Downstairs, Gus and the others remained in the sitting room. He digested the information he had gotten from talking with Adonis. He was impressed with the way the boy had stood up for himself. But he wished his son would grow up and move on from the gay nonsense. He had seen that the boy had fighting spirit within, and like any other man, he would pave a road for his own happiness. He loved his son, and as angry as he was about the picture, he wasn't ready to give up on him. Gus said, "It might be time to try gay conversion therapy. A friend of mind recommended a good camp that would fix him. Five-star rating."
Madame Cruz said, "No; he doesn't do well away from home."
Gus sighed inwardly. The woman was always protecting the kid, bending to his desire. The reason Gus hadn't been there for Adonis was that he hated the woman, and everything related to her- sometimes he found himself hating Adonis because of her. Time made Maria Cruz hideous and fat. But she was the same greedy pig she was when they were younger. Everything he had, she tried to take from him. Even now, she crossed her legs and tried to lean towards him in a manner she thought was seductive. It left a bitter taste on his tongue. Gus replied, "Maybe, he would be a better man if you hadn't spoiled him."
Madam Cruz said, "Maybe he would be a better man if he had a father that taught him how to behave instead of skipping town to visit some Russian whore."
Gus recoiled as if he had been hit.
His wife, Karina, clucked her tongue and said, "At least, I don't look and act like a cow."
Achilles appeared dazed and distant, not really listening to them as he said, "I could beat it out of him. Put him in the hospital for a little while. He's a coward, so once he realizes how dangerous something is, he'll stop."
Gus stared at him. He was about to say 'no', but he realized the kid might be right. Children would act irrationally until they learned the consequences of their actions. He said, "Alright. We'll try that then. If he comes to me, begging for forgiveness and fires the boyfriend, I'll reconsider my stance on giving him a place in my company and extending his allowance."
Gus smoothed the wrinkles out his shirt and left the room with his wife. Achilles stayed behind and told Madame Cruz, "Give me the key to Adonis' room.'
***
When the door opened, Adonis had her back to him. He grabbed her neck, and she struggled against his hand. She whirled on him and pulled his arm off her throat. Achilles leaned over her, and grinned, overflowing with confidence.
Adonis was wearing a tank top and boxers. She felt vulnerable, exposed; she pushed his chest. "Go away," she said.
"No."
She knew he couldn't have gotten in without a key, so someone had helped him. Probably her mother, who wanted to keep devouring Gus' money. Even if it cost Adonis her freedom.
Achilles said, "Fire him and get a girlfriend, and everything will be good. You do realize that your actions reflect badly on me, don't you? I don't want to be 'the gay guy's brother'."
"Then tell them I'm not your brother. I'm a stranger with your last name."
Achilles jumped onto the bed, looking for an opportunity to attack her. She rolled off and stood by the side. "And you know I don't like girls."
"Pretend date one then. Plenty of people do it."
"No."
"Then we'll fight it out, and the loser obeys the winner," he said, jumping off the bed and landing near her.
When he jumped off, she jumped on.
"Fuck, Adonis!" he shouted, climbing onto the bed again. They circled each other; the bed became the floor of a boxing ring.
Deo had helped her improve her kickboxing techniques by sparring with her. Compared to Achilles, Deo was more muscular, faster, and more accurate. If she could hold on for five minutes against Deo; she could last longer against her brother. She balled her hands into fists. She raised her guard, blocking her face. While she never fought her parents, her brother was a different matter. They were the same age. Equal. He stood still, balancing as well as he could on the uneven comforter.
Adonis spun and drove her left foot into the bed while her right flew up in a wide arc towards his chest. It hit his block, jarring her body on impact. He grabbed her leg and flipped her beneath him. Her back hit the comforter. His arm pressed down on her throat as he loomed over her. She blinked to clear her vision. "You want to join Relar when you are this weak?" he asked.
"You would be happy if I died, wouldn't you? Stop pretending to care."
"What makes you think I don't?"
"He's not my boyfriend, and you don't believe me. If you cared about me, you would trust me," she said, her voice growing faint as he applied pressure to her neck. She raised her legs, lifting her abdomen to wrap her legs around his neck. His eyes widened as she choked him. She had intended to pull him down, but he resisted, dropping to his hand and knees to counter her pull. A vein ticked in his neck as he fought against her strength. She disengaged the lock as her legs grew tired from the strain, and her neck ached from the awkward position. He pushed her head into the bed. "Are you done?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Go get him," he said.
"Who?"
"The manservant."
"Get off me."
He released her, and she went to get Cal. When they arrived together, Achilles was sitting on the side of the bed, massaging his hands. "Are you fucking my brother?" Achilles asked Cal.