Lib Novel Page 12
He nodded once, seemingly satisfied with my answer, but I could tell by the way his eyes lingered a moment too long that he sensed the undercurrents of my doubt. In our world, even the slightest hesitation could be fatal.
But then again, so could blind faith.
“Family’s supposed to mean everything, right?” I ventured cautiously. “I don’t want to make a move on Alex if he’s not the one behind this.”
The Serpent considered my words, his eyes narrowing just enough to make the air in the room feel a degree colder.
“Acting decisively is what matters most,” Ba murmured, his voice low and even. “Alex…he’s always been a loose cannon—reckless, impulsive. If he’s turning on us, it’s a risk we can’t afford.”
I absorbed that, the weight of his conviction pressing down on me. It was a rule that blood ties were sacred in our family, but here was my father, ready to sever one of those ties without hesitation.
“Being part of this family means making the hard choices, Nathan.” He leaned back in his chair, studying the map again as if our conversation had already ended. “And right now, Alex might be the biggest threat we face.”
“Even if that’s true,” I countered, my voice steady despite the unease gnawing at my insides, “I can’t shake the feeling that the Lins are mixed up in this somehow. There’s something we’re not seeing.”
Ba’s hand paused mid-scribble on the map and he looked up at me, his gaze sharp as a blade. “You will stay away from the Lin family,” he commanded with an authority that brooked no argument. “Their connections to the Cranes make them valuable allies and dangerous foes. After the way you dealt with Andrew, it’s best you leave them to Knuckles. He’s got eyes on their every move.”
The mention of Andrew Lin sent a flicker of something dark through me—a reminder of how I’d brutalized him, how I’d even hit his mother.
Maybe he was right.
“Then what do you want me doing?” I asked, redirecting my focus back to the matter at hand.
“Nathan,” he leaned forward, his fingers tented on the desk’s surface, “it’s time to bring Justin into the fold. Start taking him with you on jobs.”
“Justin? He’s green, Ba. And I’m not sure he’s cut out for—or wants—this life.” My youngest brother had always been more comfortable outside the shadow of the Serpent’s Den, away from the bloodstained legacy of our family.
“His wants are irrelevant,” Ba said dismissively. “His loyalty to the family should come before everything else.”
That struck a discordant note within me. Loyalty above all else, yet here we were discussing whether to mark Alex, my own blood, for death. The irony wasn’t lost on me, but arguing would only raise more suspicion.
“Understood,” I replied, masking my inner conflict with a nod.
“Good,” Ba said, a note of finality in his voice. He paused, then his eyes locked onto mine with a new intensity. “There is one more thing. I want you to propose to your woman. As long as she’s not formally bound to you, she remains a liability.”
The blood drained from my face at the mention of her name. This was dangerous territory. “Propose?” I managed to choke out.
“Is there a problem?” His gaze sharpened, reading my every micro-expression.
“Of course not,” I lied, struggling to keep my voice steady. “It’s just…we’ve been having the usual relationship issues, that’s all.”
“Does it have anything to do with her father being a cop?” The question was casual, but I felt the weight of implied threats within it.
I stiffened, the implications spiraling in my mind like a whirlwind. If he could connect the dots, if he saw Owen Harper as a threat—
“Her father?” I echoed, feigning ignorance while my brain raced for cover. “He’s no concern of ours.”
Ba chuckled, a low sound devoid of humor. “I looked into her background,” he admitted, and the room seemed to grow colder. “Found lots of interesting information about dear old dad. Quite the reputation he has, putting away men like us.”
“Is that so?” I kept my reply noncommittal, but inside, a warning bell was clamoring. I needed to steer this conversation elsewhere—fast.
“Indeed.” Ba leaned back, a serpent coiled in contemplation. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just remember, Nathan, everything we do is for the family. Even the hard choices.”
“Understood, Ba,” I said, my throat tight. What I needed now was to get out of this room, out of this conversation—to protect Abby and her father from the crosshairs they didn’t even know they were in.
I rose from the chair, a sudden urgency to distance myself from the suffocating atmosphere of the den.
“I’ll make sure Abby is with us for good,” I said firmly, locking eyes with the man who had raised me in a world where loyalty was currency and betrayal was paid for in blood.