Chapter 125 Shoot your shot - Miguel POV
How to kill a brother?
Here is what I know.
Ben blackmails people, and get them to do his bidding. That means he's finding out people's darkest secrets to use against them. I'm sure it goes much deeper than what I've found out so far.
The bad part is, that means nobody wants to go against him, because nobody wants their lives upended.
And the longer I take to figure this shit out, the longer I go without Madison.
I'm still in a little disbelief that she left me, just like that. And with no contact too.
I both understand and am pissed off that she did that.
How could she leave when it feels like I can't breathe without having her near?
Does she not feel the same way about me?
I think my father is still majorly pissed off at me for exposing the fraud at the firm. He hasn't been in contact apart from the times we had to interact for work.
I'm not built like them. I've known that for a very long time, because how could you be mad at someone for doing the right thing?
I get an unexpected visitor on Friday just before the workday is over.
My stepmother comes knocking on my office door in all her fake motherly glory.
"Miguel." She walks over to me and bends down to kiss my cheek, my skin crawling at the contact.
"Caroline." I clench the pen in my hand. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I was in the vicinity." She smiles, probably lying through her teeth. "You and Ben are so busy, he hardly even picks up my calls. I thought I should stop by and see if you're not available for dinner on Sunday night. Your father will be there."
My first instinct is to decline. I don't want to be in the same room as any of them, but this could give me an opportunity to find out more things about Ben.
"It would be a great family gathering." She continues. "We hardly spend time with each other."
There are so many things I want to say to that, like that is what you get when you start molesting your teenage stepson, but I purse my lips instead.
"I'll make your favorite dish. Lamb shank and mashed potatoes."
Caroline doesn't cook. At all. She can't get her hands dirty with mundane tasks like feeding her family.
And that is definitely not my favourite meal.
"Sure, what time." It's the last thing I ever want to do.
She claps her hands together. "How about six, we could have a few drinks before the time, catch up."
"That would be nice." I lie.
All I care about is Ben being taken out.
So Madison's life and mine can go on. We can decorate our house together, I would ask her to marry me and we'll live happily ever after.
I've thought about killing Caroline so many times before, but I think it would be much better to see her alive and mourn her son's death.
That would be the ultimate revenge.
"I can't wait." She winks at me and walks out, and a little shiver goes through me.
How could she smile at me after everything she's done to my mother and me? Does she have no conscious?
I'm happy to leave the firm after that. The whole place feels tainted, and I know that I don't belong there. It's the funniest thing, because I thought that is what I was going to do with the rest of my life after I leave the Navy.
Lucille is already at the hotel when I get there, and she surprises me by hugging me tight when I meet her in the restaurant. We've never had much physical contact before.
"It's so good to see you." She smiles before taking a seat. "You don't even want to know the shit we went through in our last mission. Let me just say that it was about time I leave." I still don't know what kind of job I will be able to give her after Ben is dealt with, but I'll figure something out. Especially since I don't even know what job I will do either.
"Have you been staying in a hotel all this time?" She looks around the restaurant. "It's not your style."
"I'm being followed. I didn't want whoever is following me to know where I live."
"Ben?" She frowns.
"Probably." I shrug. "But it's been a while now. If he's operating the way I think he is, he wouldn't have that kind of money. I was thinking to ambush the tail, catch them and interrogate them."
"Or lead them astray, like you're doing right now by staying at a hotel." Lucille nods. "You might want to get an apartment or something soon, staying in a hotel isn't exactly believable after a while."
"I know." I sigh. "I'm having dinner with my father and his deranged family tomorrow night. Who knows, maybe they will offer that I stay there and I could get more intel."
I promised myself I would never stay under the same roof as Caroline or Ben ever again, but sometimes I have to do what I must.
"Or we could just get an apartment together." Lucille looks down at her hands as she says this. "Just temporary of course, and since I'm going to be working here, it would be good to get a place sooner rather than later."
Is Lucille shooting her shot right now?
I've just never seen her in that light, I know she looks at me as some kind of hero to her, but I've always considered her a good friend and a trusted colleague.
Nothing more.
"My girlfriend would be pissed off if I stayed with another women." I try to keep my tone light. "But I'll help you look for a place."
She licks her lips, and lifts her head, looking at me with acceptance. "Sure, that would be good."
So Madison was right all along. Lucille does have feelings for me, so how am I going to navigate this new working relationship?