I’d been the victor of those fights by and large. It was hard to remember even one-time Petre coming out with the better of me.
Since then, Petre fought with words, not fists. With backroom deals, not showdowns at dawn. When he wanted to hurt someone, he had his band of hired hounds to the messy work. Coward. At the least sign of physical danger, he was nowhere to be found.
But rumor had it that when it came to one thing in particular, he reveled in aggression and violence: women. And when it came to Valeria, there was not a chance in hell I was going to let that happen.
Once our business at the safe was concluded, father retired to his study, requesting my presence once more. I slung the bag of cash and gold coin over my shoulder and took a step into Petre, blocking an easy exit by crowding him up against a bookshelf.
“If you hurt her, you’re going to answer to me.”
“I fucking knew it. Princess pussy got you by the balls?” he said, eyes flashing with greed.
As soon as I saw his expression, I knew I’d let my passion get the better of me. Now he knew I had a weak spot. Her.
It was irrational, it was insane; I’d only just met her. But both my brain and my cock said she was mine to protect. Somehow, some way, I needed to keep her safe.
I flexed my knuckles, raising my eyebrow to warn him. I was tougher, bigger, and stronger and he was aware I could kick his ass.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I said.
Petre shook his head. “Once I marry her, I’ll do whatever I like to her.” His tone was low, steady. Such a fucking creep. “Every night. Rough and cruel and bloody. She won’t walk or sit the same after I have my way with her. She’s my property, my whore. You have no say.” He pointed at me as he spoke. “And even though you think you’re the hot shit son who came back the all-conquering hero, you’re not. I have men, I have power. And soon, a royal title. I will fuck up the princess however I damned well please.”
His voice had grown thick and dangerous and it made me fucking crazy. The red haze of rage took over and before I knew it, I’d hit him right in the face.
His nose exploded in a spray of blood. And then all hell broke loose.
All at once, Petre’s hired thugs stepped in, restraining me from beating the ever-loving shit out of him.
“Get him out of here!” Petre screamed, clutching his face as blood poured from his nostrils.
I landed one more decent punch, leveling the biggest of his guards. Two others restrained me as I fought their grip. For a second that felt like an eternity, I hovered there, with fury coursing through my veins.
If I wanted to try to kill him, now might be the time.
But it was a gamble that had too great a risk; if I lost, if his men took me down, then there would be nobody between Valeria and my brother. And for the first time in my entire goddamned life, I decided not to take that bet.
So, I shoved the guards off of me and stepped back, seething. I needed to think this through, and I needed to get the fuck away from my brother in order to do it.
“First off, brother, you can throw me out of your own house all you want, if you had one. But this is our father’s house. And second, if you have a problem with me, I’ll fight you anytime you like. Just name the place. You and me, none of this chickenshit letting your hired muscle take care of things.”
I stormed out of his sight and straight to my father’s study.
“Can we make this quick?” I barked, watching him shuffle papers behind a carved walnut desk bigger than a small boat.
My father raised an eyebrow at me, and I felt the heat rise to my face.
“Sorry, father. It’s Petre, he—”
He waved a hand, nodding in understanding.
“I know there’s no love lost between the pair of you, but he has his uses. Particularly, his unfailing willingness to do anything it takes to bring further fortune to this family.”
“I’m loyal to you, father. Make no mistake…”
He gave me a tight smile. “I know. And I appreciate it. Petre has always been different. And, I don’t think he ever forgave you after the accident.” His voice trailed off.
I nodded, a twinge of my own guilt still left over all these years later.
“Not completely an accident.” I added and my father raised a hand to cut me off.
“Boys will be boys. You were the better fighter, but I know you never meant to harm him. Ivan was there, he told the honest story of what happened. You were in your right to do what you did.”
“I’m not sure dislocating your brother’s knee is ever called for.”
“That wasn’t your intent. I also don’t believe trying to kick your brother in the back of the head is called for. He didn’t count on you being so fast. If he’d succeeded, his boot connecting with the back of your skull, maybe things would have been worse son. As it stands, you defended yourself, with a bit more gumption than maybe you intended, but nevertheless…”
It was my turn to wave him off and we both ended that trip down memory lane without another word. Petre’s limp was an ever-present reminder to him, making him hate me all the more.
When he started again, there was a familiar twinkle in his eyes. “I also know that in the brains and brawn stakes you take after me.” I rolled my eyes when he turned to look into the fireplace, admiring his complete lack of modesty. “That’s why I asked you here. I want you to reconsider my offer.”
“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head when he turned my way. “No, father, I will not return to the family business. That’s all behind me. I’m legitimate, I’ve made my own way in the world and I no longer have any sleepless nights about the things we’ve done or the things we may be forced to do to hold onto power. You said that you know Petre’s strengths, and that’s one of his. He has no conscience.”
My father laughed.
“He is a cold-hearted bastard, for sure. He can be your right hand, believe me it’s useful to have one. But what he can never be is the boss of an enterprise like this. Particularly with the plans I have.”
I turned away.
“I don’t want to hear anymore. The less I know about the family’s lawless dealings, the better.”
“Not lawless, son. Well, there are levels of lawlessness, this is true. That’s what it takes. But I want to move away from some of our old ways. The direction the laws of this land are heading, the profit is less and less. Our best men get arrested weekly these days, they serve sentences that mean they will never be of any use to us again. It’s getting harder and harder to buy our usual leniency. It’s unsustainable. I want you to help me to change things. It won’t happen overnight, but with you by my side I can—”
“The answer is still no.”
“Think on it.”
I let out a low growl. One thing that had made my father successful was his uncanny ability to refuse to take no for an answer until his opponent gave in. He could keep it up for years.
“Fine,” I said, “but I won’t change my mind.”
“All I ask is that you give it some thought.”
“I’m leaving now.”
He nodded. “Very well. Heading back to the Hellborn cottage? Or do you have other plans for the evening?”
When I’d arrived back two weeks ago, my father urged me to stay here at the estate as he usually did on my visits home, but for years I’d preferred my own space. Our family had a cottage that suited me well, on the back border of the land we owned here in the valley, but I’d not let on that after the first couple nights back, I was in fact no longer staying there.