Golden Crown Series 02: The Twin Dragons (10 page)

“Ryan, I am so glad.”

“August,” he said and she stopped and looked at him.

“Of course, I am so sorry
, August. You just look so much like your father. You tend to favor him so much more than your mother.”

Augu
st watched her as she moved his bangs slightly and Zoey leaned forward.

“Yes he does
, Mother,” she said and they both looked at her as she smiled and took another drink of her coffee.

“How is Ryan?” she asked and August shrugged his shoulders as she smiled.
“I think we should all have a dinner party soon, do you agree August?” she said and he paused and then nodded to her, taking a drink of his coffee and feeling as if he was suddenly a pawn in some game and perhaps he was. I mean Zoey was enough to handle let alone the woman who had given birth to her. The infamous Molly Renew, who he had thought was a shut in and backwards. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Chapter Thirteen

False Freedom

Ryan sat at my Father’s
desk and sighed as his hands clenched one another. He then reached for the glass of Brandy and stopped himself as a knock came to the study door. He looked up as the butler opened it and nodded to him.

“You have a guest
, Mr. Blackwood.”

Ryan nodded
, and a man stepped in. He wore all black, as if he was about to attend a funeral and maybe he was. Knowing his background Ryan was sure he had been to a few. Ryan stood up and held his hand out towards one of the large black leather chairs and the man walked to it as the butler closed the door and left them alone together. Ryan watched him closely and then grabbed his glass.

“Drink?” he asked him and the man sat down and held his hand up to him.

“No, thank you.”

Ryan then sat down as he decided to knock the drink back and he hissed as the liquor burned the back of his throat. He then leaned back in the large chair as the man looked around the study.

“It has been a long time since I have been in this house,” he said and Ryan cleared his throat and leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk.

“I know you had business with Miko.”

The man looked at him and nodded. “As well as yourself, if I do recall.”

Ryan adjusted in the chair that had always seemed a bit uncomfortable to him. It was my Father
’s chair anyway and he would have to guess that if Mr. Bittermend could reach through and cause him discomfort he would do it.

“Yes, well it has been a very long time.”

“Too long,” the man said and Ryan looked at him.

“You were compensated very well.”

“As were you,” he said as he glanced around the room.

“I have children.”

“I remember,” the man said. “Do not forget that it was I who brought you to Miko upon her request, sneaking you in to fuck her.”

Ryan paused and tried to control the bile in his throat as the thought of her and her disgusting nature always bothered him deeply. Ryan was not a saint but Miko was certainly the original sinner.

“Yes, I remember,” Ryan said as he blinked and then decided to get to the point. “I need your services again,” he said and the man leaned up and smiled.

“Who?”

“A man, a man my wife is seeing.”

“S
o she is fucking him? The irony,” the man said as he leaned back and Ryan got a bit agitated.

“No, she is not fucking him…not yet, but she wants to.”

“Unfortunate. So how would you like it done exactly? Home invasion? Poison, suicide?” he said as if he was offering different flavors of ice cream.

“No, I want
him to be watched, that is all,” Ryan said and the man narrowed his eyes.

“Well that sounds boring.”

“I mean, the time will come when it will become something more.”

“So,” t
he man said as he laughed and then he relaxed and stared Ryan down. “Your wife is about to fuck this guy and you want to know when it happens then?”

“I don’t want them to fuck,
” Ryan said and he watched him closely.

“So, I am to kill them both when they start doing it?”

“No…I mean…” Ryan paused and rubbed his face as he leaned back and happened to notice the ashtray on the corner of the desk. He then had a haunting memory of the four of them in the room the night Miko and Beth’s Father died, right here. The man leaned up and snapped his fingers.

“Why did you contact me?” he asked Ryan and Ryan stared him down.

“Because I know I can trust you.” The man laughed and relaxed in the chair.

“You can trust that I cost a lot of fucking money
and with that comes my silence,” he said. Ryan laughed, as he looked him over.

“I know
, I know what you are.”

“Listen, I am just the manual labor of what you and your fucking uppity crowd will not do.”

Ryan watched him as he stood up and placed his fingers to the ashtray. He felt the edges of it and then stopped on the corner. His eyes lifted and he looked at Ryan with an icy stare.

“So when they fuck you want me to film it?” he said and Ryan sighed.

“Yes. I will have to see it before I have you do…well, you know.”

The man opened his jacket up on both sides as Ryan leaned back and saw the two guns in their holsters. He then looked at Ryan and smiled.

“I am not wearing a fucking wire, I only carry my guns.”

“Great,
” Ryan said as he swallowed.

“One million,” t
he man said as he sat back down and Ryan watched him.

“A million?”

“Each,” he said and Ryan sighed.

“I told you that Beth is not…
”

“Listen, it happens every time. The husband says ‘oh no, not her, I love her’ and shit and then when the cock slides into her ass on film
BAM! the man always says do it.” He slammed his hands together and Ryan jumped a bit.

“Beth won’t…”

The man laughed and leaned forward as he suddenly pulled his gun and had it in Ryan’s face. Ryan leaned back slowly and the man shook his head.

“They always do it, always.” H
e held it steady and then started to laugh really loud as he put it away and Ryan laughed too but it was fake and more from nerves than anything.

“This place has softened you Ryan, I remember when you were tough as nails back in the day.”

“I am still the same person.”

The man started to walk towards the door and then he turned back to him.

“No, this place has changed you,” he said and then he opened the door.

“My card is on the desk, transfer the money and I will get in touch with you after that for details.”

