Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“That balance was thrown off a long time ago. When greed made a few think they had a right to all that’s ours. A correction has been in the making.”
“What does this have to do with anything?”
“First, it’s time for you to understand what you said yes to when you took this place. Second, Basil wants to sit with all of you boys. Things are about to change here in Vander. You’re about to learn my goal here.
“Third, I’ve been so focused on watching that situation, I almost missed that while what’s going on with your friends is connected to Vander, it’s not connected to our old bullshit.”
“What are you saying?”
“For that… I think we need to wait for Anthony. I only wanted to get you up to speed.”
This motherfucker. I glare at my uncle ready to curse him out. It’s all starting to make sense. I always wondered why he told me about Kelex when his situation was rooted in Greece.
He’s been baiting me since he offered me this place. I’m starting to feel some way as Deacon’s words from years ago play back in my head.
You’re a friend and as a friend, I’m telling you, you don’t want to fuck with that guy. I didn’t know you well when I first heard that’s who was backing your bar.
Now I do. I’m just telling you, if you can get out of that shit, you need to. You might not be able to later.
He warned me back then. Boy was he right. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
If Blake wasn’t my uncle, I know this would be a big-ass problem for me. I dance to the beat of my own drum, this ain’t sounding nothing like my rhythm. Thank God, Ox walks in before I lose my shit.
* * *
Ox
I finish the inventory I came to do and head upstairs to find Pit. I want some answers. I’m tired of feeling like a sitting duck. I want to bring my family home. Lex and I have a life to start.
As the family’s enforcer, I’m not okay with hiding. I do enough of that as it is. My role has been kept a secret for reasons Uncle Blake still hasn’t completely explained, but I know who I am.
This is like a slap in the face to me. When I told Lex she should have trusted me, I meant it. I told her a lot about my family, but I never told her who I was.
This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about. Watching my wife burst into tears and say we should run gutted me. She never has to run a damn place.
The only reason I’ve been with her and not here in Vander to handle this myself is because this is what Uncle Blake asked me to do. However, he chose me to watch Pit’s back for a reason. My mother’s father came to me thirteen years ago for the same reason.
“Ah, here he is,” Uncle Blake croons as I step into the back room.
“Good, now I can get some real answers,” Pit says with a sour look on his face.
“Come, Ant. Sit. I want to tell you boys a few things I think you should be aware of.”
I take the seat closest to Pit. His face is filled with anger. I don’t think I’m going to like this.
Knowing I’m not, I get what’s been on my chest off before Uncle Blake drops whatever bomb he has coming. This has been nagging me for three weeks.
“You know what’s been bugging me? Why send me those photos if they didn’t want her coming back here?”
“Who said they sent you the pictures?”
I narrow my eyes at my uncle. My jaw tightens. I should have known.
“You sent them.”
He smiles at me. “I didn’t, but I may know who did. Bottom line, we thought it was time you found out about your family and we wanted Lex to return home to you.”
“We? Who’s we?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is to find out who thinks they have more pull than a Knight. I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like a lot of things at the moment,” I mumble.
“That list will grow. I can promise you that.”
“All right, all right. Cut the riddles.”
“Yes, let me see, where was I?” Uncle Blake says to Pit, doing that shit with his fingers. Like he can touch his thoughts or feel his words.
I know the gesture well. I’ve been seeing it most of my life. He does this when he’s about to say something important to him.
“Anthony, I was telling your brother here about my godson and your pappoús. You see, you can’t know about one and not the other. To know who Joshua Kylix is, you have to know Basil Nikolaou as well. William, Basil is who chose you.”