her less than four minutes to let him know their father had died and Malcolm was his successor. Unsurprised at the choice, he withheld his unease at whether the agreementwouldhold, even with his father’s assurance that it would. Malcolm wasn’t an unknown source as the leader, but he had complete control over a huge empire now. Would the power go to his head?
He recalled a time when he and Christian had snuck into the prince’s old home to find something they needed and had been caught. When Christian had asked about family, Brett had lied to his face and said he had none. That he had nothing to live for. Both were true, but also untrue. He had family that he wanted nothing to do with, so he preferred to pretend they didn’t exist. And though he didn’t like to think about it, he had something to live for. Even if it was to ensure the man found happiness with someone worthy of him.
Which wasn’t Brett.
“Boss?” As if his mind had conjured him, Felix stood before him, his forehead creased. “Everything okay?”
He blinked at him, trying to push everything aside, forget about future problems and concentrate on the present. Licking his lips, he said, “Yeah. Sorry. I’m more tired than I thought today.” He put the phone face down and rubbed his hands over his face. “Is everything in place for the sweep-through for Christian’s birthday?”