“I will be contacting you soon.”

“Is that him?” t
he man said as he looked back out the window.

Ryan turned and saw Mani walking with me in the garden.

Ryan heard the door close. He looked down and saw the black card with just a number on it. He flipped it over and it had a bank and account number.

“Mother Fucker,” he said as he dropped the card and poured another drink.

****

“So you were born here?” Mani asked me and I nodded and looked over at him.

“Yes, my Father was also born here.”

“Mr. Bittermend was a well-respected lawyer who...”

I cut him off.

“He was a dick,” I said and Mani laughed and stopped walking as he looked at me.

I then laughed t
oo and let my eyes settle on his.

He was extremely attractive and although I knew he was not something I should be messing with
, here he is.

“I mean, he had his days.”

“So you disliked him?” Mani asked me and I sighed and continued to walk.

“I don’t know what I had with him, he
never really talked to me much,” I said. Mani scanned the garden and then looked back at me as I watched him doing it.

“
Fathers are not always there, are they?”

I walked to one of the many benches we had installed here and sat down. Mani joined me as the sun lit up the sk
y behind him and formed a halo on his head. I looked down as I caught myself staring at him again.

“My father was never there,
” I said and he leaned back a bit.

“Neither was
mine, so I get you.”

I turned to him as he stared out into the blooming flowers.

“Tell me about him, your father, I mean…what did he do?” I asked and Mani smiled and turned to face me too.

“Well, he was a decorated police officer who decided to go into the FBI with all intention of making a difference.”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad guy.”

Mani looked
down and shook his head, he then looked up at me. “Oh everyone thought he was great, I mean I thought he was great until I realized he was not what he appeared to be.”

I hesitated, not knowing
if I should press him for more information, but he then offered it up on his own. “My father was a womanizing, abusive drunk.”

“Oh,
” I said and he watched me, waiting for me to say more, but I was not quite sure what I was supposed to do. I have never really been in a situation where someone was talking so intimately with me…I mean someone who had not been in the same circles as I was. Ryan had tried to invite me into his world, but I was so young and ignorant back then I never offered him anything to help. 

“He beat my mother,
” Mani said and I sighed.

“I am sorry,
” I said and his expression softened.

“A lot of people think I went into the FBI to follow in his footsteps but I never had that in mind, I wanted to make a difference, really help people and stop those who caused harm to other people.”

I glanced at the house and thought I saw Ryan in the window of my Father’s study and then he was gone, like a ghost as always.

“I think that is a noble cause,
” I said to him and he smiled at me.

“So what did he do?” Mani asked me and I laughed and glanced at the house again.

“What has he not done?” I said and Mani looked a bit confused. I laughed again and shook my head. “You mean my father?”

He
nodded to me.

“He was a womanize
r too, I mean he never beat my mother, but he might as well have. She died here, she killed herself because of him and the things that he did.”

“I am sorry,” h
e said as he placed his hand on mine and then I jumped as I heard Ryan’s voice. He came riding up on one of our many horses and stopped as Mani looked up at him.

“Do you ride?” he asked Mani and Mani shook his head ‘no’.

“Beth, how about you join me in a ride?” Ryan asked and I wanted to say ‘no’ but Mani stood up and held his hands out.

“I would love to learn, I mean how hard can it be?” he asked and I stood up and stared Ryan down who grinned at me.

“It can be very dangerous.”

“Oh come on Beth! This is an FBI agent, he deals with shit everyday right? Riding a horse should be a walk in the park for him.”

“Okay, yes,” Mani said and I just knew Ryan was playing his game.

****

I placed the bag of ice to Mani’s eye as he hissed. I smiled as his now matched my own. He tried to sit up, but Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

“I guess you are not a rider.”

Mani laughed and then held his bruised ribs.

“I seemed to be kicking ass right up until you yelled and we started to run.”

“It was an open field, I thought it would be fun.”

I looked up at Ryan and wanted to hit him in the balls. I really did.

“I really should be going, I only came to set up a schedule with your wife for classes.”

“Oh no, you
should just stay tonight. I feel terrible you fell.” Mani looked at him as my expression was definitely of disgust. “I have to go out anyway, it will give you time to talk to Beth about this class stuff.”

“Self-defense
,” Mani said as he sat up and held his ribs tighter.

“W
here?” I asked him.

“A surprise, for the boys.”

“Oh,” I said and Ryan watched me for a minute longer then he turned back to Mani.

“Plus he is a badass, if anyone broke in he
would snap a neck or something,” Ryan added.

“I don’t know what good I would be to her if anything happened.”

“Nonsense,” Ryan said as he slapped him on the shoulder and Mani hissed.             

Ryan walked towards the door and I followed him out into the
entryway. He stopped and placed his coat on as I waited.

“Beth, I am not fuc
king anyone,” he said and I crossed my arms on my chest and he turned to me.

“I don’t care if you are,
” I said and he laughed and then held his hand up.

“Okay then, I am going to the c
ity to purchase an elaborate gift for our children and while I am there I will order some pussy.”

“Great,
” I said.

“Good, I am glad you approve.”

He then turned and I followed him to the door.

“I know you are up to something
, Ryan.”

He stopped and then before I knew it was happening he kissed me, holding me as tightly as he could. I struggled with him a bit and Mani stepped up to the door across from us and cleared his throat. Ryan grabbed my ass and I pushed him back as he laughed.

“She is a lot to handle.”

“I can see that,
” Mani said as Ryan grinned at me.