Hundred and four

Hundred and four
RIVEN BlACKWOOD, POV

"The doctor said he is going to survive," Father got out, his beady eye fixed on my face, his gaze piercing through me as if daring me to reveal what I truly had in mind for my dear big brother.

I scoffed, turning away to gaze out the window. "You don't have to watch me so closely, Father. I promise not to pull the plug when no one's looking."

"That does not sound very assuring," he got out, and I turned to face him.

"Well you'll just have to take my word for it, won't you?"

Father let out a tired sigh, then rubbed at his beard. "He is still your brother Riven. You already hurt him that bad, I think you should forget his betrayal and let him live."

I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowing. "This is a surprise," I said, then tilted forward, my voice laced with incredulity. "The old you would've called me a fool for sparing his life. What changed? Did you suddenly find God or something?"

He avoided my gaze, his hands balling up at his side. "Well, I am getting old. I should do some good while I still can, shouldn't I? I won't live forever"

"Could have fooled me," I got out with a shrug and leaned against the wall.

"He's going to have it hard recovering. I would like it if you could stay away from him during that time," he said, his face pinched. "And maybe even after he recovers"

I stared at him, then scoffed, shaking my head.

It wasn't surprising that Father had come here to tell me to stay away from Ethan and not to hurt him.

For a long time, I knew Ethan was my father's favorite—even though being his favorite only meant less suffering and being ignored and seen as a weakling. But even that would have been a lot better than being tortured, day in and day out.

And that's what Ethan never fully comprehended, his jealousy blinding him. The grass was always greener on the other side until you got to the other side.

He said Father hated him, but if that was true he would have been killed when he was a child for being too sick.

I remembered all too well how bad my punishment got each time I allowed myself to fall sick. Father's cure for weakness was violence and even more violence. And if things didn't conform to his desire, he simply destroyed them.

Everything that happened to me from the past up till this very moment was unfair but I didn't care. I'd never expected to be loved, because our family was fucked up. From a young age, I already knew that all I'd ever be was my father's killing machine, the freak of the family with no emotion, and who could be treated like trash for their filthy amusement.

"I am being very serious, Riven. It was a miracle he survived your attack, so seeing you again might trigger his PTSD. I don't want you anywhere near him—"

"Is he already awake?" I cut him off, cocking my head, a fire raging in my chest.

If he was already awake, did I even hurt him enough?

Father stared at me, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. "Yes," he answered. "He can't move or sit up yet, but he's awake. The doctor said he would need a lot of therapy to be able to function properly again"

I wanted to curse. So he was already out of danger. After what he did, after he gave Hazel a scar, that reminded me every second of how I'd failed her, of how I failed to protect her. I wanted to fucking punch the concrete wall and roar out the rage that was building up suffocatingly in my chest.

Taking a deep breath, I let it out, not quite able to get rid of all the raging thoughts in my head.

"I agree with the doctor. He should get a lot of therapy, maybe they can finally fix his head," I said and Father scoffed

"He's not the only one that needs his head fixed?"

"You are right, you also need therapy," I said, and he laughed, the mirth not quite reaching his eyes.

"I can never win against you can I?"

"No," I uttered, then crossed my arms and fixed him with a stare. "Is that all you came to talk about, you shouldn't have—"

"I know you are looking for Ksar" he stated, his eyes piercing into mine with an unnerving intensity.

My jaw clenched, my gaze hardening. "What do you know about him?" My voice was low and menacing.

"I know you have been looking for him, but don't even think about laying a hand on him. He's Victor's son."

I stared at him, then smirked. "Victor Vex?" I asked, a smile tugging on my lips. The old bastard who was always getting on my nerves.

Who would have thought that bloody old man had a crazy son? If even I didn't know about him, it could only mean that he was born out of a dirty affair and the old man didn't want the world to know he existed. Too bad I had plans for him. He might have survived the bullets that night but he was not going to survive my hands.

"And why shouldn't I? To be honest, I've never liked that old man. Every time we met I felt like killing him, and now I find out that his son is a threat to the woman I love, and you want me to let him go..."

"They are our major client. Victor has been helping our business for such a long time. If you kill his son, there will be a lot of problems, and problems are not what we need at this moment, especially after the death of Keira and her father. If we don't want our enemies uniting to take us out, you'll leave Ksar alone."

"That's not going to happen," I said, meeting his gaze, then scoffed when I noticed his anger. "Let them unite and come up with their best, I'll destroy all of them."

"Riven!" he thundered, his veins bulging out. "I do not want any more wars. I barely managed to cover up what you did and now you want to cause more problems for our business..."

"And what if he attacks me first... What if he goes after Hazel... Am I supposed to allow him to kill me just so your business can flourish"

"If he attacks you, you can defend yourself, but killing him is out of the question..."

I dragged my hand through my hair, shaking my head in disbelief. "You say you do not want war, but you're just a coward, Father," I said, then leaned toward him. "You told me to fight and protect anything that mattered to me... You told me never to let anyone stand in my way. You told me to fight even if it meant dying! So why the hell are you shaking in your boots at the threat of war"

He grabbed hold of my shirt, his eyes burning into mine as he yanked me close. "Because my business is the most important thing in my life, and I will not lose it just because you fell in love with the daughter of our enemy. Do not make me regret accepting her Riven. There is only so much I can take."

Was he threatening me? Was he trying to say that he was going to hurt Hazel if I didn't obey him? I grabbed hold of his hand, my eyes locking onto his with a fierce determination, blazing with a warning that dared him to even think about harming her.

"Your bloody business does not compare to Hazel, Father" I growled, my grip tightening. "Hazel is the only one that matters in my life, and I am going to get rid of anything or anyone who threatens her safety," I said, let go of his hand, and stepped away from him, my gaze never breaking. "I will find Ksar. I will kill the fucking bastard, and if his father has a problem with that, I'll kill him too. That. Is. A vow!"